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The Princess of Pop's estranged dad had his right leg amputated in 2023 following a severe bacterial infection.

The Princess of Pop's estranged dad had his right leg amputated in 2023 following a severe bacterial infection.

Ripa and Consuelos praised their son's "great idea" to get Mickey D's for dinner on Sunday.

A specialty chocolate company on Friday expanded its recall of pricey candy bars to include the entire product line over fears of possible contamination with salmonella.

Gillis and Handler ruthlessly went after each other during Kevin Hart's roast. 

The comedians "have been at odds for years on years," Hart said during Sunday's special -- before "extending an olive branch of peace."

The comedians "have been at odds for years on years," Hart said during Sunday's special -- before "extending an olive branch of peace."

Underwood's husband took his own life in 1990.

Underwood's husband took his own life in 1990.

"You Just Can't Earn A Billion Dollars": AOC Declares Billionaires To Be A Capitalist Myth

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

This week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) came up with the best reason to tax billionaires: They do not actually exist.

On a podcast, Ocasio-Cortez declared with all the certainty of a freshman in a Smith College political science course that the notion of a self-made billionaire is simply a fantasy, because “you just can’t earn” a billion dollars. It is only the latest in a series of socialist fables that are being dressed up as economic facts.

The difference is that this fable, if told often enough, could become true.

In suggesting that true billionaires are a capitalist myth, Ocasio-Cortez is suggesting that people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos really did not earn their wealth and, therefore, it is really not their money.

“There’s a certain level of wealth and accumulation that is unearned. You can’t earn a billion dollars. You just can’t earn that. You can get market power, you can break rules, you can abuse labor laws, you can pay people less than what they’re worth, but you can’t earn that.”

In other words, you can only make a billion dollars through theft and exploitation rather than actual entrepreneurial enterprise. This statement comes as support builds for the California billionaires’ tax which, even before it has a chance to pass in November, has already cost the state trillions due to an exodus of these billionaires.

In my book, “Rage and the Republic,” I discuss common myths spread by the left to fuel economic factionalism.

One common myth is that the “wealthy do not pay their fair share of taxes.” In truth, the top ten percent of taxpayers pay the vast majority of taxes in the U.S. In the book, I also dispel the claim that most millionaires inherited their wealth or came from privileged backgrounds.

These myths are designed to make redistribution schemes more palatable. And Democrats are ramping up the “eat-the-rich” rhetoric ahead of the midterms in pushing both millionaire and billionaire taxes. Democrats from Washington to Virginia are pushing millionaire taxes, and the mere conversation has already set off a stampede of high-earning taxpayers to red states like Texas and Florida, which have no state income tax.

It was also evident in this week’s California gubernatorial debate. Candidate Katie Porter (D) said she opposes the billionaire’s tax because it would not go far enough. Porter then pressed the only billionaire in the group, Tom Steyer, who has been moving to the far left to grab voters in the wake of the departure of former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) as a candidate. Steyer said that he supports the billionaire tax but would want to go even further.

Steyer has spent a fortune of his own money on this race, apparently to convince Democratic primary voters that he is some kind of red billionaire in the mold of a George Soros or Neville Roy Singham. Good luck with that — after spending roughly $150 million of his own money, Steyer is still languishing between 12 and 18 percent support.

Of course, Steyer was not asked if he believes that real billionaires such as himself exist. Yet he has already apologized for making considerable money on private prisons, including those used to hold undocumented immigrants.

Ironically, in finance, a “unicorn” is a company worth more than $1 billion dollars, a term coined by venture capitalist Aileen Lee to capture the rare and almost magical status of such enterprises.

Conversely, Ocasio-Cortez’s unicorn myth is part of a general denial of economic realities that has taken hold on the left. The cost of these policies is borne by workers, who are being left to eat soundbites.

Democrats have sold voters on raising minimum wages as high as $30 per hour, even though such policies cost thousands of jobs. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg bragged about blocking a merger of JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, claiming that it would create cheaper flights and better jobs. Spirit has now been forced to close its doors, causing the loss of thousands of flights and jobs.

A rising generation of voters is eagerly devouring soundbites and promises of the “warmth of collectivism” from figures like New York’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani. From promises of free buses to state-run grocery stores, voters are buying the same threadbare socialist schtick.

That was on display this week as socialist Seattle mayor Katie Wilson laughed when asked about the millionaires fleeing the city over rising taxes and crime. She delighted the crowd by mocking the departing millionaires with two words: “Like, bye!”

The last laugh, however, rests with those fleeing a city facing a projected deficit of $114 million. As Wilson faces major cuts in the city budget, she gleefully mocks those whose tax dollars the city will desperately need to close this gap if it is to maintain public services.

Ironically, Wilson and other Democrats are quickly making their myth a reality. Soon, there will be no billionaire unicorns roaming the land.

Even millionaires may become scarce, as these wealthy citizens move to less hostile states with less delusional leaders.

The solution to this exodus is equally predictable. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who has campaigned for a billionaire tax in his state while representing Silicon Valley, has also joined with socialist Bernie Sanders to push for a national billionaire’s tax — an effort to guarantee that there is no place to hide. This is the same approach that tanked the French economy under François Mitterrand after the wealthy fled that nation.

This is not, however, a time for economics or history. It is the time of fables. Ocasio-Cortez has thrived in the land of socialist unicorns.

She can even attend the ultra-rich Met Gala wearing an expensive “Tax-the-Rich” gown.

Like her dress, it is fashionable to deny that billionaires created their wealth. It is your money for the taking.

The result is that billionaires and even millionaires in states like New York may go the way of unicorns, fanciful creatures that once thrived in a land of jobs and growth.

Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.“

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/11/2026 - 10:35

Games go down in Flushing from May 15-17.

Tyrod Taylor is having a roller-coaster offseason, both on and off the field.

A perverted Texas teaching aide allegedly admitted to exposing a 7-year-old girl’s chest in front of young students and comparing the child to a porn star, according to court docs. 

The "Deadpool" actor has been married to Lively since September 2012, and the duo share four children -- James, Inez, Betty and Olin.

The "Deadpool" actor has been married to Lively since September 2012, and the duo share four children -- James, Inez, Betty and Olin.

Horrific video shows the worker trying to pull a tool out of a shredder -- just to be sucked in.

Aramco CEO Says Energy Market May Not Normalize Until 2027 Amid Billion-Barrel Supply Shock

From the Trump administration's recent Project Freedom push to mounting warnings from Wall Street analysts, security experts, energy strategists, and major oil company executives, there is a growing sense that the global energy market is quickly approaching a breaking point due to the heavily disrupted Strait of Hormuz.

There was good news over the weekend, as a Qatari LNG tanker transited the Hormuz chokepoint. However, a second tanker from the energy-rich Gulf country abruptly made a U-turn in the Strait early Monday, dashing hopes for any near-term normalization, especially since the U.S. and Iran have yet to reach a peace deal.

The countdown to global energy chaos is increasingly viewed in weeks, not months. If the maritime chokepoint remains impaired for the next several weeks, according to Frederic Lasserre, head of research at Gunvor, one of the world's largest oil traders, then the "tipping point to something has to give is June."

Warnings of incoming energy market turmoil continued on Monday, with the CEO of Aramco, formerly known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Company. Amin Nasser warned that the market could lose around 100 million barrels of oil each week if Hormuz remains closed.

Nasser told investors on an earnings call earlier today that if the Hormuz chokepoint is disrupted for another couple of weeks, then it would take the global energy market until 2027 to normalize. 

Here are the most important comments from Nasser's call with the analyst:

• Energy Supply Shock Is Largest Ever Experienced

• It'll Take Months for Oil Market to Rebalance Even If Hormuz Reopens Today

• Market to Normalize in 2027 if Hormuz Opening Is Delayed by Few More Weeks

• Market Has Seen Supply Loss of About 1 Billion Barrel of Oil

• Alternative Flows Bypassing Hormuz, Strategic Reserve Releases Partially offset that

• Market Could Lose Around 100 Mln Barrels of Oil For Every Week

• Demand Rationing to Continue As Long As Supply Remains Disrupted

• Return to Demand Growth Expected to Be Robust If Trade Resumes

• Demand Growth to Be Driven by Urgency to Ensure Security of Supply

• Supply Chains Will Need Several Months to Return to Normal

Building on the countdown-to-energy-chaos theme, Morgan Stanley analyst Martijn Rats warned clients that the oil market is in a "race against time" as the maritime chokepoint remains heavily disrupted. He noted that global supply buffers, which have kept crude prices contained during the ten-week Iran war, are starting to come under pressure.

Rats said that nearly 1 billion barrels have already been lost, yet Brent crude  futures have not exceeded 2022 levels because the market entered the crisis with spare supply buffers and because traders kept assuming Hormuz would reopen.

"The ability of the US to continue this elevated level of exports is hard to gauge but appears under more pressure," the analyst noted, adding, "The United States' 3.8m b/d increase in exports and China's 5.5m b/d cut in imports have shielded the rest of the world from 9.3m b/d of tightness." 

Rats warned, "Even if the Strait reopened tomorrow, the time required to restart fields, repair refineries, and reposition tanker tonnage means the market is on track to lose another billion barrels over the balance of 2026."

In a separate note, JPMorgan's resident commodity expert, Natasha Kaneva, explained where the next phase of the global energy shock could unfold.

Kaneva's chart on global oil inventories is truly shocking.

Read Kaneva's full note here.

Overall, the warnings are piling up. If the maritime chokepoint remains shuttered through this month, real panic may begin then.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/11/2026 - 10:15

US Existing Home Sales Disappoint In April, Despite Lower Mortgage Rates

With the Spring selling season already in tatters, existing home sales were expected to rebound in April very modestly (+2.0% MoM) off recent record lows. However, the rebound was far less than expected, up just 0.2% MoM, which left sales of existing homes unchanged YoY...

Source: Bloomberg

Total existing home sales SAAR hover just above 4.00 million homes...

Source: Bloomberg

The NAR report showed the median selling price rose 0.9% from a year earlier to $417,700 last month - the highest for any April on record.

Source: Bloomberg

The inventory of previously owned homes increased from a year ago to 1.47 million - the most for any April since 2019.

Source: Bloomberg

“Even though it’s the highest inventory post-Covid, we are not close to the pre-Covid April inventory of 1.83 million,” Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said on a call with reporters.

Contract closings rose in the Midwest and South, according to the NAR. They fell to a three-month low in the West.

Finally, it appears home sales are becoming less and less elastic relative to mortgage rates (which had fallen notably during the period of reporting)..

Source: Bloomberg

And, as the chart shows, mortgage rates are recently on the rise again...which will not help the situation at all.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/11/2026 - 10:07

"Friendly Local Assassin" Suspect In White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Pleads Not Guilty

In a federal courtroom in Washington this morning, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen entered a not guilty plea to charges stemming from the April 25 shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner. The plea sets the stage for a high-profile trial that could determine whether Allen faces life in prison for what authorities describe as an attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.

Allen was tackled by Secret Service after gunfire erupted just outside the ballroom packed with roughly 2,600 attendees - including the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and numerous Cabinet officials and journalists.

The night of April 25...

Around 8:36 p.m. EDT, as dinner service was underway, Allen - armed with a 12-gauge Maverick shotgun, an Armscor Precision .38 semi-automatic pistol, and multiple knives - rushed past a security checkpoint on an upper level of the hotel. He fired at least one shot (reports indicate possible additional rounds) in the direction of law enforcement before being tackled by Secret Service agents and other officers.

One Secret Service agent was struck in his bulletproof vest by buckshot; he was treated and released from the hospital. Allen sustained a knee injury after tripping during the confrontation but was not shot. No bystanders or attendees were injured or killed. President Trump was quickly surrounded by agents and evacuated - 10 seconds after JD Vance, and the dinner was halted and later rescheduled.

Surveillance footage captured the rapid sequence: Allen sprinting with weapons visible, the sound of gunfire, and swift law enforcement response. Allen had checked into the hotel as a guest days earlier, traveling by Amtrak from his home in Torrance, California.

Today, we are releasing video already provided to U.S. District Court showing Cole Allen shoot a U.S. Secret Service officer during his attempt to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly… pic.twitter.com/a8gRXkW6BH

— US Attorney Pirro (@USAttyPirro) April 30, 2026

Born April 11, 1995, Allen is a California native with an extensive academic background - earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2017 and a master’s in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025. He interned at NASA, worked part-time as a tutor at C2 Education in Torrance (named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024), and developed video games, including a 'non-violent fighting game' (lol) called Bohrdom that was later removed from Steam following his arrest.

Acquaintances and family described him as highly intelligent, polite, inquisitive, and generally “gentle” or “super stable,” with no prior criminal history. He lived with his parents and siblings, regularly practiced at shooting ranges, and had expressed anti-Trump political views online and in person—including a small donation to Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign and attendance at protests.

The Manifesto and Alleged Motive

Approximately 10 minutes before the attack, Allen emailed a lengthy note titled "Apology and Explanation" to family members. In it, he apologized for “abusing” their trust and stated he did not expect forgiveness. He exhibited deep hatred of Trump, referring to himself in one passage as the "Friendly Federal Assassin" and outlining an intent to target “administration officials (not including Mr. Patel)” - widely interpreted as sparing FBI Director Kash Patel - from highest-ranking to lowest.

The document criticized specific actions such as federal operations against alleged drug boats and highlighted what Allen perceived as lax security at the hotel and event. Also for some reason FBI Director Kash Patel was not a target. 

Authorities have described the note and related materials recovered from his devices and hotel room as a manifesto reflecting political grievances and a belief that it was his “duty” to act. Investigators are still examining the full scope of his radicalization, but preliminary findings point to targeted political violence rather than random or personal animus.

#WHCD #TRUMP
**Here is the full text of Cole Allen’s manifesto**, as published by the New York Post (1,052 words, signed “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen”).
Part: 1/2
---
Hello everybody!
So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today. Let me start off… pic.twitter.com/6brCsHjHoJ

— CosMike (@C0sM1ke) April 27, 2026 Developments

Allen was charged days after the incident with attempting to assassinate the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, and multiple firearms violations (including interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a felony and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence). A federal grand jury later returned a four-count indictment.

He has remained in federal custody in Washington. Early proceedings included concerns over his detention conditions - initially on suicide watch, later removed - prompting a federal magistrate judge to express alarm about his treatment, including reports of five-point restraints, and to demand explanations from jail officials (poor baby!). Allen’s defense team has filed motions, including one seeking the recusal of U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, and has highlighted what they describe as unusually harsh conditions compared to other high-profile detainees.

Today’s arraignment before Judge Trevor McFadden was the first formal opportunity for Allen to enter a plea on the indicted charges. With the not guilty plea entered, the case now proceeds toward trial, discovery, and potential pre-trial motions. If convicted on the lead count, Allen could face life imprisonment.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/11/2026 - 10:00

New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer issued a sharp rebuke of the Democratic Party for failing to denounce anti-semitism and hateful rhetoric coming from the left while being eager to do so against the right.