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Frank Ocean Drops Cryptic Hint About Sexuality as Dating Speculation Grows

RealityTea
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Frank Ocean Drops Cryptic Hint About Sexuality as Dating Speculation Grows


Frank Ocean recently shared a cryptic post on his Instagram story that has left his fans guessing why the singer is reiterating his sexuality. This comes amidst rumors of him being involved with UFC bantamweight contender Payton Talbott. So, what was this Instagram story, and what could it mean?

Frank Ocean posts about sexuality on Instagram story

In a new development, the “Novacane” singer shared a vague Instagram Story post seemingly aimed at reiterating his sexuality.

Frank Ocean shared the story of what appears to be a screenshot from an online quiz. It read, “Overall: Bi: Homosexual-Leaning.” (via Complex) This is too cryptic to decipher anything meaningful. Yet, many fans have linked it to Ocean’s romance rumors with Payton Talbott. However, this post could also not be about his sexuality but that of someone close to him. Thus, it is not really clear what the post implies.

Ocean has not shied away from discussing his sexuality in the past. Before the release of his debut album Channel Orange in 2012, he opened up about his first true love, a man he had feelings for when he was 19, in a letter he posted on Tumblr. The R&B artist previously also reiterated that he did not like putting labels on sexuality.

“I’ll respectfully say that life is dynamic and comes along with dynamic experiences, and the same sentiment that I have towards genres of music, I have towards a lot of labels and boxes and shit. I’m in this business to be creative—I’ll even diminish it and say to be a content provider,” the “Thinkin Bout You” crooner told GQ.

“People should pay attention to that in the letter: I didn’t need to label it for it to have impact. Because people realize everything that I say is so relatable, because when you’re talking about romantic love, both sides in all scenarios feel the same shit. As a writer, as a creator, I’m giving you my experiences,” shared Ocean.

While rumors continue to swirl about Frank Ocean’s possible romance with Payton Talbott, he has not publicly commented on the rumors. Meanwhile, the latter has also abstained from any comments.

Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on Mandatory.



This story originally appeared on Realitytea

Here’s how an average UK investor could target a £69k passive income with dividend shares

Motley Fool
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Here’s how an average UK investor could target a £69k passive income with dividend shares


Image source: Getty Images

There are many ways that investors can use their retirement fund to source a passive income. My plan is to invest my money in dividend shares, which I’m hoping will substantially supplement my State Pension and help me live comfortably.

Investors like me could buy an annuity product with their nest egg for a guaranteed income. Alternatively, they might draw down a percentage of their portfolio. That plan of action could fund their retirement for 20-30 years.

But my preferred option is to plough my money into a range of dividend stocks. That way, I have a chance to receive an income stream that grows over time, unlike an annuity where cash rewards are fixed. And I won’t erode my capital, which is a major drawback of drawdown strategies.

There is one big danger of this strategy, however: dividends are never, ever guaranteed. However, a diversified portfolio of dividend-paying shares can help investors substantially reduce this risk.

Targeting a near-£69k passive income

But how much could an investor make with this strategy? That depends on the size of their nest egg by retirement, and the dividend yields on the shares that they buy.

Let’s say we have an investor who puts away £514 a month in growth and dividend shares over 30 years. That’s the average amount that Brits invest each month, according to Shepherds Friendly.

If they can achieve an average annual return of 8% each year, they would — after 30 years — have built a retirement fund of £766,045. This could then generate a yearly passive income of:

  • £38,302 if invested in 5%-yielding dividend shares
  • £45,963 if invested in 6%-yielding dividend shares
  • £53,623 if invested in 7%-yielding dividend shares
  • £61,284 if invested in 8%-yielding dividend shares
  • £68,944 if invested in 9%-yielding dividend shares

Trust exercise

These projections show the appeal of investing in high-yield dividend shares. The problem is that this strategy carries higher risk, as the largest yields often come from shares struggling with weak earnings or poor balance sheets.

But as I said at the top, building a diversified portfolio can greatly reduce the risk of trouble for investors. This can be achieved cheaply and simply with a dividend-based investment trust. Take the Henderson Far East Income (LSE:HFEL) trust for instance.

As its name suggests, this investment vehicle is set up “to maximise the growing opportunities for high-income investing in the Asia-Pacific market“.

This means it carries more regional risk than trusts that hold shares from across the globe. Yet, it’s still quite well diversified in my view, holding 75 shares across sectors as diverse as financial services, utilities, real estate, and information technology. This depth has given Henderson Far East Income the strength to consistently raise annual dividends since 2007.

There’s another big advantage to this particular trust. By focusing on high-growth nations like China, India, Taiwan, and Indonesia, it has the scope to deliver substantial capital gains and an abundant and growing passive income. It’s a strategy that’s so far proved highly effective, and City analysts are tipping another year of dividend growth in 2025, leaving a huge 10.6% forward dividend yield.

While dividend shares carry risks, a well-planned strategy — perhaps with the use of investment trusts like this — can potentially deliver a large and growing retirement income.



This story originally appeared on Motley Fool

In face of extreme heat, L.A. may require landlords to keep their rentals cool

LATimes
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In face of extreme heat, L.A. may require landlords to keep their rentals cool

Los Angeles landlords may soon be required to keep rental units cool — or at least make it possible for tenants to do so.

County supervisors last month passed a law requiring landlords in unincorporated areas to provide a way to keep their rental units at 82 degrees or below. A measure introduced Wednesday in the Los Angeles City Council directs officials to draft language conforming to the same standards.

That comes as climate change ratchets up the frequency and intensity of heat waves. Extreme heat already kills more people in the United States each year than any other weather-related event, according to the National Weather Service.

Sustained indoor heat above 82 degrees has been linked to increased emergency-room visits, hospitalizations and deaths, according to a news release from Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Eunisses Hernandez, who introduced the measure along with Councilmember Adrin Nazarian.

“It’s a health issue, first and foremost,” said Nazarian, who pointed out that the effects of extreme heat fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations like those who are chronically ill. Older residents are much more susceptible to dying from heat or related complications, he said. And poorer people are more likely to live in aging buildings without duct systems or air conditioning units. “It’s critical for us to take steps so that we’re protecting our residents.”

The California Department of Housing and Community Development earlier this year urged lawmakers to adopt the 82-degree maximum temperature threshold statewide. State law already requires rental units to include equipment that can heat the unit to at least 70 degrees.

“Why should cooling be any different?” asked Blumenfield, who represents the hottest part of the city — his 3rd District covers much of the southwestern San Fernando Valley. Last year Woodland Hills, where Blumenfield also lives, hit 121 degrees — the highest temperature ever recorded in Los Angeles. “We always have heat strokes go up and all sorts of health related issues happen when it gets really hot,” he said.

The intention of the proposed measure is to hew as closely to the county regulations as possible, including provisions that provide flexibility to small landlords, Blumenfield said. For instance, the county rules allow landlords who own 10 or fewer units to meet the temperature requirement for just one room until 2032. And while the law took effect this month, it won’t be enforced until 2027.

The measure will take some time to draft and be heard by various committees but could come up for a vote before the full council in a matter of months, Blumenfield said.

If it passes, Los Angeles would join a growing list of cities that have adopted maximum temperature thresholds for rentals. In Phoenix, units with air conditioning must be able to maintain a temperature of 82 degrees or below. In Clark County, Nev., units must be able to stay at 85 degrees or cooler. In Palm Springs, units need to have air conditioning and be able to maintain 80 degrees. Dallas requires landlords to keep buildings at least 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature but no higher than 85 degrees, and New Orleans requires units to be able to maintain a maximum temperature of 80 degrees in all bedrooms.

The Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles was adamantly opposed to the measure, saying it would drive up the cost of housing and ultimately lead to higher rents.

It’s difficult to maintain a unit at 82 degrees without using an air conditioner, which can be costly to both landlords — who may need to upgrade buildings’ electrical service — and tenants, who must pay for utility bills, according to Daniel Yukelson, the group’s chief executive and executive director.

“Any cooling device will be ineffective if too expensive to operate because renters cannot afford the electricity,” he wrote in an email. “It’s like prescribing medication with a co-pay that is too high for a patient to refill.”

Yukelson also questioned whether the electrical grid can accommodate the additional load, saying that customers are already subjected to blackouts and brownouts during the summer.

Nazarian and Blumenfield both pointed out that the law does not require air conditioning, and said units could be kept cool with other interventions, including cool roof technology and window tinting. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also offers rebates to help certain customers purchase air conditioners, Nazarian said.

Grace Hut, assistant director of policy and advocacy for tenants’ rights group Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, said her organization has spoken with many renters whose landlords have actively prohibited them from installing air conditioner units. While she understands concerns about utility prices, tenants ultimately want to be able to choose for themselves whether or not to turn on an air conditioner and shoulder the higher electricity costs, she said.

“On extreme heat days, access to air conditioning can be a matter of life and death, and they should have the option to use it,” she said.

The city should also dedicate resources to enforcing the temperature-threshold rules and to helping tenants afford their utility bills to lessen the burden, she added.

“Climate change is only going to continue to exacerbate this issue so it’s really important that we take action immediately,” she said.

Last year was the warmest on record globally, and temperatures are projected to continue to rise. In 2022, a Times investigation revealed that heat probably caused about 3,900 deaths in California over the previous decade — six times the state’s official tally — and that the undercounting has contributed to a lack of urgency in confronting the crisis.

Times staff writer Rebecca Ellis contributed to this report



This story originally appeared on LA Times

Questions over Kawhi Leonard payments put focus on NBA salary cap

LATimes
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Questions over Kawhi Leonard payments put focus on NBA salary cap


At the heart of the uproar over allegations that Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers received millions in undisclosed payments from a tree-planting startup is a National Basketball Association rule that caps the the total annual payroll for teams.

According to a report by Pablo Torre of the Athletic, bankruptcy documents show that the tree-planting startup Aspiration Partners paid Leonard $21 million — and still owes him another $7 million — after agreeing to a $28 million contract for endorsement and marketing work at the company.

The report claims there is no evidence to show that Leonard did anything for Aspiration Partners, whose initial funding came in large part from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Torre alleges that the payment to Leonard was a way to skirt the NBA salary cap and pad his contract.

The Clippers have forcefully denied that they or Ballmer “circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration.”

Still, the NBA said it was launching an investigation into the matter.

The salary cap is a dollar amount that limits what teams can spend on player payroll. The number is determined based on a percentage of projected income for the upcoming year. In 2024-25, the salary cap was $140.6 million.

The purpose of the cap is to ensure parity, preventing the wealthiest teams from outspending smaller markets to acquire the best players. Teams that exceed the cap must pay luxury tax penalties that grow increasingly severe. Revenues from the tax penalties are then distributed in part to smaller-market teams and in part to teams that do not exceed the salary cap.

The cap was implemented before the 1984-85 season at a mere $3.6 million. Ten years later, it was $15.9 million, and 10 years after that it had risen to $43.9 million. By the 2014-15 season it was $63.1 million.

The biggest spike came before the 2016-2017 season when it jumped to $94 million because of an influx of revenue from a new nine-year, $24 billion media rights deal with ESPN and TNT.

Salary cap rules negotiated between the NBA and the players’ union are spelled out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Proven incidents of teams circumventing the cap are few, with a violation by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000 serving as the most egregious.

The Timberwolves made a secret agreement with free agent and former No. 1 overall draft pick Joe Smith, signing him to a succession of below-market one-year deals in order to enable the team to go over the cap with a huge contract ahead of the 2001-2002 season.

The NBA voided his contract, fined the Timberwolves $3.5 million, and stripped them of five first-round draft picks — two of which were later returned. Also, owner Glen Taylor and general manager Kevin McHale were suspended.

Then-NBA commissioner David Stern told the Minnesota Star-Tribune at the time: “What was done here was a fraud of major proportions. There were no fewer than five undisclosed contracts tightly tucked away, in the hope that they would never see the light of day. … The magnitude of this offense was shocking.”

Current commissioner Adam Silver is just as adamant as Stern when it comes to enforcing salary cap rules, although the current CBA limits punishment.

According to Article 13 of the CBA, if the Clippers were found to have circumvented the cap, it would be a first offense punishable by a $4.5 million fine, the loss of one first-round draft pick, and voiding of Leonard’s contract. However, the Clippers don’t have a first-round pick until 2027.

Leonard, one of the Clippers stars, is extremely well compensated. He will have been paid $375,772,011 by NBA teams through the upcoming season, according to industry expert spotrac.com.

A former Aspiration finance department employee whose voice was disguised on Torre’s podcast said that when they noticed the shockingly large fee paid to Leonard, they were told that, “If I had any questions about it, essentially don’t, because it was to circumvent the salary cap, LOL. There was lots of LOL when things were shared.”

Aspiration Partners was a digital bank that promoted socially responsible spending and investments that, at one point, brought in a star-filled roster of investors that included Drake, Robert Downey Jr., and Leonardo DiCaprio. Founded in 2013, it offered investments in “conscious coalition” companies and offered carbon credits to businesses. The company was valued at $2.3 million at one point.

But in August, the company’s co-founder, Joseph Sanberg, agreed to plead guilty to charges that he defrauded investors and lenders. Federal prosecutors accused Sanberg of causing more than $248 million in losses, calling him a “fraudster.”

Prosecutors alleged that Sanberg and another member of the company’s board, Ibrahim AlHusseini, fraudulently obtained $145 million in loans by promising shares from Sanberg’s stock in the company. AlHusseini allegedly falsified records to inflate his assets to obtain the loans, and Sanberg concealed from investigators that he was the source for revenue that was recognized by the company.

Sanberg had also recruited companies and individuals to claim they would be paying tens of thousands of dollars to have trees planted, but instead Sanberg used legal entities under his control to hide that he was making these payments, not the customers. Aspiration filed for bankruptcy in March.

The company was expected to pay more than $300 million over two decades as a sponsor for the Clippers’ Intuit Dome, which opened in August 2024. But before the new arena opened, the Clippers said Aspiration was no longer a sponsor, just as the Justice Department and Commodity Futures Trading Commission began looking into allegations that Aspiration had misled customers and investors.

During Aspiration’s bankruptcy proceedings, documents emerged citing KL2 Aspire as a creditor owed $7 million, one of four yearly payments of that amount agreed upon in a 2022 contract. KL2 is a limited liability company that names Leonard — whose jersey number is 2 — as its manager.

Aspiration was partially funded by a $50-million investment from Ballmer. It is not known whether Ballmer was aware of or played a role in facilitating the employment agreement between Aspiration and Leonard.

The Clippers issued a lengthy statement Thursday, attempting to explain why Leonard being paid by Aspiration was unrelated to his contract with the Clippers.

“There is nothing unusual or untoward about team sponsors doing endorsement deals with players on the same team,” the statement said in part. “Neither Steve nor the Clippers organization had any oversight of Kawhi’s independent endorsement agreement with Aspiration. To say otherwise is flat-out wrong.”

“The Clippers take NBA compliance extremely seriously, fully respect the league’s rules, and welcome its investigation related to Aspiration.”

In his reporting, Torre noted that Leonard’s contract with Aspiration included an unusual clause that said the company could terminate the endorsement agreement if Leonard was no longer a member of the Clippers.

Mark Cuban, part owner of the Dallas Mavericks, took to X.com to suggest that Torre’s reporting was faulty.

‘I’m on Team Ballmer,” Cuban wrote. “As much as I wish they circumvented the salary cap, First Steve isn’t that dumb. If he did try to feed KL money, knowing what was at stake for him personally, and his team, do you think he would let the company go bankrupt ? “

Torre responded by inviting Cuban on his podcast, “Pablo Torre Finds Out.”



This story originally appeared on LA Times

BREAKING: Biden Seen with Massive Gash on His Head (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit

TheGatewayPundit
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BREAKING: Biden Seen with Massive Gash on His Head (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit


Biden with gash on his head / Fred Karger Instagram video

Joe Biden was spotted with a huge gash on his head as he exited church in Rehoboth Beach over Labor Day Weekend.

A shocking video posted to Instagram by political consultant Fred Karger shows Biden, with a massive wound on his head as he greets people in front of the church.

It is unclear what caused the injury.

WATCH:

Earlier this year it was reported that 82-year-old Joe Biden was diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer.

According to Biden’s spox, the former president was diagnosed with prostate cancer with the cancer cells spreading to his bones.

“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” the statement said in May.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” the statement said.

Medical professionals sounded the alarm and said there is no way Joe Biden was diagnosed with Gleason 9 and metastasis as his initial diagnosis.

One urologist suggested that Joe Biden may have had prostate cancer for the last 5-10 years.

Joe Biden publicly fell many times while he was in office – how many times has he fallen in private?

Trump’s new ad showcases Biden’s stumbles and fumbles.




This story originally appeared on TheGateWayPundit

Silent killer warning as unusual craving could signal cancer early

Express.co.uk
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Silent killer warning as unusual craving could signal cancer early


There’s some food cravings that could be a warning sign you need to look out for. Unusual food cravings can start months before some patients are diagnosed with cancer. Some doctors believe the body transmits signals before formal diagnosis occurs and one video on Instagram has highlighted the warning sign.

In the video, a person who goes by the username of @astraworld2025, stated: “Many doctors are convinced: the body sends SIGNALS long before any diagnosis.”

Studies have shown links between food cravings and cancer types such as ovarian cancer and breast cancer, reports GB News.

A 2022 review examined seven studies on this phenomenon and concluded that “food cravings have been found to be associated with breast cancer, lymphoma, and ovarian or endometrial cancer”.

A medical professional quoted in the viral video revealed: “In patients with gastrointestinal tumours, a few months before the diagnosis, a strong craving for sweets appears.

“People eat ice cream by the kilo, even though they never cared for desserts before.”

According to the experts, cravings can vary greatly depending on the individual.

One woman, later diagnosed with kidney cancer, developed an unusual compulsion for pickle brine, drinking it directly from jars and consuming it with crackers.

Another patient suddenly became fixated on dairy products, a behaviour that family members dismissed as merely a passing preference or evolving taste.

Each type of cancer can have different symptoms but there are some general symptoms which you can keep an eye out for.



This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk

AI Could Lead to Mass Joblessness Within the Next 5 Years

Entrepreneur
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AI Could Lead to Mass Joblessness Within the Next 5 Years


A computer science professor is warning that advanced AI could be developed within the next couple of years, leading to mass unemployment by 2030.

On a recent episode of “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, University of Louisville Computer Science Professor Roman Yampolskiy warned that AI could cause “99%” of all workers to be unemployed by 2030. Yampolskiy said that artificial general intelligence systems (AGI) that are as capable as humans would likely be developed by 2027, leading to a labor market collapse three years later. He predicted that AI would provide “trillions of dollars” of “free labor,” giving employers a better option for their employment needs.

“You have free labor, physical and cognitive, trillions of dollars of it,” Yampolskiy said. “It makes no sense to hire humans for most jobs if I can just get a $20 subscription or a free model to do what an employee does.”

Related: Microsoft AI CEO Warns That ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Seemingly Conscious’ AI Models Could Arrive in the Next 2 Years: ‘Deserves Our Immediate Attention’

Yampolskiy predicted that any job on a computer would immediately be automated once AGI arrives and that humanoid robots would take over physical labor jobs within the next five years, leading to unprecedented levels of unemployment.

“So we’re looking at a world where we have levels of unemployment we’ve never seen before,” Yampolskiy said on the podcast. “Not talking about 10% unemployment, which is scary, but 99%.”

The only jobs left will be those that humans prefer another human to do for them, Yampolskiy said. AI will “very quickly” gain the capacity to take over other human occupations, including teachers, analysts, and accountants, he predicted.

Yampolskiy claims to have coined the term “AI safety” in a 2011 article and has since published more than 100 papers on AI’s dangers. He has written multiple books, including his 2025 book “Considerations on the AI Endgame: Ethics, Risks and Computational Frameworks.”

Related: The ‘Godfather of AI’ Says Artificial Intelligence Needs Programming With ‘Maternal Instincts’ or Humans Could End Up Being ‘Controlled’

In the podcast interview, Yampolskiy said that even coding and prompt engineering weren’t safe from automation. AI can design prompts for AI “way better” than any human, he stated.

Retraining is also impossible in this new reality because AI will automate all jobs and “there is no plan B,” Yampolskiy said.

Yampolskiy’s predictions match the forecasts made by other AI experts. Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “Godfather of AI” due to his pioneering work in the subject, stated in June that AI is going to “replace everybody” in white collar jobs. He challenged the idea that AI would create new jobs, pointing out that if AI automates tasks, there would be no jobs for people to do.

Meanwhile, in May, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated that AI would eliminate half of all entry-level, white-collar jobs within the next one to five years, causing unemployment to reach a high of 20%.

Related: ‘When I Get Paid, You Get Paid’: Software Engineers Looking for Work Are Promising $10,000 or More to Anyone Who Can Help Them Land a Job

A computer science professor is warning that advanced AI could be developed within the next couple of years, leading to mass unemployment by 2030.

On a recent episode of “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, University of Louisville Computer Science Professor Roman Yampolskiy warned that AI could cause “99%” of all workers to be unemployed by 2030. Yampolskiy said that artificial general intelligence systems (AGI) that are as capable as humans would likely be developed by 2027, leading to a labor market collapse three years later. He predicted that AI would provide “trillions of dollars” of “free labor,” giving employers a better option for their employment needs.

“You have free labor, physical and cognitive, trillions of dollars of it,” Yampolskiy said. “It makes no sense to hire humans for most jobs if I can just get a $20 subscription or a free model to do what an employee does.”

The rest of this article is locked.

Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.



This story originally appeared on Entrepreneur

Lululemon shares tumble as weak demand, tariffs spark profit warning

NYPost
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Lululemon shares tumble as weak demand, tariffs spark profit warning


Lululemon Athletica slashed its annual revenue and profit forecasts on Thursday, signaling a slowdown in demand going into the crucial holiday season as consumers cut down spending, alongside tariff pressures.

Shares of the company fell about 14% after the closing bell.

The sportswear maker has failed to spark a wave of buying from consumers grappling with inflation and the Trump administration’s volatile trade policy.

Lululemon has failed to spark a wave of buying from consumers grappling with inflation and the Trump administration’s volatile trade policy. Bloomberg via Getty Images

“Once the trailblazer in athleisure, Lululemon has lost its innovation edge, now squeezed by luxury newcomers like Alo Yoga and private-label dupes with comparable fabric tech at lower prices,” said Suzy Davidkhanian, analyst at eMarketer.

“Copycat culture highlights how far the moat has shrunk.”

The Vancouver, Canada-based company’s dour forecast for the second half of the year comes as US holiday spending is expected to see its steepest drop since the pandemic, according to a PwC survey.

The 2025 outlook includes a hit of about $240 million on gross profit, from higher tariffs and the removal of the de minimis exemption, the company said, with expectations of about a $320 million impact on operating margin in 2026.

De minimis is a US customs exemption that allows duty-free entry and minimal paperwork for international shipments under $800. The exemption removal became effective on Aug. 29.

The company, which introduces new product variations every week, said it plans to take strategic and modest price hikes to reduce tariff impact, alongside attempts to cut costs and negotiate with vendors.


Lululemon store sign.
The company’s dour forecast for the second half of the year comes as US holiday spending is expected to see its steepest drop since the pandemic, according to a PwC survey. REUTERS

Lululemon manufactured 40% of its products in Vietnam, and sourced 28% of its fabrics from mainland China, as of 2024, and goods imported from these countries to the US face heavy duties.

The yogawear firm now expects annual revenue between $10.85 billion and $11 billion, compared to its prior forecast of $11.15 billion to $11.30 billion.

The annual profit per share forecast of between $12.77 and $12.97, compares with previous expectations of $14.58 to $14.78 apiece.

“We believe guidance cuts continue and will become more severe through the end of the fiscal year,” Jefferies analysts said in a note.

Revenue for the second quarter, ended August 3, rose 7% to $2.53 billion, largely in line with analysts’ expectations, while earnings per share of $3.10 beat estimates of $2.88, according to data compiled by LSEG.



This story originally appeared on NYPost

Bill de Blasio spins Zohran Mamdani’s free-bus plan, JB Pritzker calls Chicago murders ‘no emergency’ and more

NYPost
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Bill de Blasio spins Zohran Mamdani’s free-bus plan, JB Pritzker calls Chicago murders ‘no emergency’ and more

Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions

This tip:

“[Free buses work] because . . . if people are given a quality alternative they can afford, they’ll use it.”

— Former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Tuesday

We say: Sure, offer folks something good, charge them zilch, and it’s a safe bet many will take it. But how’s that proof Zohran Mamdani’s free-bus idea “works”? Especially since the MTA would lack funds to keep the buses running. No wonder he’s known as Mayor Putz.

This assertion:

“There is no [crime] emergency.” — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Tuesday

We say: Chicago has seen nearly 300 murders this year, with 54 shot — seven fatally — over Labor Day weekend alone. “No emergency,” says Pritzker — apparently meaning that off-the-charts murder rates are the norm in Chi-Town, so they’re . . . OK. Which raises the question: How many must die for Pritzker to start caring?

This claim:

“The closest Mr. Mamdani gets to socialism is in his belief in treating people more equitably.” — The New York Times’ Jeffery C. Mays, Saturday

We say: Mays desperately tries to distance Mamdani from his socialist past and paint his ideas as based on fairness, in a bid to make him more palatable. Yet, if Mamdani’s idea of fairness is when everyone shares the wealth “equitably,” that’s pretty “close” to the definition of socialism.

This charge:

“The mainstream media will not touch these questions about Donald Trump’s obviously declining health.” — Ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid, Tuesday

We say: In Reid’s Opposite World, the press harped nonstop on Joe Biden’s decline, rather than helping cover it up. And now she sees it ignoring Trump’s “obviously” failing health. Sorry: Trump (like anyone his age) surely has some medical issues — but they get reported and the public sees him nearly every day: The guy makes the Eveready Bunny look lazy. How can anyone honestly claim Trump’s physical or mental condition compares even remotely to Biden’s? Then again, Reid wonders if Trump was truly shot last year. Getting fired from MSNBC did nothing to tether her to reality. 

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board



This story originally appeared on NYPost

Former Russian president warns Moscow may seize ‘valuables of the British Crown’ | UK News

SkyNews
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Former Russian president warns Moscow may seize ‘valuables of the British Crown’ | UK News


Dmitry Medvedev has warned Moscow may seize “valuables of the British Crown” in revenge for the UK using frozen Russian assets to fund military support for Ukraine.

The former Russian president, a key ally of Vladimir Putin, issued the warning after Britain announced a package of around £1bn for Kyiv’s war effort on Wednesday.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the package was paid for by frozen Russian assets.

In a message shared from his Telegram account, Mr Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, said Moscow could seize British assets and take more Ukrainian territory in response to the move.

He also referred to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy as “the English idiot”.

Mr Medvedev wrote: “British thieves transferred Russian money to neo-Nazis. Consequences? Britain committed an offence.”

He added that Russia would respond to “any illegal seizure of frozen Russian funds or profits” by seizing the “valuables of the British Crown” including British property in Russia.

In response to Russian assets being frozen by the UK, Mr Medvedev wrote: “Given that the money cannot be recovered in court for obvious reasons, our country has only one way to return the valuables: return it in kind. That is ‘Ukrainian land’ and other immovable and movable property located on it.”

The UK and other Western allies have been imposing sanctions on Moscow and seizing Russian assets since Mr Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

On Wednesday, Britain announced it was imposing sanctions on 11 individuals and entities it claims have been linked with Moscow’s alleged attempts to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children.

Trump says Europe must put pressure on China

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump joined a call at a summit of Ukraine’s allies in Paris on Thursday.

A White House official has said Mr Trump “emphasised that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war”.

The official said Moscow received €1.1bn in fuel sales from the EU in one year and added: “(Mr Trump) also emphasised that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts.”

It came after French President Emmanuel Macron said at the summit that 26 of Ukraine’s allies have pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” for the war-torn country once fighting ends in the conflict with Russia.

Image:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and Emmanuel Macron in Paris for Thursday’s coalition of the willing meeting. Pic: Reuters

Speaking after a meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” in Paris, Mr Macron said the countries had committed to deploying troops in Ukraine – or to maintaining a presence on land, at sea, or in the air – to help guarantee the country’s security the day after a ceasefire or peace is achieved.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Macron and other European leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the the US envoy for peace talks, Steve Witkoff, to discuss ways of ensuring long-term military support and continued American backing for Ukraine once the conflict ends.

Mr Zelenskyy’s office said he had also held a closed-door meeting with Mr Witkoff.

Mr Macron said at a news conference alongside Mr Zelenskyy that the reassurance force “does not have the will or the objective of waging war against Russia”, but will aim “to prevent any new major aggression and to involve the 26 states very clearly in the lasting security of Ukraine”.

Although details of any US participation in the security guarantees remains unclear, both Mr Macron and Mr Zelenskyy said Washington had expressed willingness to be part of the plan, and the Ukrainian president said he was grateful for that.

“As for in what format, I am not yet ready to tell you in detail,” Mr Zelenskyy added.

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Who is Trump listening to on Ukraine?

The Ukrainian president also said in Paris that he would “especially like to thank President Trump for all his efforts to end this war and America’s readiness to provide support for Ukraine from its side”.

“The planning work will be finalised with the United States,” Mr Macron said.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Macron, who lead the “coalition of the willing”, previously insisted that any European “reassurance” force in Ukraine needed the backing of the United States.

‘Two killed in Russian strike’

In developments on the battlefield, Russia claimed on Thursday that its forces destroyed a launch site for Ukraine’s long-range drones in the Chernihiv region.

This has not been independently verified.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said a Russian missile strike on a humanitarian demining mission near the city of Chernihiv had killed two people.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been targeting Russia’s oil refining capacity, with the most recent strikes coming last weekend.

Around 11% of Russia’s refining capacity has been affected in total so far.



This story originally appeared on Skynews

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