Stock photo by Jose A. Bernat Bacete, Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon
After a Fox News interview raised the possibility of Alaska building a “Bear Alcatraz” Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, the office of Gov. Mike Dunleavy said on Tuesday that the state has no such plans.
The Dunleavy administration statement was prompted by an inaccurate story by Newsweek that summarized the interview, asserting that the state had suggested the idea.
“The story is false,” said Jeff Turner, Dunleavy’s director of communications by email. He said that he had demanded a correction from the Newsweek reporter.
The Newsweek story referred to a July 1 interview on Fox News by host Laura Ingraham of Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for pPolicy and homeland security adviser. Miller is known as the architect of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, and a vocal proponent of ramping up ICE arrests, detention and mass deportations.
In the interview, Ingraham and Miller praised Florida for building a new ICE detention facility in the Everglades, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” for its isolation and being surrounded by wildlife in the Big Cypress Natural Preserve in Ochopee, Florida. It was constructed in just eight days, and can hold up to 3,000 detainees before deportation, and opened last week.
Miller said he had pitched all Republican governors to build similar ICE detention facilities. “We want every governor of a red state, and if you’re watching tonight, pick up the phone call, DHS, work with us to build facilities in your state,” Miller said.
Ingraham said Fox reached out to states, including Alaska, for comment. “Alaska told us that ‘we don’t have alligators, but we have lots of bears.’ However, they aren’t aware of any plans for an Alaska version,” she said.
“Of, I said, ‘Bear Alcatraz,’” Ingraham added, chuckling.
When asked to comment on Alaska’s response to Fox News, Turner repeated there were no state plans to build such a facility.
“I am not aware of any response from the state to Mr. Miller for a facility like the one in Florida,” Turner said. “The governor’s office was asked by Fox News if there were any such plans and the answer was no.”
Last week, President Donald Trump signed his signature domestic policy bill, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which allocates a historic increase of $165 billion to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which administers ICE, through 2029. ICE’s budget is currently $10 billion.
The Department of Homeland Security said $165 billion includes $45 billion for new ICE detention facilities, $46 billion for border wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, $14 billion for deportation operations, and billions for hiring 6,000 new Customs and Border Patrol agents, and 10,000 new ICE agents.
The first-ever Bitcoin Alaska Conference was held July 5–6 at Centennial Hall in Juneau.
The conference brought together policymakers, energy experts, and Bitcoin enthusiasts to examine the role of cryptocurrency in shaping Alaska’s economy and energy future.
One of those experts was Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation.
Alex Gladstein offers an argument for technology as a critical tool for individual empowerment and freedom in an increasingly complex global landscape.
“So the organization that I worked for, the Human Rights Foundation, was founded with a very specific mission, which was to address authoritarianism.” Said Gladstein , “5.7 billion people live under an authoritarian regime in nearly 100 countries around the world, where they don’t have free speech, rule of law, separation of powers, or property rights. So while our country is not perfect, it is something that you know, billions of people aspire to, and we focus on helping human rights activists, journalists, labor leaders and environmentalists, who live under authoritarian regimes. And that often brings us to look at what the tools are that they’re using.”
Gladstein, working with the Human Rights Foundation since 2007, has witnessed firsthand the power of technology in some of the world’s most restrictive environments. His journey began with underground internet efforts in Cuba, where he and his team would smuggle contraband media and help citizens access information forbidden by authoritarian regimes.
The conversation centers on two primary technological innovations: Bitcoin and open-source AI tools. Bitcoin he says, emerges as a powerful instrument of financial sovereignty.
“even the most hardened skeptic admits that it’s got some sort of speculative investment quality to it, given that it’s been the best performing financial asset in the world since it was created, I think there’s a risk in ending the story there. I mean, that’s really what a lot of people see. They see an investment, and that’s about it.” Said Gladstein “I think what they don’t see is the freedom money part of it, which is that it doesn’t require paperwork to use. You don’t need an account. You can be any gender, any faith, any religion, any nationality, and you can use it and connect to it and trade and commerce and transact with other people. The second part of it is the censorship resistance. You know, it’s unstoppable.”
In Alaska, particularly in the North Slope, where abundant “stranded” natural gas from oil production could power cryptocurrency data centers, Stax Capital Partners, a Wasilla-based startup, recently proposed building a 50 MW Bitcoin mining facility south of Prudhoe Bay, about the same amount of electricity used as Alaska’s largest coal plant, according to the Alaska Beacon.
A New York Times investigation found that U.S. Bitcoin mining operations can require power comparable to small cities, and during crises like Texas’ 2021 Winter Storm Uri, some operations were actually paid to shut down to protect vulnerable power grids, Critics warn that large-scale installations, like those proposed in Alaska, risk similar grid strain and could push fossil fuel consumption higher.
On the technology front, according to Gladstein, it’s a double-edged sword. “there’s the centralizing force of the state, and they are using AI tools to better understand their population, map their population, surveil their population. But at the same time, these open AI tools that are available to anybody, are allowing individuals to have, essentially, a fortune 500 company in their pocket.”
Gladstein acknowledges the risks of digital intrusion and recommends people spend more time offline to reduce their digital surface area as these same technologies can pose a threat to individual privacy.
Yet, he remains fundamentally optimistic about technology’s potential to expand human freedom. “It’s going to be super empowering for individuals and small businesses that don’t have a lot of resources. I’m excited about that.”
Students swing on a playground at Meadow Lakes Head Start in Wasilla, Alaska. It closed in 2024 due to funding and staffing challenges. (Image by Lela Seiler, courtesy of CCS Early Learning)
By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon
The budget vetoes that Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued last month included millions of dollars proposed by the Legislature to bolster child care and early intervention services for children with disabilities or developmental delays.
Dunleavy vetoed a proposed $1.86 million in additional funding for child care grant programs and place-based and home-based child care centers, citing declining state revenues. The budget retains $5.87 million for those programs for next year.
For early education and infant learning, the Legislature proposed a significant boost — $5.7 million more — for the state’s 17 programs that provide intervention services for families with children from infancy to 3 years old experiencing disabilities or developmental delays. Dunleavy rejected the increase, and allocated $10 million for the statewide programs.
“Governor Dunleavy’s goal is for Alaska to be the best place in the country to raise a family,” said Grant Robinson, a deputy press secretary for the governor in an email on Monday responding to a request for comment. “The budgeting process requires the Governor to consider all line items in view of the State’s fiscal situation. The budget the Governor signed still provides more than $5.8 million of funding for childcare benefits. Given the State’s revenue outlook, the Governor made the difficult yet fiscally responsible decision to veto increasing and expanding infant learning programs.”
The governor vetoed more than $127 million from the Legislature’s proposed budget, including $50 million for public schools. In a prerecorded video released with the veto announcement in June, Dunleavy cited lower state revenues due to falling oil prices.
“Basically, we don’t have enough money to pay for all of our obligations. So as a result of that, you’re going to see some reductions in this year’s budget. It’s not an easy thing to do. It’s certainly not a fun thing to do, but it’s necessary,” he said.
Anchorage Republican Sen. Cathy Giessel, who also serves as the Senate majority leader, agreed that the state is facing fiscal challenges, but said child care and early education programs should be prioritized, as the Legislature had proposed.
Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, listens to a presentation about natural gas during a March 12, 2025, hearing of the Senate Resources Committee, which she chairs. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
“We had a balanced budget. It is true, it was very difficult to arrive at that balanced budget,” she said in a phone interview. “We searched all the couch cushions for one-time funding to fund this balanced budget, but we achieved it. The governor’s vetoes of these two critical services are just going to mean future costs, because these services were not provided for kids in their earliest development stages. So I was very disappointed.”
An estimated 1,800 Alaskan families are currently served each year by the state’s infant learning programs, funded by the state and federal Medicaid, at no cost to families. Children and families work with developmental specialists, and can receive speech, physical and occupational therapies. In addition, parents receive training and education on child development.
For example, in the Northwest Arctic region, an early learning and family program is administered by the Northwest Arctic Borough School District. It is based in Kotzebue and serves all the Northwest Arctic villages, as well as Point Hope in the North Slope Borough.
“We’re spread very thin,” said Tracey Schaeffer, one of the program’s three staff members. “And we definitely could use another staff person to help with traveling and seeing families and spending time in the villages.”
There is only one air carrier, Bering Air, serving the region, down from four companies operating a few years ago, she said, so with weather events and disruptions, it’s increasingly challenging.
“We have to change reservations a lot because of the weather,” she said, estimating the total cost for travel and flights at up to $25,000 per year, plus significant time. “As it gets warmer, we have a lot more days that are not very safe to fly here.”
Schaeffer said they work as much as possible by phone, but intervention services are very personal. “And all the while, you’re trying to kind of build a relationship with this family, because it’s a really intimate, sensitive situation when you’re working with a family who has a child that experienced, you know, something that wasn’t expected, a disability, or something, a medical issue, that has put their development at risk,” she said.
The proposed state funding increase would have been welcome, she said. “That would have been a huge relief, because there’s a lot of pressure. I mean, (with) early intervention, three years is a short period of time, you know, and we lose so much time because of weather, flight cancellations or something,” she said. “So there’s a lot of pressure there. We’ve done this job for a long time, and we know the time goes fast, and we want to provide as much intervention as we can. And it’s just hard to do that.”
Schaeffer also runs a small child care center in Kotzebue, serving eight children, the first licensed provider to open in the community in over a decade. She said more local and state support is needed to address the lack of child care and rippling impacts for the community. “We lose people all the time because of a lack of child care. You know, we have educators or providers that come and they start a family, and then they realize, like, ‘Wow, I can’t find a child care provider,’ and we lose them because of that.”
Shaeffer and her daughter opened the child care center in 2023, a challenging process documented in a short film by Laura Norton-Cruz, a social worker, public health advocate and film producer. She and filmmaker Joshua Albeza Branstetter created a documentary film series focused on the challenges of child care and early education programs called the “Early Childhood in Alaska” series.
Yulia Smith, a developmental specialist with the Mat-Su Valley infant learning program, is seen in a playroom with a young participant. The program is the subject of a short documentary film produced by Laura Norton-Cruz and Joshua Albeza Branstetter, part of the ‘Early Childhood in Alaska’ series. (Photo courtesy of Joshua Albeza Branstetter)
“Child care is just not a profitable business model. It’s an investment in child brain development and family well-being, and the economy,” Norton-Cruz said, emphasizing the need for increasing state and federal funding support. “Staffing is the majority of the costs. But also, if you run a home-based child care center, you have to pay your mortgage or you have to pay rent, you have to pay utilities: Those things cost money. And we need support from the government to be able to offer this essential service, to have a workforce, and to have children who are kindergarten ready.”
In April, Anchorage’s largest child care provider, Bright Beginnings Early Learning Center, closed, displacing 125 children. Norton-Cruz said while some progress has been made, like raising awareness around Alaska’s child care crisis, families and providers are still struggling.
“Others have cut back on hours or cut back on the number of rooms, or the number of kids they can take, in order to have this essential service for parents to be able to go to work, which we need them to do,” she said. “Because we have major workforce shortages, and parents need income to pay for, you know, rent and everything else, we have to do a better job of funding and supporting the sector.”
In 2023, Dunleavy launched a child care task force with the stated goal to develop a plan to improve availability and affordability of quality child care throughout Alaska. Norton-Cruz said the work of the task force was positive, and would like to see the governor put more state funding toward its recommendations.
“When we don’t have policy that supports child care and early childhood, we basically just rely on the unpaid labor of women,” Norton-Cruz said. “Whether that’s moms, or whether that’s grandmothers, or aunties, you can’t just say, ‘Oh, but grandmas and aunties can step in.’ That’s not policy. That relies on something that may not always be there for everyone, and isn’t fair. … People need to be able to make that choice, rather than have that choice made for them.”
Giessel also said there is a need for state funding for the governor’s own task force recommendations. She pointed to new state revenue measures that Dunleavy has opposed —like oil taxes — that leaders in the Alaska House multipartisan and Senate bipartisan majority caucuses want to pursue to bring in more state dollars.
“First of all, we have a huge gap in our tax structure on our oil resources,” Giessel said, referring to the difference between taxes paid by traditional corporations and by those corporations that report their income through their owners, known as “S corporations.”
“The S corporations pay no corporate tax to the state,” Giessel said. “There is legislation that would institute a requirement for S corporations to pay a corporate tax to the state, conservatively estimated, that would be $100 million per year.”
A bill to tax these corporations is in the Senate Rules Committee.
“That would pay for a huge amount of these child care and early education funding requirements,” Giessel said.
“For him to say that these cuts are because of declining revenue and ignoring his responsibility in this, is just amazing to me,” Giessel added.
The Legislature will meet for a special session on Aug. 2, when they will consider whether to override the budget vetoes.
But Trump has not fared nearly as well in the lower courts, where he has lost a series of cases through different levels of the federal court system. On June 5, a single judge temporarily stopped the administration from preventing Harvard University from enrolling international students.
After that, the case can be appealed to the Supreme Court.
I’m a scholar of the federal courts. The reasons why some courts have multiple judges and others have a single judge can be confusing. Here’s a guide to help understand what’s going on in the federal courts.
This makes sense for a jury trial, since a judge might make dozens of spur-of-the-moment decisions during the course of a trial, such as ruling on a lawyer’s objection to a question asked of a witness. If a panel of, say, three judges performed this task, it would prolong proceedings because the three judges would have to deliberate over every ruling.
A more controversial role of District Courts involves setting nationwide injunctions. This happens when a single judge temporarily stops the government from enforcing a policy throughout the nation.
President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on June 27, 2025, after the Supreme Court curbed the power of lone federal judges to block executive actions. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Trump and Republicans in Congress argue that the ability to issue nationwide injunctions gives too much power to a single judge. Instead, they believe injunctions should apply only to the parties involved in the case.
On June 27, the Supreme Court agreed with the Trump administration and severely limited the ability of District Court judges to issue nationwide injunctions. This means that judges can generally stop policies from being enforced only against the parties to a lawsuit, instead of everyone in the nation.
In rare instances, a panel of three District Court judges hears a case. Congress decides what cases these special three-judge panels hear, reserving them for especially important issues. For example, these panels have heard cases involving reapportionment, which is how votes are translated into legislative seats in Congress and state legislatures, and allegations that a voter’s rights have been violated.
The logic behind having three judges hear such important cases is that they will give more careful consideration to the dispute. This may lend legitimacy to a controversial decision and prevents a single judge from exercising too much power.
There are also specialized courts that hear cases involving particular policies, sometimes in panels of three judges. For instance, three-judge panels on the U.S. Court of International Trade decide cases involving executive orders related to international trade.
The federal Court of Appeals
The U.S. Court of Appeals hears appeals from the District Courts and specialized courts.
The 13 federal circuit courts that make up the U.S. Court of Appeals are arranged throughout the country and handle about 40,000 cases per year. Each circuit court has six to 29 judges. Cases are decided primarily by three-judge panels.
Having multiple judges decide cases on the Court of Appeals is seen as worthwhile, since these courts are policymaking institutions. This means they set precedents for the judicial circuit in which they operate, which covers three to nine states.
Supporters of this system argue that by having multiple judges on appellate courts, the panel will consider a variety of perspectives on the case and collaborate with one another. This can lead to better decision-making. Additionally, having multiple judges check one another can boost public confidence in the judiciary.
The party that loses a case before a three-judge panel can request that the entire circuit rehear the case. This is known as sitting en banc.
Because judges on a circuit can decline to hear cases en banc, this procedure is usually reserved for especially significant cases. For instance, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has agreed to an en banc hearing to review the Court of International Trade’s decision to temporarily halt Trump’s sweeping tariff program. It also allowed the tariffs to remain in effect until the appeal plays out, likely in August.
The exception to having the entire circuit sit together en banc is the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco, which has 29 judges, far more than other circuit courts. It uses an 11-judge en banc process, since having 29 judges hear cases together would be logistically challenging.
Cargo ships are seen at a container terminal in the Port of Shanghai, China, in May 2025. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked Trump from imposing tariffs on China and other nations. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Cases are decided by all nine justices, unless a justice declines to participate because of a conflict of interest. As with other multimember courts, advocates of the nine-member makeup argue that the quality of decision-making is improved by having many justices participate in a case’s deliberation.
Each Supreme Court justice is charged with overseeing one or more of the 13 federal circuits. In this role, a single justice reviews emergency appeals from the District Courts and an appellate court within a circuit. This authorizes them to put a temporary hold on the implementation of policies within that circuit or refer the matter to the entire Supreme Court.
In February, for example, Chief Justice John Roberts blocked a Court of Appeals order that would have compelled the Trump administration to pay nearly US$2 billion in reimbursements for already completed foreign aid work.
The federal judicial system is complex. The flurry of executive orders from the Trump administration means that cases are being decided on a nearly daily basis by a variety of courts.
A single judge will decide some of these cases, and others are considered by full courts. Though the nine justices of the Supreme Court technically have the final say, the sheer volume of legal challenges means that America’s District Courts and Court of Appeals will resolve many of the disputes.
Paul M. Collins Jr. does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Curbside trash collection has been on pause in Philadelphia since July 1, 2025.AP Photo/Matt Slocum
As the Philadelphia municipal workers strike enters its second week, so-called “Parker piles” – large collections of garbage that some residents blame on Mayor Cherelle Parker – continue to build up in neighborhoods across the city.
Some city residents are referring to the garbage buildup sites as ‘Parker piles.’ AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa
How successful are trash strikes in Philly or other US cities?
As I describe in my book, Philadelphia has a long history of sanitation strikes that goes back to March 1937. At that time, a brief work stoppage brought about discussions between the city administration and an early version of the current union.
Philadelphia residents, many of whom were union members who worked in textile, steel, food and other industries, rallied behind the strikers. The strikers’ demands were met, and a new union, AFSCME, was formally recognized by the city.
This strike was a major event because it showed how damaging a garbage strike could be. The fact that strikers were willing to fight in the streets to stop trash services showed that such events had the potential for violence, not to mention the health concerns from having tons of trash on the streets.
There was another two-week trash strike in Philadelphia in 1944, but there wouldn’t be another for more than 20 years.
However, a growing number of sanitation strikes popped up around the country in the 1960s, the most infamous being the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike.
Black sanitation workers peacefully march wearing placards reading ‘I Am A Man’ during the 1968 sanitation strike in Memphis, Tenn. Bettmann via Getty Images
In Memphis, Tennessee, a majority African American sanitation workforce demanded higher wages, basic safety procedures and recognition of their union. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. rallied to support the Memphis workers and their families as part of his Poor Peoples’ Campaign, which sought to organize working people from across the nation into a new coalition to demand full economic and political rights.
Following the Memphis strike, AFSCME began organizing public workers around the country, and through the coming years into the 1970s, there were sanitation strikes and slowdowns across the nation including in New York, Atlanta, Cleveland and Washington. Often, these workers, who were predominantly African American, gained the support of significant sections of the communities they served and secured modest wage boosts.
By the 1980s, such labor actions were becoming fewer. In 1986, Philadelphia witnessed a three-week sanitation strike that ended with the union gaining some of its wage demands, but losing on key areas related to health care benefits.
Workers begin removing mounds of trash after returning to work after an 18-day strike in Philadelphia in July 1986. Bettmann via Getty Images
How do wages and benefits for DC33 workers compare to other US cities?
Unlike other eras, the fact that social media makes public these personal narratives and perspectives – like from former sanitation worker Terrill Haigler, aka “Ya Fav Trashman” – is shaping the way many citizens respond to these disruptions. I see a level of support for the strikers that I believe is unprecedented going back as far as 1938.
What do you think is behind this support?
The pandemic made people more aware of the role of essential workers in society. If the men and women who do these jobs can’t afford their basic needs, something isn’t right. This may explain why so many people are seeing things from the perspective of striking workers.
At the same time, money is being cut from important services at the federal, state and local levels. The proposed gutting of the city’s mass transit system by state lawmakers is a case in point. Social media allows people to make these broader connections and start conversations.
If the strike continues much longer, I think it will gain more national and international attention, and bring discussions about how workers should be treated to the forefront.
Francis Ryan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Jennifer Aniston remains one of the most beloved A-listers on the planet.
Fans adore her. The public adores her. However, she has not always been lucky in love.
Recently, dating rumors about one of the industry’s most desired actors have excited fans.
But Aniston is sparking relationship speculation about someone else. This person is totally unexpected.
Jennifer Aniston attends the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 15, 2024. (Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Does Jennifer Aniston have a boyfriend?
Over Fourth of July weekend, Jennifer Aniston went on a vacation on Spain’s Mallorca island. It is a common hot spot for British tourists but they do, in fact, allow Americans.
She did not do so alone. The Daily Mailobtained photos that make that clear.
Aniston had the company of her friend Jason Bateman and his wife, Amanda Anka.
But there was another with them on this intimate getaway.
Jennifer Aniston arrives at PaleyFest LA 2024 – “The Morning Show” at Dolby Theatre on April 12, 2024. (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Jim Curtis is a hypnotist. Aniston has been following his work for years.
(Without judgment, we can say that Aniston is sometimes open-minded about sensational things that some others might not entertain)
Per the photos, Aniston and Curtis spent time with Bateman and Anka, boarding a sprinter van and even attending a yacht party together.
Jennifer Aniston attends the Emmy FYC Event for Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” at Paramount Studios on June 02, 2024. (Photo Credit: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
Who is Jim Curtis?
As we mentioned, Curtis is a hypnotist. He and Jennifer Aniston are Instagram mutuals.
If you’re not big on social media, that means that they follow each other.
According to Curtis’ Instagram bio, he is a “coach.” It does not sound like he means this title in the athletic sense.
“My mission is to help you heal and thrive by upgrading your I AM,” he writes.
Though neither Aniston nor Curtis have publicly detailed the nature of whatever they have going on, Aniston has liked multiple posts of his. More than one of them were about the power of “manifestation.”
Curtis has also shared affirmations about self-love (and receiving love from others) in the wake of heartbreak. Many people either get no use from affirmations or prefer those that they come up with themselves. But for others, these can be helpful for their emotional well-being.
Back in May, Aniston shared a photodump that included Shift Quantum Manifestation Guide: A Workbook for Coding a New Consciousness, which is a book by Jim Curtis.
It is, of course, very tempting to see Jennifer Aniston alongside a handsome, age-appropriate man and assume that she has found happiness in a new relationship.
However, friends are allowed to vacation together. It happens.
She is also far from the only famous person to follow Curtis on Instagram, and we doubt that Laurie Holden or Garcelle Beauvais are in some sort of love-polygon with the hypnotist.
Until there’s a solid report, a relationship debut, or a formal announcement, we’ll try to keep from jumping to conclusions.
In this handout photo provided by the Floyd County Sheriffâs Office, former “16 & Pregnant” TV personality Whitney Purvis is seen in a police booking photo after being arrested for felony involuntary manslaughter involving a fatal overdose on July 7, 2025 in Rome, Georgia. (Photo by Floyd County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images)
Purvis has been accused of distributing Tranq — a substance described as a mix of fentanyl and xylazine.
She’s being held without bail, and according to a new report from TMZ, Whitney is having a very hard time behind bars.
Whitney Purvis was friends with overdose victim, made ‘suicidal comments’ in jail
The outlet reports that Whitney has been placed on 24-hour watch after making “suicidal comments” while in jail.
In addition to her fragile mental state, Purvis is reportedly undergoing severe drug withdrawal.
Whitney Purvis during one of her appearances on the first season of MTV’s ’16 and Pregnant.’ (MTV)
TMZ also reports that Whitney left a heartfelt comment on Harris’ Facebook page, and she appears to have been friends with the overdose victim.
“John mark, I hate that I found out what happened today and missed your funeral. I wish I could’ve found out sooner and attended your celebration of life,” she wrote. “Thank you for being such a great friend to me and always making me feel beautiful and cared for.”
Having also lost her son just over a month ago, Whitney’s understandably in a rather dark place at the moment.
Whitney Purvis arrested as part of ‘broader crackdown’
TMZ reached out to the DEA, and a spokesperson revealed that Whitney’s arrest is part of “a broader crackdown on fentanyl-related deaths.”
Weston Gosa Jr., the son of ’16 and Pregnant’ star Whitney Purvis, has passed away at the age of 16. (YouTube)
The agency noted that nearly 70 percent of all drug-related fatalities in the US involve synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
“Two milligrams of fentanyl is a potentially deadly dose,” Jae Chung, DEA acting special agent in charge of the Atlanta office remarked.
Harris’ family has yet to publicly respond to news of Whitney’s arrest.
The Georgia resident passed away back in February, and his obituary — filled with fond remembrances from loved ones — has been making the rounds on social media:
“John Mark never met a stranger and had a way of caring for those who crossed his path. Whether it was bandaging a wound, trips to the airport, or a place to lay their heads for a time, he was willing to lend a hand,” the obituary reads, according to NBC affiliate KGET. “He loved fiercely and would do anything he could for one of his friends.”
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Despite this unthinkable loss, his life continues. That doesn’t mean that he has forgotten his dearly departed wife.
Following Anna’s tragic death, Eldridge has fought for custody of his stepdaughter, processed the grief of losing his 29-year-old wife, and given himself permission to “move forward.”
Part of that, it seems, includes dating again.
Speaking to the Mama June: Family Crisis confessional camera, Anna Cardwell explains a family spat. (Image Credit; WEtv)
Eldridge Toney will always love Anna Cardwell
This week, Eldridge Toney took to Instagram as he continues to process the passing of his late wife, Anna Cardwell.
Anna “Chickadee” passed away in December of 2023.
She was only 29 years old, and died less than a year after receiving her cancer diagnosis.
When Anna died, she left behind daughters Kaitlyn and Kylee.
Only after she passed away, the world learned that Anna had married Eldridge in March of that year, a short time after her cancer was first discovered.
The two had begun dating on 2017.
Now, Eldridge is a widower. He is also a stepfather to Kaitlyn.
And he is taking a major, difficult step.
Mama June Shannon posted this photo to Instagram and Facebook after her oldest daughter died of cancer. (Photo Credit: TLC)
‘Healing doesn’t mean forgetting’
“Losing my wife was the hardest chapter of my life,” Eldridge Toney wrote on Instagram about Anna Cardwell. “The grief, the silence, and the empty spaces she once filled were overwhelming.”
He admitted: “There were days I didn’t think I’d ever feel whole again.”
That is tragically common for those in mourning.
“But healing doesn’t mean forgetting,” Eldrige affirmed. “It means honoring the love we shared while finding the strength to keep living — truly living.”
“She would have wanted that,” Eldridge emphasized.
“Not for me to stay in sorrow, but to smile again, love again, and build something meaningful from the pain.”
He expressed: “I carry her memory with me every day — not as a weight, but as a reminder of how deeply I was loved and how deeply I can love in return.”
Eldridge very wisely affirmed: “Moving forward doesn’t mean leaving her behind. It means letting her love inspire how I live today and every day after.”
While undergoing chemotherapy treatments and more, Anna Cardwell appeared on Mama June: Family Crisis episodes that filmed in 2023 and aired in 2024. (Image Credit; WEtv)
‘Healing has no timeline’
“To anyone facing similar pain: be gentle with yourself,” Eldrige Toney counseled, informing people from his own experience in grieving Anna Cardwell.
“Healing has no timeline,” he concluded. “But hope, joy, and love can return — even if it looks different than before. Here’s to new chapters, and to the strength it takes to turn the page.”
Alongside his caption, Eldridge shared a photo of himself alongside Kaitlyn and a mystery woman whom many assume to be a new partner.
Perhaps, in the near future, he will feel ready to share more.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright attend âA Ride Through the Agesâ: Wrangler Capsule Collection Launch at Fred Segal Sunset at Fred Segal on September 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Erik Voake/Getty Images for Wrangler)
Most of the blame lies on Jax’s shoulders, of course.
These days Taylor is newly sober, and as he makes his way through the 12 Steps, he’s kind of, sort of taking some responsibility.
But he’s also blaming Brittany for triggering his bad behavior.
Jax Taylor says he exploded after learning of Brittany Cartwright’s hookup
And even though he’s cheated on her many, many times over the course of their relationship, he says he flew into a tantrum when he learned the news.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright attend the 2019 E! People’s Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on November 10, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
That revelation comes courtesy of Jax’s appearance on a podcast hosted by addiction and recovery specialist Richard Taite.
Taylor revealed that he smashed furniture when Brittany told him of her fling.
“How could this be happening to me? I’m Jax Taylor?” Jax recalled thinking.
Jax says he now blames the incident on himself (as he should!), and he even hinted that Brittany might be on the verge of giving him another chance.
Taylor assures host that he’ll never touch another drop
Elsewhere in the interview, Taylor assured Taite that he’s done with booze and drugs for life.
TV personalities Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright attend the 2018 MTV Movie And TV Awards at Barker Hangar on June 16, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for MTV)
“I know for a fact — and I know you’re not supposed to say it — but I know for a fact I will not touch drugs and alcohol again,” he said. “I know that. I have no interest in it. I’m not triggered by it.“
“But so now I can look back and say, ‘What the f–k was I doing? Why didn’t I stop this years ago?’” Taylor continued, adding that he’s made a whole new group of friends in recovery:
“I want to make it very clear, I’m not going to ever stop going to AA for the rest of my life. I love it. It’s like a drug to me. I love going and meeting the guys,” he said. “:My sober friends, I’ve shifted from my drunk friends, now I have a sober group of friends. We have a great time. We go out to dinner.“
These days, Brittany is dating musician Will Gittens.
And it’s certainly her prerogative to try and save her marriage — but we hope she’ll give it some serious thought.
Well over a decade, meanwhile, the artist nearly lost her dignity in the eyes of a previously-adoring public.
In a new interview with Flow Space, Rimes delved deeply in her affair with now-husband Eddie Cibrian, an illicit endeavor that landed her in the crosshairs of many critics back in 2009.
LeAnn Rimes (L) and husband Eddie Cibrian attend Warner Bros. and HBO Max Holiday Movies event at the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California, on November 16, 2022. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The singer and the actor met on the set of the Lifetime movie Northern Heights, at which time Cibrian was married to Brandi Glanville and Rimes was married to Dean Sheremet.
They started sleeping with each other despite these relationships… eventually divorcing their spouses in 2010 and getting married the next year.
“I realized very quickly that there are a lot of women who’ve been hurt,” Rimes told the aforementioned outlet.
“Like, I’ve been on both sides of that coin — I’ve been cheated on, too, so I know that feeling. But so many women don’t know what to do with that anger… I was a target that was just easily projected upon. And once I realized that, things got a lot easier.”
LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian attend MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Aerosmith at West Hall at Los Angeles Convention Center on January 24, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Rimes said most of those judging her were women.
And that “so many women don’t know what to do with that anger,” she explained. “I was a target that was just easily projected upon. And once I realized that, things got a lot easier.”
The 42-year-old said she determined after awhile that she can’t take the disdain her her and Eddie’s romance be taken “personally.”
This was a major challenge at first, though.
Eddie Cibrian and LeAnn Rimes attend the Project Angel Food presents in concert with Andrew von Oeyen on March 22, 2015 in Malibu, California. (Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images for Project Angel Food)
“I know what I’m responsible for in the situation and making amends for that,” the singer said. “But you know, the world’s pain is not mine to carry, and I think that really got thrown at me for a long time.”
In 2010, Rimes confessed to People Magazine she considered her affair with Cibrian “one of the most selfish things that I could possibly do, in hurting someone else.”
She said at the time:
“I take responsibility for everything I’ve done. I hate that people got hurt, but I don’t regret the outcome.”
“If I want to live a fulfilling life, I’ve got to learn how to let that guard down. To me, it was either I was going to die, or I had to confront it.” for everything I’ve done. I hate that people got hurt, but I don’t regret the outcome,” Rimes concluded this week.
