‘Marshals’ star Luke Grimes told us all about the sweet song he wrote for his 18-month-old son, Rigel. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Day: April 3, 2026
These pizza joints may have limited seating and a no-frills attitude, but that’s because all their energy goes into high-quality pies that customers rave about.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Anyone from Cleveland, or those visiting who happen to have been to a ball game, know that there is one type of mustard that is famous to the region.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
Having gobs of money and mountains of fame doesn’t mean you need to eschew fast food. JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette enjoyed this fried chicken joint.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Reading Time: 3 minutes
This week, Joseph Duggar pleaded Not Guilty after his arrest and extradition for sexually abusing a child.
As with his disgraced older brother, his legal battle is likely to be outlasted only by his shaming.
Like her big sister Jana, Jessa has waited until now to speak out after Joseph’s arrest.
Jessa’s showing where her priorities — and sympathies — lie.
‘We are deeply grieved’
On Thursday, April 2, Jessa took to her Instagram Story to make her own statement about Joseph’s arrest.
“We learned, along with the rest of the world, of the heartbreaking news involving my brother, Joseph,” she revealed.
This matches what multiple family members have stated — that they only learned about Joseph through the news.
“And,” Jessa expressed, “we are deeply grieved.”
She then emphasized: “Our hearts ache for this innocent young girl and the harm she has suffered.”
“This is a profound wrong,” Jessa affirmed.
“And,” she wrote, “we know it grieves the heart of God.”
Jessa went on to describe her god as one “who cares deeply for the children and vulnerable.”
To her credit, she focused msot of her words upon the child — and not upon Joseph, her brother.
“We are lifting her up in prayer,” Jessa expressed, “asking for comfort, healing, and justice.”
It’s hard to know what to say, even if this isn’t your first sibling exposed as a monster
Like we said, Jessa clearly directed a lot of her focus upon what the victim has gone through.
In 2020, Joseph went on a family getaway to Florida, where he allegedly preyed upon a 9-year-old girl, touching her legs and genitals.
This happened multiple times, she said, until he finally apologized and ended the sexual abuse.
Now a 14-year-old, having had years to process her trauma, she told her father — who confronted Joseph.
He has since confessed twice, according to a police affidavit.
Her emphasis upon the victim — known only as Jane Doe — experienced does her credit.
Jessa’s is one of the strongest statements to come out of the family since Joseph’s arrest.
Jill spoke out much sooner than her other siblings.
Meanwhile, Jason’s was the most strongly-worded, as he essentially referred to Joseph as evil.
We don’t often get to nod in agreement with the Duggars. Fortunately, this time, most of them don’t seem to be believing that this is a political frame-job or some sort of demonic spirit attack.
Not everyone in the family is on the same page
While Jessa thinks of the victim, her sister-in-law Anna seems to have other priorities.
She’s in the position in which Kendra may soon find herself: raising a lot of children on her own, forbidden by the cult from divorcing or remarrying, and wholly unprepared to take on most jobs that could support her family.
Anna’s sending support and money to Joseph. That’s … certainly a choice.
When Josh was arrested and tried, Anna appeared to cling to beliefs that he was the victim of an elaborate conspiracy.
We cannot rule out that she believes the same about Joseph. But … well, who knows.
Jessa Duggar ‘Deeply Grieved’ by Joseph Scandal, Prays for His Victim to … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026, only 14 months after she was sworn into office, making her time in the role the shortest in 60 years.
While much recent attention has focused on Trump’s decision to fire Bondi, there has been less attention on what the attorney general actually does, or what happens when the attorney general gets fired.
The attorney general is the lawyer appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Justice, known as the DOJ. Because the attorney general’s expansive responsibilities place the office at the forefront of both politics and the law, the position is one of the most important in the federal executive branch.
Washington Bureau/Getty Images
File lawsuits, give advice
Congress created the position of attorney general in 1789 so the national government had a designated lawyer to conduct federal lawsuits for crimes against the United States such as counterfeiting, piracy or treason, and to give legal advice to the president and cabinet officials, such as the secretary of the Treasury.
Initially, the attorney general served part time. Indeed, for the first few decades of U.S. history, most attorneys general maintained private law practices and even lived away from the capital. But as the federal government began to do more, the role of the attorney general grew and became a full-time job.
The attorney general represents the United States in all legal matters. In doing so, the attorney general supervises federal prosecutions by the 93 U.S. attorneys who live and work across the United States to enforce federal laws. The attorney general also supervises almost all legal actions involving federal agencies – from the Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency to the Social Security Administration.
For example, in the past few months, DOJ lawyers supervised by the attorney general have charged people with conspiring to smuggle artificial intelligence technology to China and negotiated an agreement requiring Ford Motor Company to clean contaminated groundwater in New Jersey. They have also worked with Wisconsin to successfully prosecute deceptive timeshare exit services targeting elderly customers.
Additionally, the attorney general gives legal advice to the president and heads of the cabinet departments. This includes providing recommendations to the president on whom he should appoint as federal judges and prosecutors.
In combination, these two aspects of the job, representing the U.S. and advising the cabinet departments, mean that the attorney general plays a key role in helping the president perform his constitutional duty to take care that the laws of the United States are faithfully executed.
115,000 employees
Since 1870, attorneys general have had an entire executive department – the Department of Justice – to help them execute their duties.
Today’s department contains over 70 distinct offices, initiatives and task forces, all of which the attorney general supervises. There are currently over 115,000 employees in the department.
The DOJ contains litigation units divided by subject matter like antitrust, civil rights, tax and national security. Each of these units conducts investigations and participates in federal lawsuits related to its expertise.
The Justice Department also has several law enforcement agencies that help ensure the safety and health of people who live in the United States. The most well-known of these agencies include the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. branch of the International Criminal Police Organization, known as Interpol.
Additionally, the DOJ contains corrections agencies like the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Parole Commission. These agencies work to ensure consistent and centralized coordination of federal prisons and offenders.
Finally, the department manages several grant administration agencies. These agencies, such as Community Oriented Policing Services, the Office of Justice Programs and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking, or SMART, provide financial assistance, training and advice to state, local, tribal and territorial governments as they work to enforce the law in their own communities.
The Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
Separating politics from law
Given all the attorney general’s responsibilities, the role is both political and legal. As such, attorneys general historically have a difficult task in separating their jobs as policy adviser from their duties as chief legal officer of the United States.
For example, President George W. Bush’s attorney general, Roberto Gonzales, resigned from office amid accusations of the DOJ’s politicized firing of U.S. attorneys and misuse of terrorist surveillance programs. And Loretta Lynch, President Barack Obama’s attorney general, was criticized for meeting privately with former President Bill Clinton while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was under investigation by the DOJ.
The attorney general’s job is complicated by the fact that the president has the constitutional power to fire them for political reasons.
During his first term, Trump replaced Attorney General Jeff Sessions after Sessions angered Trump by recusing himself – removing himself – from overseeing the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Given the attorney general’s connection to the president and the attorney general’s position as the head of the DOJ, when Bondi originally got the job critics saw her as a key part of Trump’s plan to control the department’s agenda, including through the use of the FBI to pursue his perceived enemies.
And now Trump has reportedly fired Bondi for failure to execute his vision.
What next?
Under current law, the president can designate a Senate-confirmed official in the administration or another high-ranking person who has worked within the DOJ for 90 days to serve as acting attorney general. Presidents across both parties historically have relied on these temporary appointments to steer the department as they decide whom to nominate officially for the position.
President Trump has named Todd Blanche as acting attorney general. Blanche, who served as deputy attorney general under Bondi, represented Trump in three of the four major criminal lawsuits he faced before the 2024 presidential election.
Trump is rumored to have discussed Lee Zeldin, the current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be Bondi’s permanent replacement. Zeldin worked as part of Trump’s legal defense team during his first impeachment trial.
Blanche’s temporary appointment and Zeldin’s potential nomination have spurred more questions about the politicization of the DOJ.
A recent Associated Press study found that only two in 10 Americans have a great deal of confidence in the department. In part, this is a result of the longstanding political connections between the presidents and their attorneys general.
Ultimately, the fate of the nation’s top law enforcement official is in the hands of politicians.
This is an updated version of an article originally published on Dec. 19, 2024. It is part of a series of profiles explaining Cabinet and high-level administration positions.
Jennifer Selin 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.
Politics + Society – The Conversation
As summer 2026 approaches, fans are buzzing about Taylor and Travis’s wedding plans—an intimate celebration or a star-studded affair? Let’s break it down. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
As summer 2026 approaches, fans are buzzing about Taylor and Travis’s wedding plans—an intimate celebration or a star-studded affair? Let’s break it down. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Reading Time: 3 minutes
As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Tiger Woods was arrested for DUI in Florida last week.
The golf legend was taken into custody after he flipped his SUV not far from his home in Jupiter, and bodycam footage of Woods’ arrest has shed light on some surprising details of the incident.
For one thing, Tiger seemed to have trouble staying awake, which is usually not the case when someone is getting arrested after just flipping their car.
On top of that, it seems that the first person Tiger thought to call was none other than his good pal and fellow golf aficionado Donald Trump.
Yes, at about the 17-minute mark of the video above, Tiger saunters down the road a bit to make a call.
“Yeah, I was just talking to the president!” he proudly tells one of the arresting officers after hanging up.
We guess if there’s any time to try and call in a favor, it’s when you just got picked up for DUI. It doesn’t hurt that Tiger is dating Vanessa Trump, the president’s former daughter-in-law.
But it seems that Trump was unable to prevent Tiger’s arrest (although that doesn’t mean he won’t be willing to issue a pardon if Woods is convicted).
Undeterred, Tiger had some other tricks up his sleeve, such as when one of the cops asked if he would be playing in next week’s Masters tournament.
“Hoping to,” Woods replied, before a friend of the golfer’s, who was later identified as a member of his management team, replied, “Depends on y’all.”
Obviously, Tiger and his friend were hoping to walk away from this mess, but a flipped SUV is not an easy thing to sweep under the carpet.
And Woods failed field sobriety tests from officers who were wearing bodycams. So the cops would have to do some serious maneuvering to clear his name.
At one point in the video, Tiger asks the officers if he can retrieve his golf clubs from the flipped vehicle, noting that he “won 14 majors” with that particular putter.
We guess you can’t blame the guy for trying to cash in on his star power.
Police were left with no choice but to take Woods into custody.
But even as a repeat offender, he likely won’t face any serious consequences.
Tiger is a famous billionaire who’s friends with the president, all of which makes it unlikely that he’ll ever see the inside of a jail cell.
Already, a judge has granted Woods permission to leave the country to seek treatment.
His lawyers argued that he needed to go abroad for privacy reasons, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, as he’s definitely famous worldwide.
Whatever the case, we hope he’s able to find the treatment he needs.
Everyone would’ve loved to see a Masters comeback next week, but the man clearly needs to focus on his health and sobriety right now.
Tiger Woods Called Donald Trump Minutes Before DUI Arrest was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The judge has tossed out a whopping 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims against Justin Baldoni.
It is not, perhaps, for the reasons that some of his supporters seem to think.
Apparently, the nature of her employment and the filming location mean that she’s unable to pursue her sexual harassment claims.
Even though her retaliation lawsuit is moving forward, Baldoni’s team seems to be taking a victory lap.
Because, really, why would anything good happen
Lively accused Baldoni, both her director and co-star, of sexual harassment during the production of It Ends With Us.
She described him as having made unwelcome comments about her appearance and weight, among other things.
On Thursday, April 2, Judge Lewis Liman ruled that 10 out of 13 of Lively’s claims could not move forward.
Simply put, Lively cannot bring a sexual harassment claim under federal law because the court has determined that she was an independent contractor.
She also could not sue for sexual harassment under California law because It Ends With Us filmed in New Jersey.
To be blunt, that is a ghastly illumination of the major shortcomings of our legal system. More on that a in a moment.
Lively also accused Baldoni of hiring publicists to wage a smear campaign against her.
The goal was to both plant and amplify negative stories about her. Anyone who was on social media late in the summer of 2024 remembers how intense things were.
She says that this was clear retaliation against her.
Judge Liman ruled that the retaliation claims can proceed. That, aiding and abetting in retaliation, and breach of contract remain part of the lawsuit.
His legal team is doing backflips (metaphorically)
“The defendants were not afraid of the truth,” Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman gushed in a statement to TMZ on Friday, April 3.
“The plan was not only to speak the truth but to also show that same truth over and over again through the presentation of actual evidence,” the statement alleged.
“Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, nor any of the other defendants have engaged in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively,” Freedman then claimed.
“Despite our clients being accused of DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) in defending these claims and despite our client being referred to in writing as a predator,” the statement continued.
“What I said, on behalf of our client’s day one and every day since then is true,” Freedman alleged. “Our clients are very good people who have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged.”
“As such, they have deserved a vigorous defense which was led through transparency,” Freedman insisted.
He then expressed: “It is gratifying to see that the court’s ruling confirms what the legal team believed from day one.”
Just to be clear, the court’s ruling has confirmed that Lively was an independent contractor, and that It Ends With Us did not film in California.
Meanwhile, Lively’s attorney, Sigrid McCawley, said that the case “has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation.”
McCawley also emphasized: “Sexual harassment isn’t going forward, not because the defendants did nothing wrong, but because the court determined Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee.”
This is an indictment of our legal system
As many on social media are pointing out, this ruling has more to do with our legal system than it does with any facts of the case — in Baldoni’s favor or in Lively’s.
Federal Title VII protections for employees allow them to sue over sexual harassment.
But an independent contractor — which can mean anything from someone hired to a one-time job to someone who’s effectively a full-time employee without the benefits — has no such recourse.
This, like the lines on a map that differentiate California from New Jersey, is a technicality. It’s not a fact of the case. It’s not justice.
If Baldoni really wants to prove his alleged innocence, this isn’t doing it. In the eyes of the public — at least, anyone reading past a headline — this may be as much of a setback for him as it is for Lively.
Justin Baldoni’s Team Gloats After Judge Guts Blake Lively Lawsuit was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip