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The Streisand Effect: Why Hiding Information Backfires

The Truth News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:15:42 +0000

The Streisand Effect: Why Hiding Information Backfires

Streisand effect, phenomenon in which an attempt to censor, hide, or otherwise draw attention away from something only serves to attract more attention to it. The name derives from American singer and actress Barbra Streisand’s lawsuit against a photographer in 2003, which drew attention to the photo she was suing to have taken off the Internet.

Key Takeaways

The Streisand Effect happens when trying to hide information makes it more popular instead.
When people try to hide something, it often attracts more attention and curiosity.
To avoid the Streisand Effect, be open and honest if there’s a problem.

The Streisand Effect describes a situation in which a person or organization’s attempts to suppress information leads to greater attention to the information than it would have received otherwise. Not surprisingly, the term was named after singer Barbra Streisand. Before it was known as the “Streisand Effect,” however, there was a long and fascinating history of failed cover-ups that provide an interesting glimpse into the human psyche and our need to get to the bottom of things.

Origins of the Streisand Effect

Mike Masnick, founder of the website Techdirt, coined the term “Streisand Effect” in 2005, after the singer and actress sued the photographer Kenneth Adelman in 2003 for $50 million. Adelman had taken thousands of photos for his online database for the California Coastal Records Project, a resource that provided pictures of California’s coastal erosion to scientists and researchers, and one of these photos happened to show her mansion in Malibu.

Before Streisand sued, the image in question had been downloaded only six times; afterward, it received over a million views and was reprinted countless times. Streisand ultimately lost the lawsuit and had to pay Adelman’s legal fees.2 Streisand’s concern for her privacy was not unreasonable—she had been stalked before. But in this case, she would have been better off just leaving things alone. So, what causes this effect to play out as it does? We’ll explore the causes, provide some real-life examples, and even provide some guidance on how to avoid it in your own life.

Streisand’s lawsuit was filed against photographer Kenneth Adelman, the founder of the California Coastal Records Project, for which he photographed the coastline of the state from a helicopter and posted the photos to the Internet. Adelman indicated that the images were free for nonprofit use and had been used by government entities for scientific research. Among more than 12,000 photographs of California’s coast was one photograph in which Streisand’s mansion appeared. Streisand, who had in the past been harassed and stalked by fans, sued for $50 million, claiming that the photo violated her privacy and showed how to access her residence.

At the time the lawsuit was filed, the photograph had been downloaded only six times, including twice by Streisand’s lawyers. The lawsuit was highly publicized, and a flurry of interest and activity followed. In the month after the filing, the photo was viewed more than 400,000 times and reposted on news sites and elsewhere on the Internet. Thus, Streisand’s attempts to have the photo suppressed made it exceptionally more visible than it would otherwise have been. Streisand lost the suit and was ordered to pay Adelman’s legal fees for the case. The photo remains widely published on the Internet.

The phenomenon was not dubbed the “Streisand effect,” however, until two years later. In a post on the Techdirt blog, founder Mike Masnick describes a cease and desist order that the Marco Beach Ocean Resort, Marco Island, Florida, issued to a website named Urinal.net. The order indicated that the website had violated federal laws for posting information about one of the hotel’s urinals, which the website claimed could be seen from the hotel’s lobby. In the concluding statement of his post, Masnick asks:

How long is it going to take before lawyers realize that the simple act of trying to repress something they don’t like online is likely to make it so that something that most people would never, ever see…is now seen by many more people? Let’s call it the Streisand Effect.

The phenomenon existed before Streisand’s lawsuit. It is described by the Chinese idiom yù gài mí zhāng, which loosely translates to “trying to cover things up only makes them more evident.” The advent of the Internet, however, contributed to the effect’s proliferation. In 2012 a U.K. high court ordered five Internet service providers to ban access to The Pirate Bay, a Swedish file-sharing site, and the subsequent media coverage of the ruling caused visits to the site to increase by more than 10 million. In another case, from 2013, France’s domestic spy agency, Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur (DCRI), contacted the editors of Wikipedia requesting the revision of an article about Pierre-sur-Haute, a French air force base. The DCRI claimed that the article contained classified information. The Wikimedia Foundation refused the request, stating that they did not have enough information about the supposed violation. Later the DCRI allegedly forced a Wikipedia volunteer to delete the entry entirely or face arrest (the article was soon restored to the site by another volunteer). News of the saga spread across the Internet, and the Pierre-sur-Haute article subsequently became the most-viewed entry on the French version of Wikipedia.

Scholars have noted that censorship often backfires when the public perceives an attempt by a powerful person or organization to repress free speech. It can incite public outrage, especially if the story involves an underdog. Moreover, attempted censorship can spur curiosity. The banning of books and websites, for instance, often drives further interest in them. People tend to want to judge for themselves what is objectionable about something that has been singled out for suppression.

Understanding the Streisand Effect

With the Streisand Effect, if someone tries to hide, remove, or censor information, it can backfire. In fact, it can have the unintended consequence of drawing more attention to the thing they are trying to suppress.

As Cara R. Stewart, founder and CEO of Altalunas International, says, “It’s a classic example of having a legitimate concern but choosing an ineffective or counterproductive way to address it. Barbra Streisand’s concern about her privacy was understandable… However, the tool she chose to manage this—filing a lawsuit—was not only ineffective but actually worsened the situation.”

Moreover, the effects can be even more insidious. “There is also the risk of the erosion of trust in institutions or authorities responsible for the censorship,” says Carly Dober, psychologist and founder of Enriching Lives Psychology. “When people discover that information is being withheld or manipulated, they may become skeptical of the motives and credibility of the censors. This can foster a culture of distrust and encourage individuals to seek alternative sources of information, which may not always be reliable or accurate.”

Factors Contributing to the Streisand Effect

There are several factors that contribute to the Streisand Effect. First, psychologically, when people discover that someone—especially someone famous or well-known—is trying to hide or censor information, people become curious and rebellious. “This is driven by a fundamental human instinct to seek out forbidden or restricted knowledge, amplifying interest and dissemination,” explains Dober. Second, people are also motivated by psychological reactance, where one asserts their autonomy over the suppression of information by seeking out the restricted information.

“When people perceive that they are being denied access to information, their desire to obtain that information intensifies,” says Dober, “driven by a sense of defiance and a need to restore their freedom of choice.”

While the Streisand Effect existed prior to Barbra Streisand’s lawsuit in 2003, the internet, and more specifically, social media, has exacerbated the effect even more. Online communities and social media platforms encourage the rapid spread of content and enable information to go viral.

“When users encounter attempts to suppress information, they are likely to share it widely as an act of resistance, bolstered by a collective sense of injustice,” says Dober. “The social validation and reinforcement from peers further encourage individuals to participate in spreading the censored content. Additionally, the internet culture of digital activism fosters an environment where combating censorship is seen as a moral or ethical duty.”

This all combines to create a powerful set of factors that contribute to people’s responses, and makes the Streisand Effect a reality.

Real-Life Examples of the Streisand Effect

While the Streisand Effect existed before it was named, it has become increasingly likely to happen as more and more people have taken to social media. Here are some examples:

In addition to the above, similar attempts at censorship have been failing long before the existence of social media. Just ask any teenager if they are more interested in a particular band, movie, or TV show that adults claim is inappropriate for them.

Impact and Implications of the Streisand Effect

The Streisand Effect can have long-lasting consequences for individuals and organizations that attempt to suppress information. For individuals, the attention can lead to increased scrutiny.

“This phenomenon can significantly damage reputations meticulously built over the years,” observes Stewart. Dober concurs, adding, “This damage is not easily undone, as the initial act of suppression can create a lasting impression of dishonesty or untrustworthiness. For individuals, this can affect personal and professional relationships, career prospects, and public perception.”

For organizations, the losses can be great as well. “The Streisand Effect can severely damage brand reputation and erode trust with consumers and stakeholders,” says Dober. “This can lead to a loss of customer loyalty, decreased sales, and a tarnished public image. Additionally, efforts to suppress information can result in increased media scrutiny and regulatory attention.” Dober adds that it can take a long time to recover one’s reputation from this sort of error.

For society as a whole, the Streisand Effect has implications for free speech. Because attempts at censorship often fail, it shows the enduring resilience of freedom of speech in the digital age. “This phenomenon can also lead to greater public awareness and dialogue about important issues, promoting accountability and democratic values,” Dober observes.

“However, the widespread sharing of censored information can also lead to the dissemination of misinformation if [the censored information is] not properly contextualized,” she says.

Strategies to Mitigate the Streisand Effect

There are many strategies to mitigate or avoid the Streisand Effect. These include:

Respond quickly: As Stewart says, “A rapid response can prevent the issue from escalating, but it’s equally important to ensure your reactions are thoughtful and well-considered.”
Practice transparency: Stewart explains that you should be transparent about acknowledging the problem and the steps you will take to address it. “This approach shows that you are not only aware of the issue,” says Stewart, “but are also actively working towards a solution…. This approach doesn’t just mitigate damage; it can enhance a reputation, demonstrating a commitment to ethical practices and responsiveness….”
Be polite and professional: “It’s easy to become defensive when under fire,” claims Stewart, “but the goal is to acknowledge concerns and focus on resolving the issue constructively.”
Refrain from litigiousness: Suppressing information via a lawsuit can attract media attention, and by extension, curiosity from the public. “Instead of resorting to lawsuits,” Dober says, “individuals should consider alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation or negotiation, to resolve issues privately. By avoiding high-profile legal battles, individuals can prevent drawing additional attention to the information they wish to remain private.”
Practice emotional regulation: Developing coping mechanisms, like emotional regulation, can prevent people from reacting impulsively when information they’d like suppressed comes out. “Therapy can help individuals develop coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and anxiety related to potential public exposure,” says Dober.
Develop a strong support network: Your support network should include friends, family, and even professional advisors who can offer emotional support, advice, and practical assistance if a crisis strikes. “This network can help individuals navigate complex situations without resorting to actions that might trigger the Streisand Effect,” Dober observes.

Emotional regulation techniques, such as mindfulness and stress management, can provide a clearer perspective on how to handle sensitive information and public scrutiny more effectively.

International Journal of Communication 9(2015), 656–671 The Streisand Effect and Censorship Backfire

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US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson dies aged 84

The Truth News — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 03:06:36 +0000

US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson dies aged 84

US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson died aged 84 on Tuesday morning surrounded by relatives, according to a statement released by his family.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr,” the family said, adding that he died “peacefully”.

The cause of his death has not been released, but Jackson had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and was in hospital late last year.

Tributes poured in for the prominent activist, who twice ran to be the Democratic presidential nominee, including from the first black US president, Barack Obama.

Jackson is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their children: Santita, Jesse Jr, Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline and Ashley.

Jackson’s family said in their statement that his “unwavering commitment to justice, equality and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity”.

“A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless from his presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilising millions to register to vote – leaving an indelible mark on history,” they added.

Alongside working with Martin Luther King Jr and running for president in 1984 and 1988, Jackson is remembered as the founder of a non-profit organisation focused on social justice and civil rights, the Rainbow PUSH coalition.

Calling Jackson a “true giant”, Obama said in a statement that Jackson’s “two historic runs for president” had “laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land”.

Obama added that his wife Michelle “got her first glimpse of political organising at the Jacksons’ kitchen table when she was a teenager”.

“For more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant movements for change in human history,” the Obamas also said.

“From organising boycotts and sit-ins, to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the world, he was relentless in his belief that we are all children of God, deserving of dignity and respect.”

Jackson was admitted to hospital last November, and doctors said he had been diagnosed with a rare degenerative condition called PSP in April 2025, revising an earlier diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease that Jackson had said was made in 2015.

Both diseases affect the brain, nervous system and muscle control. Many people with PSP are initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s because a number of the symptoms overlap, according to the American Parkinson Disease Association and the group CurePSP.

Born in 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson became involved in politics at an early age. He rose to prominence in the 1960s as a leader in Martin Luther King Jr’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was with King when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968.

Over the course of his career, Jackson built a movement to bring America’s increasingly diverse population together, with a message that centred on poor and working-class Americans.

After his presidential runs, Jackson later positioned himself as an elder statesman within the Democratic Party.

His son Jesse Jackson Jr is a former US congressman.

Getty Images

Jackson was remembered by politicians and friends as an agent of change and a transformative leader

Shortly after his death was announced, politicians and other public figures took to social media to mourn the loss of Jackson.

US President Donald Trump said he knew Jackson “long before becoming president”.

“He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts,'” Trump said. “He was very gregarious – Someone who truly loved people!”

Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, a former secretary of state, also shared tributes, saying they were friends with Jackson for “almost 50 years”.

“Reverend Jackson championed human dignity and helped create opportunities for countless people to live better lives,” they said.

House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X that Jackson “was a legendary voice for the voiceless”.

The Democrat added: “For decades, while labouring in the vineyards of the community, he inspired us to keep hope alive in the struggle for liberty and justice for all.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the civil rights leader “never stopped demanding that America live up to its promise”.

“He marched, he ran, he organised and he preached justice without apology,” Mamdani said.

King’s daughter Bernice said Jackson had “devoted his life to lifting people in poverty, the marginalised, and those pushed to society’s edges”.

Civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, who worked closely with Jackson during the civil rights movement, said Jackson was a “consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world”.

“He told us we were somebody and made us believe. I will always cherish him taking me under his wing, and I will forever try to do my part to keep hope alive,” Sharpton said.

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Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. (1941-2026)

Jesse Jackson speaking during an interview in July 1

Courtesy Library of Congress (LC-DIG-ppmsc-01277)

Long before he became a minister, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket, Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), and founder of the Rainbow Coalition, Jesse Louis Jackson impressed his family and close friends as a person destined for greatness. Born Jesse Burns in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 8, 1941, to Helen Burns, a 17-year-old unwed high school student, and Noah Robinson, her older married neighbor, young Jesse took the surname Jackson from his adopted father, Charles Jackson, who later married Burns. Insecure because of the circumstances of his birth, Jackson decided to become a father figure and a leader of his people.

Tall and imposing at 6’4”, Jackson became a star high school quarterback and earned a football scholarship at the University of Illinois in 1959. After one year at Illinois, he transferred to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) University in Greensboro, North Carolina, partly because he was not allowed to play quarterback. At A&T, Jackson used his oratorical skills and charismatic personality to become the student body president. Encouraged to test his leadership skills, Jackson led his first march to downtown Greensboro in 1962. Jackson pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity while at A&T. Under the guidance of A&T President, Dr. Samuel Proctor, Jackson enrolled at the Chicago Theological Seminary to train for the ministry. Jackson was ordained a Baptist minister in 1968, although he left the Seminary two years earlier to work full-time in the civil rights movement.

Jackson’s introduction to the Movement came in 1965 when he traveled to Selma, Alabama, to join in the campaign for voting rights. While there, Jackson met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the man who would launch his career as a national civil rights leader. Through King’s influence, Jackson quickly established himself prominently within King’s organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. When SCLC launched its first northern campaign in Chicago in 1966, Jackson was put in charge of its Operation Breadbasket, which used boycotts and selective buying campaigns to win contracts for Black businesses and jobs for Black workers. During the years Jackson headed Operation Breadbasket (1966 to 1971), the campaign generated over three thousand jobs for Southside Chicago residents and increased the area’s income by $22 million. Despite its success, Jackson and Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Dr. Martin Luther King’s successor at SCLC, clashed. In 1971, Jackson left the organization and founded Operation PUSH, where he continued his campaign of economic empowerment.

By the early 1980s, Jackson had acquired a national reputation as a racial justice activist. That reputation was enhanced when, in 1983, he traveled to Syria and made a dramatic personal appeal to Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to secure the release of a captured American pilot, Navy Lt. Robert Goodman, who had been shot down over Lebanon. In June 1984, Jackson traveled to Havana to meet with Cuban President Fidel Castro to negotiate the release of 22 Americans being held by Castro’s government.

In 1984, following the success of his Syrian mission, Jesse Jackson mounted the second major effort by an African American (after Shirley Chisholm in 1972) to seek the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. He and his followers adopted the term “Rainbow Coalition” to describe the broad coalition of groups of color, working poor, gays and lesbians, and white progressives that Jackson hoped would propel him to the nomination and eventually the White House. Despite controversial anti-Semitic remarks made during the campaign, Jackson ran a surprisingly strong race, winning primaries in five states, including Michigan. Jackson garnered 21% of the primary vote but gained only 8% of the delegates and ultimately lost the nomination to former Vice President Walter Mondale.

Jackson mounted a second effort in 1988, this time winning more than seven million primary votes across the nation in another failed attempt to win the nomination. After winning the South Carolina primary, finishing second in the Illinois primary, and winning the Democratic caucus in Michigan, Jackson briefly emerged as a leading contender. Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis recaptured the lead with wins in the Colorado and Wisconsin primaries, forcing Jackson to drop out of the race.

Jesse Jackson did not make another bid for the presidential nomination and, since 1992, has functioned as a power broker within the Democratic Party. In 1990, he won the largely ceremonial position of District of Columbia’s statehood senator, a platform from which he argued for statehood for the nation’s capital. In 1997, Jackson launched the Wall Street Project, which encouraged African Americans to become stockholders to use their leverage to force changes in corporate culture and behavior. Two years later, Jackson engaged in personal diplomacy once again when, during the Kosovo War, he traveled to Belgrade to meet with Yugoslav (now Serbian) president Slobodan Milosevic, where he secured the release of three U.S. prisoners of war. In 1999, he brokered a cease-fire in war-ravaged Sierra Leone.

Both his supporters and critics described Jackson as bold, defiant, and controversial. He has received praise for inspiring the poor with speeches punctuated by catchphrases such as “I am somebody” and “keep hope alive.” Critics, however, blamed Jackson for mounting blatantly self-promoting campaigns that exploited racial grievances and inflamed racial outrage. The revelation that Jackson, married since 1962, fathered a child in 2001 with Rainbow Coalition staffer Karin Stanford, sullied his well-crafted public image as a moral leader. Nevertheless, Jesse Jackson remained enormously popular both in the United States and abroad. Rev. Jesse Jackson died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84, closing a career that reshaped modern civil rights activism and Black political life.

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Unearthed 1997 Wired Article Predicted The 21st Century With Insane Accuracy

The Truth News — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:10:59 +0000

Unearthed 1997 Wired Article Predicted The 21st Century With Insane Accuracy

In 1997, predictions for the future ranged from technological optimism for a “Long Boom” to concerns about increasing economic inequality and cyberwarfare. The internet was a dominant theme, though it was still in its early days, with most users on dial-up connections.

Apocalyptic predictions:

Some sensationalist predictions made around 1997 involved apocalyptic events, largely pushed by psychics or other fringe figures. However, more mainstream concerns focused on the “Y2K bug,” which predicted widespread computer malfunctions at the turn of the millennium.

Technology predictions:

The tech landscape of 1997 included dial-up internet and new computers with MMX technology. Predictions from this era include:

The continued acceleration of Moore’s law and its impact on technological progress.
The growth of handheld computing devices and mobile internet access.
The expansion of the World Wide Web past 1 million websites.
The eventual obsolescence of traditional advertising due to adaptation and dominance of new digital media.
A miscalculation on how long it would take for computers to beat humans at the game of Go; one expert predicted it would take a century.

Key Predictions That Came True:

Digital Currencies: The authors anticipated the rise of private, decentralized forms of money that would bypass governments — remarkably similar to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Decline of Nation-States: They predicted that as wealth and information moved online, traditional governments would lose control over money, taxation, and citizens who could operate globally through digital systems.
Cybercrime & Cyber Warfare: They foresaw new forms of conflict in cyberspace, where power would shift from physical to digital battlegrounds.
Remote Work & Digital Nomadism: The authors envisioned a future where highly skilled individuals could live and work anywhere, leveraging technology to achieve independence from centralized systems.
Wealth Disparity & Political Polarization: They warned that technology would create new elites — “sovereign individuals” — while destabilizing traditional economic and political structures.
Another 1997 warning came from Wired magazine’s July 1997 cover story, which predicted enormous technological progress but also flagged potential crises that could derail it — including pandemics, climate change, and soaring energy costs.
Together, these 1997 insights painted a surprisingly accurate picture of the 21st century — an age of digital power, decentralization, and disruption that defines our world today.

The Long Boom: A History of the Future, 1980–2020

We’re facing 25 years of prosperity, freedom, and a better environment for the whole world. You got a problem with that?

Predictions from Wired magazine

In its July 1997 cover story, Wired magazine presented two contrasting visions of the future.

The “Long Boom” (The Optimistic Vision):

Widespread economic expansion for 25 years.
Increased prosperity and unprecedented opportunity.
An improved environment.
Opportunities for social justice.

“10 Things That Could Go Wrong” (The Pessimistic Counterpoint):

A new Cold War between the U.S. and China.
Technological busts that fail to deliver on promises.
Russia’s descent into a kleptocracy or threatening nationalism.
The breakdown of European integration.
A major ecological crisis leading to climate change and food supply disruptions.
A major rise in crime and terrorism causing society to retract.
The overwhelming of health systems by dramatic increases in cancer due to pollution.
Soaring energy prices.
An uncontrollable plague that kills millions.
A cultural backlash that halts progress.

In 1997, Wired Magazine Predicts 10 Things That Could Go Wrong in the 21st Century: “An Uncontrollable Plague,” Climate Crisis, Russia Becomes a Kleptocracy & More

Hydrogen-powered cars. Biological, then quantum computing. Gene-therapy cancer treatments. An end to the War on Drugs. Reliable automatic translation. The impending end of the nation-state. Man setting foot on Mars. These are just a few of the developments in store for our world by the year 2020 — or so, at any rate, predicts “The Long Boom,” the cover story of a 1997 issue of Wired magazine, the official organ of 1990s techno-optimism. “We’re facing 25 years of prosperity, freedom, and a better environment for the whole world,” declares the cover itself. “You got a problem with that?”

Since the actual year 2020, this image has been smirkingly re-circulated as a prime example of blinkered End-of-History triumphalism. From the vantage of 2021, it’s fair to say that the predictions of the article’s authors Peter Schwartz and Peter Leyden (who expanded their thesis into a 2000 book) went wide of the mark.

https://goodshepherdmedia.net/homer-simpson-predicted-the-mass-of-the-higgs-boson-14-years-before-cern/

But their vision of the 21st century hasn’t proven risible in every aspect: a rising China, hybrid cars, video calls, and online grocery-shopping have become familiar enough hardly to merit comment, as has the internet’s status as “the main medium of the 21st century.” And who among us would describe the cost of university as anything but “absurd”?

Schwartz and Leyden do allow for darker possibilities than their things-can-only-get-better rhetoric make it seem. Some of these they enumerate in a sidebar (remember sidebars?) headlined “Ten Scenario Spoilers.” Though not included in the article as archived on Wired’s web site, it has recently been scanned and posted to social media, with viral results. A “new Cold War” between the U.S. and China; a “global climate change that, among other things, disrupts the food supply”; a “major rise in crime and terrorism forces the world to pull back in fear”; an “uncontrollable plague — a modern-day influenza epidemic or its equivalent”: to one degree or another, every single one of these ten dire developments seems in our time to have come to pass.

“We’re still on the front edge of the great global boom,” we’re reminded in the piece’s conclusion. “A hell of a lot of things could go wrong.” You don’t say. Yet for all of the 21st-century troubles that few riding the wave of first-dot-com-boom utopianism would have credited, we today run the risk of seeing our world as too dystopian. Now as then, “the vast array of problems to solve and the sheer magnitude of the changes that need to take place are enough to make any global organization give up, any nation back down, any reasonable person curl up in a ball.” We could use a fresh infusion of what Schwartz and Leyden frame as the boom’s key ingredient: American optimism. “Americans don’t understand limits. They have boundless confidence in their ability to solve problems. And they have an amazing capacity to think they really can change the world.” In that particular sense, perhaps we all should become Americans after all.

in the same year A BOOK DID THE SAME!

The Sovereign Future: How a 1997 Book Accurately Predicted 2025

Predictions from The Sovereign Individual

Written by James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg and published in 1997, The Sovereign Individual made many predictions related to the internet’s influence.

The decline of the nation-state: Governments were predicted to lose control as individuals and businesses adopted decentralized, digital systems.
The rise of digital currencies: The authors foresaw private, decentralized money, an idea that aligns with modern cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
The online economy and cybercrime: The book accurately predicted the growth of the online economy as well as the increase in cybercrime and cyber warfare.
Social stratification: The authors predicted the internet would widen the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots”.
The emergence of remote work and a “digital nomad” lifestyle.
Disruption of traditional jobs: The book predicted that automation, AI, and global competition would make many traditional jobs obsolete.
Changes in education: Digital content and online education were predicted to transform how learning is delivered.

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Charlie Kirks Shooter CAUGHT in the Charlie Kirk Assassination

The Truth News — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:52:47 +0000

Charlie Kirks Shooter CAUGHT in the Charlie Kirk Assassination

The suspect in Charlie Kirk’s shooting death has been identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
During a Friday news conference, Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox said Robinson indicated to a family friend that he was connected to the shooting.
President Donald Trump initially made the announcement about Robinson being in custody during an interview on FOX & Friends.

Charlie Kirk’s killer was arrested overnight in Utah, officials announced Friday morning. Tyler Robinson, 22, is in custody with the help of a family member and will face charges for murdering the conservative political activist earlier this week.

WE AS CHRISTIANS & AMERICANS SHALL FEAR NO MAN, JUSTICE WILL COME ONE WAY OR ANOTHER FROM GOD’S SOVEREIGN HANDS

Here are the latest updates for Friday, Sept. 12, 2025:

Robinson was engineering major, university says

12 p.m. ET: Utah State University announced Friday that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect arrested in the killing of Charlie Kirk, “briefly attended” classes there for one semester in 2021.

Robinson was a pre-engineering major and took classes consistent with that major for his one semester, Fox News Digital learned.

New details emerge about Tyler Robinson

11:30 a.m. ET: The Associated Press reported that Tyler James Robinson was admitted to Utah State University on an academic scholarship, according to a video of him reading his acceptance letter posted to a family member’s social media account. A university spokesperson told the AP he attended the school for only one semester in 2021.

Utah state records state Robinson was registered as a voter but not affiliated with either political party.

Mug shot of Tyler Robinson released

10:55 a.m. ET: Officials released a mugshot of Tyler Robinson, the shooting suspect in Charlie Kirk’s death.

Booking photos of Tyler Robinson (Fox News)

Utah governor says Kirk assassination suspect is believed to have acted alone

10:45 a.m. ET: Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox says shooting suspect Tyler Robinson is believed to have acted alone, and the Charlie Kirk investigation is ongoing despite Robinson’s arrest.

FBI Director Kash Patel shares timeline of investigation

10:30 a.m. ET: The first FBI agents arrived on the scene at Utah Valley University some 16 minutes after Kirk was shot on Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel said at the news conference.

The bureau released the first photos of the suspect on Thursday morning, followed by the announcement of a cash reward and then the release of video of the suspect climbing down from the roof of a campus building and running away.

“Just last night, the suspect was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time,” Patel announced.

Utah governor says Kirk’s assassination ‘is an attack on all of us’

10:26 a.m. ET: Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox said some people have asked why there have been so many resources dedicated to investigating Kirk’s killing when there’s violence around the country, but the governor said it is “much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us.”

The Republican said Kirk’s killing is “an attack on the American experiment” and values, and “cuts to the very foundation of who we are.”

Details of messages on bullet casings revealed

10:25 a.m. ET: Bullet casings discovered by authorities had several inscriptions engraved on them, Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox said. The casing that had been fired read: “notices bulges OwO what’s this?”

Cox said there were three unfired casings:
One read, “hey fascist! catch!” with an up arrow symbol, right arrow symbol, and three down arrow symbols.
Another one read: “oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao,” Cox said.
The third fired casing read: “if you read this you are gay lmao.”

Kirk assassination suspect indicated to a family friend that he was connected to the shooting

10:15 a.m. ET: Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox opened the news conference on the latest developments in Charlie Kirk’s assassination with the statement, “We got him.”

Cox told reporters that Kirk assassination suspect Tyler Robinson indicated to a family friend that he was connected to the shooting.

The president talked about learning the news of Kirk’s assassination

9:50 a.m. ET: Near the end of his Fox News interview, President Donald Trump said he’d been holding a meeting about building the new White House ballroom when his aides interrupted.

“They came in and they said, ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’ I didn’t know what they meant. I said, ‘What do you mean, dead?’” Trump said.

“‘Charlie Kirk was shot.’ And they thought it was dead because it was so horrific.”

Trump said he swiftly ended his meeting. “I just told these people, “Get out, you gotta go.”

Suspect in custody in connection with Charlie Kirk shooting is 22-year-old from Utah, AP source says

9:25 a.m. ET: The suspect in custody in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk is a 22-year-old from Utah, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Authorities have identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

A news conference is scheduled with the latest on Charlie Kirk investigation

9 a.m. ET: State and federal officials in Utah are planning to hold a news conference on the investigation.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason, FBI Director Kash Patel and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls are expected to attend.

Suspect Tyler Robinson, left, and Charlie Kirk.

Trump says Charlie Kirk shooting suspect in custody

8:15 a.m. ET: Trump confirmed the news during a Friday morning interview with FOX & Friends.

“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody, right in custody. Everyone did a great job,” Trump said.

“I just heard about it five minutes before I walked in. As I’m walking in, they said, ‘Looking real good.’ They have the person that they wanted.”

On FOX & Friends, President Trump broke the news of an arrest in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Sources told FOX News Friday that the suspected shooter was taken into custody in Southern Utah.

Federal investigators and state officials on Thursday had released photos and a video of the person they believe is responsible. Kirk was shot as he spoke to a crowd gathered in a courtyard at Utah Valley University in Orem.

More than 7,000 leads and tips had poured in, officials said. Authorities have yet to publicly name the suspect or cite a motive in the killing, the latest act of political violence to convulse the United States.

Video shows alleged gunman fleeing the scene

Dig deeper:

Law enforcement showed new video during a news conference on Thursday evening showing the alleged gunman fleeing from the scene after Kirk was shot.

In the video, a person wearing dark clothing is seen running across a rooftop and then climbing down the side. He is then seen running away from the scene.

Who was Charlie Kirk?

The backstory:

Kirk was the founder and executive director of Turning Point USA. Turning Point was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government.

Kirk appeared alongside Trump on stage at political events, and was also a frequent commentator on Fox News, CNBC, and FOX Business News. He was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Kirk played a major role in Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. He was credited with turning out the younger vote for Trump.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by LIVENOW, and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Washington, D.C

Tyler Robinson named suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting, how he was caught

Robinson was identified by his father in photographs released by auhtorities.

Tyler Robinson, 22 – Charlie Kirk’s Killer – The True Beta Male Soy Boy Cuk Murderer Type

Authorities have taken into custody the person they suspect of shooting and killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday at a Utah university campus event.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody in St. George, Utah, on Friday, authorities and sources told ABC News.

Robinson’s father recognized him as the person being sought by police after authorities distributed photographs.

The father initially told Robinson to turn himself in. Robinson initially said no, but later changed his mind, officials said.

The father then called a youth pastor, who is also a U.S. Marshals task force officer. The officer advised the father to have Robinson stay in place.

At a press conference on Friday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Robinson had become more political in recent years, and engaged in a conversation with a family member about Kirk’s visit to the Utah Valley University campus the night before.

Cox also described what was engraved on the casings found on the scene.

The first casing, according to Cox, said “Notices Bulge OWO what’s this??”

The other three unfired casing said: “Hey fascist! CATCH!” with an arrow symbol pointing up, then to the right, and then three arrows pointing down, “O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Ciao, ciao!,” and “If you read this, you are GAY Lmao.”

When law enforcement identified Robinson, they also interviewed Robinson’s roommate who showed them a message between Robinson and his roommate.

“The content of these messages included messages affiliated with the contact Tyler, stating a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush,” Cox said. “Messages related to a to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel. The messages also referred to engraving bullets and a mention of a scope and the rifle being unique. Messages from the contact Tyler also mentioned that he had changed outfits.”

Cox said Robinson arrived on campus driving a gray Dodge Challenger, which matched his vehicle he arrived in on campus.

He also thanked Robinson’s family, “who did the right thing.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said that law enforcement caught Robinson within 33 hours of the shooting and was on scene within 16 minutes.

“This is a very much an ongoing investigation, as the governor said, and we will continue to work with state and local authorities to develop the investigation to provide them the evidence they need for their ongoing prosecutions,” Patel said.

Authorities and a former FBI agent previously said they believed the subject to be a college-aged individual with an apparent proficiency in handling a high-powered rifle and likely knew the layout of the university where the homicide occurred.

President Donald Trump initially announced the arrest, stating on “Fox and Friends” on Friday morning, “I think with high degree of certainty, we have him in custody.”

During a news conference on Thursday evening, state and federal officials released video of the person of interest jumping down from the roof of a building on the campus.

Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, said the suspect was wearing “distinct clothing” that could help in his identification, including Converse sneakers.

He said the person seen in the video jumping from the roof left shoe impressions and a palm print.

A still from a video released by the FBI of the suspected gunman in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

FBI

“We are investing everything we have into this and we will catch this individual,” Mason said at the news conference.

Authorities had received more than 7,000 tips and leads and completed some 200 interviews, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said.

During a news conference on Thursday morning, Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office, said investigators believe they have recovered the weapon used in what the governor of Utah on Wednesday called a “political assassination.”

Bohls said the weapon, a high-powered bolt-action rifle, was found discarded in a wooded area near Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, and is being analyzed at an FBI laboratory for any clues that can identify the gunman.

The FBI released images of a person of interest sought in connection with the deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk.

FBI Salt Lake City

More specifically, multiple law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News that the weapon is an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle that was found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the school. The sources said a spent cartridge was discovered in the chamber of the gun.

The gun and cartridges recovered are to be flown to the FBI’s main laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for the most technologically advanced forensic analysis, law enforcement sources told ABC News. The focus is to look for any latent fingerprints and DNA, the sources said.

Investigators also collected a footwear impression, a palm print and forearm prints for analysis, Bohls said.

Mason said that investigators are also studying “good video footage” of the shooter that they have used to track his movements before and after the shooting.

The FBI released images of a person of interest sought in connection with the deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk.

FBI Salt Lake City

Following Thursday’s news conference, the FBI in Salt Lake City released surveillance images of the person of interest wanted in connection with the shooting. The images show a person who appears to be a white male, wearing all dark clothing, including a dark long-sleeved collarless top with what appears to be an image on the front that includes an American flag. The man in the images is also wearing a dark ball cap and sunglasses.

The FBI announced a $100,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the capture of the suspect.

MORE: Manhunt for shooter continues after Charlie Kirk killed in ‘political assassination’

Mason said investigators believe the suspect arrived at the UVU campus at 11:52 a.m. local time, about 28 minutes before Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative grass roots organization Turning Point USA, was shot. He said the deadly shot was fired from a building a substantial distance from where Kirk was speaking to a crowd, authorities estimate was about 3,000 people. He did not disclose which building the shooter fired from.

“We have tracked his movements onto the campus, through stairwells, up to the roof, across the roof to the shooting location,” Mason said. “After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building, and fled off of the campus into a neighborhood.”

A drone view shows the reported location of the shooter on a rooftop, at the scene where U.S. right-wing activist, commentator, Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah, September 11, 2025.

Cheney Orr/Reuters

He said investigators combed the neighborhood for the suspect and contacted residents with doorbell cameras to analyze.

“The individual appears to be of college age,” said Mason, adding that the person of interest “blended in well with the college institution.”

Brad Garrett, a retired FBI agent and an ABC News contributor, said the evidence investigators have shared so far paints a picture of a suspect who planned the shooting down to the last detail, including discarding the possible murder weapon along his escape path.

“He probably did that [because] he didn’t want to be seen carrying a weapon, running through a neighborhood, or walking through a neighborhood,” Garrett said.

Right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk throws hats to the crowd shortly before he was shot at a Utah Valley University speaking event in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10, 2025.

Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via Reuters

Garrett said the discovery of the weapon is a major clue that will give investigators additional leads to track down.

“Where did it come from? It could very well be registered or purchased by this shooter. We’ll have to see,” Garrett said. “Was it stolen? Whatever it might be, the ATF [the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] will help them immediately, and they probably already know what that is.”

Garrett said the discovery of the killer’s palm print can also be helpful.

“If he’s ever had a full set of prints, where you print the entire hand, let’s say he’d been in the military or some aspect of the government or a contractor, they may have those,” Garrett said. “That’s a long shot, but they may have those.”

Garrett said the distance from where the shot was fired could also shed light on the identity of the gunman.

“My guess is … a scope and a tripod would have helped him a lot for steadiness, but the real key is if he was able, and sadly did, fire one shot that killed Charlie Kirk, that’s showing some proficiency because it’s very difficult to have the breathing and the concentration to pull off one shot like that and that’s what killed the person,” Garrett said. “Does that suggest prior training? Maybe. It certainly suggests somebody who’s been practicing a lot with this weapon or some weapons just like this.”

Garrett said investigators are likely going to every gun range and gun shop in the area to determine if the gunman had visited them.

“The concern obviously as time goes on … did he leave the area? If he’s smart, then he did,” Garrett said. “But many times, these kinds of shooters don’t do that.” source

WE HERE AT GOOD SHEPHERD NEWS MEDIA BELIEVE ITS IS OUR OPINION BASED ON THE VIDEO BELOW THAT THE KILLER HAD PARTNERS ON THE INSIDE

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Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at Utah college event

The Truth News — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 21:19:39 +0000

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at Utah college event

Its with our deepest regrets to reports such a heinous evil crime, our Christian Brother CHARLIE KIRK has PASSED, Our prayers go out to our heavenly father to take Charlie Kirk into heaven, to forgive him of any transgressions he may have done so that he may be in heaven with you father, IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME, AMEN

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event in an act that drew renewed attention to the threat of political violence across the United States.

The death was announced on social media by Trump, who praised the 31-year-old Kirk, the co-founder and CEO of the youth organization Turning Point USA, as “Great, and even Legendary.”

“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account.

People were seen exiting a building on Utah Valley University after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday at an event on campus.

The suspected shooter has not been arrested, Orem, Utah, Mayor David Young said. A person who was taken into custody by law enforcement at the university where Kirk was speaking was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators are heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away. The AP was able to confirm the videos were taken at Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus.

“We are confirming that he was shot and we are praying for Charlie,” said Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA.

The crowd reacts after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, is shot at the Utah Valley University Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)

Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization. Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions for an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.

“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience members asked. Kirk responded: “Too many.”

The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”

“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.

Then a single shot rang out.

The event had been met with divided opinions on campus. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”

Last week, Kirk posted on X images of news clips showing his visit to Utah colleges was sparking controversy. He wrote, “What’s going on in Utah?”

Trump and a host of Republican and Democratic elected officials decried the shooting and offered prayers for Kirk on social media.

“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Law enforcement tapes off an area after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot at the Utah Valley University, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Tess Croewley/The Deseret News via AP)

The shooting comes amid a spike in political violence in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum. The attacks include the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband at their house in June, the firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand Hamas release hostages, and a fire set at the house of Pennsylvania’s governor, who is Jewish, in April. The most notorious of these events is the shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year.

Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was at the event, said in an interview on Fox News Channel that he heard one shot and saw Kirk go back.

“It seemed like it was a close shot,” Chaffetz said, who seemed shaken as he spoke.

He said there was a light police presence at the event and Kirk had some security but not enough.

“Utah is one of the safest places on the planet,” he said. “And so we just don’t have these types of things.”

Turning Point was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success.

But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers.

Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)

Despite early misgivings, Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.

Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.

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Charlie Kirk Shot at Utah University Multiple Times – PRAYERS for CHARLIE KIRK

Charlie Kirk Shot at Utah University Multiple Times – PRAYERS for CHARLIE KIRK

The Truth News — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:40:22 +0000

Charlie Kirk Shot at Utah University Multiple Times – PRAYERS for CHARLIE KIRK

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk shot at Utah Valley University

CAUTINON THE VIDEO BELOW IS THE REAL VIDEO, ITS DISTURBING AND VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN SEE THIS VIDEO

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Charlie Kirk, a well-known right-wing political activist, was reportedly shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

The university confirmed the shooting in a post on X, writing:

“Today at about 12:10 a shot was fired at the visiting speaker, Charlie Kirk. He was hit and taken from the location by his security. Campus police is investigating, a suspect is in custody.”

Bystanders told the Deseret News that Kirk was shot during a Q&A with students.

His condition was not immediately known.

Kirk is the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA. The organization also confirmed he was shot, according to the Associated Press.

A single shot rings out, and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators are heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away.

A spokesperson for the university told the New York Times that Kirk was struck by a suspect who had fired from the Losee Center, a building about 200 yards away. The suspect had been taken into custody, she said, and was not a student.

President Donald Trump responded to the shooting, writing in a post on Truth Social:

“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”

At a Turning Point USA event in 2023, Kirk said gun deaths were “unfortunately” worth it to defend the Second Amendment.

According to Newsweek, he said:

“You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won’t have a single gun death … I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.”

Lawmakers quickly sounded off after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot during an event on his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon.

Prayers for Kirk’s recovery as well as condemnation of political violence poured in from both Democrats and Republicans minutes after the news broke.

“This is a good time to pray,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said on X, adding that he was monitoring the situation.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk speaks during the Turning Point Action’s The Believers Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida on July 26, 2024. (REUTERS/Marco Bello)

Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., a first-term Democrat, wrote online, “Political violence has NO place in our society. I am closely monitoring the events in Utah.”

“The attack on Charlie Kirk today is a horrific act of political violence. Praying for his safety and for his family in this trying time. We must reject and condemn political violence in all its forms,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said in a statement.

The top Democrat in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York similarly condemned the violence.

“Political violence is NEVER acceptable. My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family,” Jeffries wrote in a statement.

The top Democrat and Republican in the Senate both sounded off with similar sentiments in the minutes after Kirk was shot.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington on June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“There is no place in our country for political violence. Period, full stop. Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., wrote on X.

Kirk also got support from former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who left Congress after she was shot and nearly killed in a political assassination attempt in 2011.

“I’m horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah. Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence,” Giffords wrote.

She added that she and her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., are praying for Kirk’s recovery.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., condemned gun violence after the shooting on Wednesday.

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also wished Kirk well after the shooting. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“The horrific shooting today at Utah Valley University is reprehensible. Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation. All Americans should pray for Charlie Kirk’s recovery and hold the entire UVU community in our hearts as they endure the trauma of this gun violence,” Pelosi wrote in a statement.

Ellen Treanor, Associate Vice President of Strategic Communications Management at Utah Valley University, told Fox News that a suspect was in custody after Kirk’s shooting.

OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY, CHARLIE HAS PASSED
OF CHARLIE KIRK OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS OUR WITH YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND HIM AND HIS CHILDREN

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at Utah college event

How Phones are Destroying our Relationships and Communication

The Truth News — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 22:51:27 +0000

How Phones are Destroying our Relationships and Communication

Phones are damaging relationships by causing technoference, which is the constant distraction and interruption of face-to-face interactions, leading to reduced feelings of closeness, trust, and satisfaction. This behavior, known as “phubbing,” communicates a lack of interest or importance, causing partners to feel unheard and ignored. Excessive phone use can also fuel jealousy and insecurity, potentially leading to more serious issues like emotional or physical infidelity and even divorce.

How Phones are Destroying our Relationships and Communication

Smartphones destroy communication and relationships by distracting users from in-person conversations, fueling misunderstandings via text, and creating an isolating state of “alone togetherness”. This can lead to serious consequences, including relationship dissatisfaction, decreased emotional connection, and depression.

Distraction and disconnection

“Phubbing” lowers relationship quality. Phubbing, or phone-snubbing, is the habit of ignoring someone in a social setting in favor of your mobile phone. A study found that when a mobile device is present during a meaningful conversation, people rate their experience as less fulfilling and their partner as less empathetic. Research also reveals that being phubbed triggers feelings of exclusion and reduced self-worth, which decreases relationship satisfaction.
Lost nonverbal cues. In-person conversations are richer because they include nonverbal signals like facial expressions, body language, and eye contact. These are often lost or overlooked when a person is distracted by their phone, which makes it harder to understand emotions and build connection.
Presence is compromised. Just having a phone visible during a face-to-face conversation, even if not in use, can interfere with a sense of connection and closeness. When attention is divided, the opportunity for true, authentic connection is lost.

Miscommunication and conflict

Texting leads to misinterpretation. Communication through text messages lacks tone, inflection, and other cues, making it easy to misinterpret meaning and cause misunderstandings or conflict.
“Technoference” causes arguments. The interference of technology in relationships, termed “technoference,” can cause frequent conflict. Partners often fight over excessive phone usage, leading to feelings of neglect when a conversation is interrupted by a text or notification.

Effects on romance and family life

Creates “alone togetherness.” This term describes when two people are physically together but mentally absorbed in their phones, leading to shallow and less meaningful interactions. A study found that 62% of couples reported technology interfering with their daily time together.
Parents distracted from their children. Parents who are preoccupied with their phones speak to their children less and are slower to respond to their needs. A study on playgrounds found that a majority of parents on their phones did not respond to their children’s calls for attention. This can cause children to feel neglected and can interfere with their developmental milestones like communication and socialization skills.
Causes jealousy and comparison. Social media creates a platform for comparing one’s relationship to the “highlight reels” of others, which can lead to jealousy, insecurity, and dissatisfaction. This can lead to a feedback loop of mistrust, as partners monitor each other’s online activity.

The cycle of dependency

Reinforces addictive behavior. The constant checking of phones is reinforced by small “dopamine hits” from notifications and social media engagement. This can lead to a compulsive habit where individuals prioritize online interactions over real-life connections.
Increases loneliness. Paradoxically, constant online connection can make people feel more lonely. A Facebook study showed that passive viewing of other people’s posts decreases happiness, while other studies have linked social media to increased loneliness and depression.

How phones disrupt relationships

Reduced Communication and Connection:Studies show that the mere presence of a phone during a conversation decreases the quality of communication and connection, even without conscious awareness.
Phubbing and Lack of Attention:When people prioritize their phones over their partners, it’s perceived as “phubbing,” which makes the other person feel unimportant and unacknowledged.
Increased Conflict and Insecurity:Constant phone interruptions can lead to arguments and feelings of insecurity about the relationship and one’s own worth.
Decreased Satisfaction and Well-being:Research indicates that phone-related distractions can lower relationship satisfaction and overall well-being.
Erosion of Intimacy:Fragmented communication and lack of attention can weaken emotional bonds and inhibit true intimacy between partners.

Consequences of excessive phone use

Infidelity and Divorce:Excessive smartphone use has been linked to an increase in emotional and physical affairs, which can destabilize marriages and contribute to divorce.
Lower Trust and Confidence:A partner’s over-reliance on their phone can erode trust and confidence in the relationship, as they may feel their partner is more invested in their device.
Jealousy and Envy:Comparing one’s relationship to the curated lives of others on social media can create envy and negatively impact a relationship.

How to improve your relationship

Create Boundaries:Establish clear rules for phone use, such as designated “phone-free” times or zones, especially during meals or important conversations.
Prioritize In-Person Interaction:Make a conscious effort to put phones away and give your partner your undivided attention to foster closeness and authentic connection.
Communicate Your Needs: Speak with your partner about how phone use affects you and work together to find solutions that respect both of your needs.
Practice Mindful Phone Use: Be more aware of the implicit messages you send when you’re distracted by your phone and the negative impact it can have on your relationships.

A phone becomes a “key partner” when its role in a relationship shifts from a useful tool to a central, often problematic, presence that can detract from in-person interaction and satisfaction. Excessive phone use, known as “partner phubbing” (phone snubbing), can lead to feelings of neglect, conflict, and decreased intimacy. However, phones can also be a valuable partner by facilitating communication, providing support, and helping couples connect through shared activities and text-based exchanges, if used mindfully and in balance with face-to-face time.

The Negative Side: When the Phone Is a “Rival”

The term “technoference” describes how technology interferes with relationships, with phubbing – ignoring your partner to focus on your phone – causing feelings of exclusion, reduced responsiveness, and jealousy.
Decreased Relationship Satisfaction:Studies show that excessive phone use can decrease marital and relationship satisfaction, leading to feelings of neglect, rejection, and loneliness for the partner who feels ignored.
Conflict and Anxiety:Constant phone use can create tension and arguments within a relationship, and the anxiety-inducing nature of constant checking can erode the quality of time spent together.

Americans check their smartphones approximately an average of 205 times a day. It seems that almost everyone is dependent on their smartphone. According to one survey, 76% of U.S. adults get nervous if they can’t find theirs, and 44% say they couldn’t go one day without it.

Smartphone dependency and smartphone addiction are taking a toll on relationships everywhere, and some would even pick their device over the relationship if forced to choose between the two. A recent study found that one-third of individuals would rather give up sex than their smartphones.

This dependency is so widespread, partly because very few people have the choice to “opt out” of internet life and all the accompanying devices. Our work, social, and family lives depend upon email, texts, and internet access, and we are expected to be able to connect to these things at all times through our smartphones. This means we carry our addiction triggers with us everywhere we go—we have to.

In some ways, smartphones can enhance relationships. The ease of staying in touch with a partner through texts, calls, and FaceTime can strengthen relationship bonds by maintaining intimacy through busy days and long distances. On the other hand, people have difficulty truly connecting face to face when one or both partners are distracted by the constant urge to check their phone.

People today use their smartphones all the time, everywhere. The survey found they’re spending an average of five hours and 16 minutes per day staring into a screen.

Naturally, this degree of smartphone obsession gets in the way of intimacy.

Seven Ways That Smartphone Addiction is Getting in the Way of Your Relationship

1. Phubbing

This mashup term derived from “phone-snubbing,” refers to times when you become distracted by your phone, and your partner feels snubbed or rejected. It has become one of the major sources of relationship conflict in recent years.

2. Miscommunication

When you are constantly distracted by your phone, you’re more likely to miss what your partner is saying. This will not only show thoughtlessness towards your partner, it can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications that can cause all kinds of problems—from failing to show up to an event your partner thought you’d agreed to come to, to failing to recognize when your partner is trying to tell you something important, and responding inappropriately or not at all.

3. Time and energy drain

Smartphone overuse can be a major drain on time and energy that you could be spending on your partner. It can result in a pattern of consistent neglect that drives a wedge between you.

4. Less sex, and/or worse sex

Many people report not wanting to stop what they’re doing on their smartphone to have sex with their partners, and one in five people actually checks their phone during sex.

5. More insecurity and less satisfaction

Individuals with smartphone-dependent or addicted partners could be less happy in their relationships. The higher the level of smartphone dependency within a couple, the higher the level of relationship uncertainty, and the lower the level of relationship satisfaction.

6. Self-centeredness

Spending a lot of time on social media can encourage self-absorption and narcissism. Getting caught up in displaying yourself in a certain way online, chasing acknowledgement from others, competing to get more followers, or to win online arguments, etc., can lead to an unhealthy level of self-centeredness.

7. Distance from your partner

Constant smartphone usage and distraction isolate people from their partners, making them feel like they have to compete with technology for attention, or that they can’t compete, so why even stay in the relationship?

It isn’t smartphone use itself that negatively impacts relationships, but rather the psychological reliance that people have on these devices. In other words, regularly using your smartphone won’t get in the way of your love life, but smartphone dependency and smartphone addiction will.

Signs of Smartphone Addiction

Just like alcohol or drugs, smartphones can stimulate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, emotions, motivation, and movement. Dopamine makes us feel good, and our brains reward us with it to reinforce life-sustaining activities such as eating food and taking care of ourselves.

Some activities release extra amounts of dopamine through over-stimulation (like the constantly changing forms of distraction accessible through a smartphone), causing the user to develop a tolerance that drives them to increase the amount of time spent on the activity just to experience the same degree of pleasure.

Tolerance is a sign of smartphone addiction, as is compulsively checking your phone, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to cut down or quit. These symptoms may also appear when you are simply without wi-fi, or in an area without cell service.

Withdrawal symptoms include: panic, anxiety, restlessness, hostility, irritability, anger, depression, difficulty concentrating, and intense cravings for device usage.

Other signs of smartphone addiction include:

Using your phone in situations where you know you shouldn’t, such as while driving, attending an important event, or having sex
Spending so much time on your phone that you neglect relationships, family responsibilities, work, school, or any other activity or hobby that is important to you
Prioritizing online relationships and social media feedback over face-to-face interactions
Hiding and lying about smartphone use
Getting cranky when your smartphone time is interrupted
Getting hostile when someone brings up how much time or energy you devote to your smartphone
Feeling panicky at the idea of missing out on news, texts, social media happenings or anything else your phone can connect you to
Getting up at night to check your phone
Feeling phantom phone vibrations—imagining that you are getting a notification, text, email or call when you actually aren’t

The Cost of Smartphone Addiction

Many people use their phones to cope with or escape from deeper problems such as loneliness, depression, anxiety, or stress, but smartphone addiction can also exacerbate or even cause such emotional problems.

For example, you may tweet something funny, hoping to get enough responses, likes, and retweets to make you feel better about yourself, then wind up feeling worse if your tweet is ignored, or causes a negative backlash. You may also use your phone to hide during events due to social anxiety, but hiding behind your phone will only cut you off from others and cause you to miss out on opportunities to practice social skills, so that you feel even less capable and more anxious in future social situations.

Studies have also shown that just having smartphones around can increase anxiety. Your phone can keep you from concentrating at work. At home, it can cause work pressures to bleed into your personal life.

Smartphones can also interfere with your ability to concentrate. The ever-changing types of stimulation that phones provide can prevent deep thoughts or creative ideas, and get you acclimated to shifting to something new every few minutes. It can also diminish your problem-solving ability by never allowing you a quiet moment to really work through an issue.

Nine Strategies to Reduce Smartphone Dependency and Smartphone Addiction

Whether you are fully addicted to your smartphone or merely dependent upon it, your quality of life will improve if you find ways to cut down on the time you spend glued to your device.

1. Minimize unnecessary smartphone usage

Try to figure out how much of your smartphone use is necessary—for work, for communicating with loved ones, for keeping up with caregiving duties, or for using apps to help with driving or checking movie times—and how much of it is unnecessary habit, like checking Facebook or reposting on Tumblr. Remember that in the early days of your recovery from smartphone addiction, all smartphone habits will FEEL necessary to you emotionally. This attachment will improve over time.

2. Allocate data-free time during the day

Designate a certain amount of data-free time every day. Silence your phone (no fair using vibrate), or turn it all the way off, between certain hours of the day at work or school, or whenever you’re working out or on a date. Putting it somewhere out of sight will help put it out of your mind—or at least cut down on how distracted you’ll be from the activity at hand.

3. Silence your phone when driving

Smartphone addicts should especially silence their phones while driving. The distraction of hearing a notification or the temptation to check email could have dangerous, even deadly consequences.

4. Find other interests for your free time

Develop new interests or hobbies to fill up the time you used to spend on your device.

5. Use an old-fashioned alarm clock

Avoid using your phone as an alarm—it’s too easy to shift from turning it off to checking email and browsing Instagram.

6. Remove excess apps

You’re much better off deleting apps that connect you to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and other social media distractions from your phone. Having to set aside time to go to your computer to participate instead of being constantly connected to it 24/7 will free up your time, and prove that you aren’t missing out on as much as you fear you are.

7. Minimize app notifications

If you can’t bring yourself to ditch the apps yet, at least turn off the notifications, and if you can’t bring yourself to turn them all off, at least limit notifications to the most important apps, like the one connected to your child’s school. Today, you can also find apps specifically designed to block your access to other, more distracting apps during peak times of productivity, so you can focus better.

You also might want to consider setting special ringtones or vibrations for the most important people in your life, so you can know if it’s your best friend calling about your dinner plans without having to check, which may tempt you into other activities on your phone.

8. Stop checking your email before work

If there is an emergency, you will get a phone call. Otherwise, any message sent by email can safely wait for another hour or two. Also, consider shutting off your email entirely over the weekend. People might send you work emails on Saturday or Sunday, but you are not obligated to respond to them. In most cases, the sender doesn’t even expect you to—they were simply checking something off their to-do list when they had the time to do it.

9. Leave your phone out of the bedroom

This last strategy will not only help you sleep better by reducing distractions and eliminating the screen light that can contribute to insomnia, but it will also improve intimacy with your partner, even on nights when you don’t have sex.

Smartphone addiction doesn’t have to get in the way of a healthy, fulfilling relationship. By following the tips above, you can reclaim your connection with your partner and discover new and exciting ways to bond that don’t involve a screen. If you or someone you love is struggling with smartphone addiction and needs professional treatment to overcome it, rehab programs are avaiable. source

‘Nicest judge in the world’ Frank Caprio dies aged 88

The Truth News — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 01:11:33 +0000

‘Nicest judge in the world’ Frank Caprio dies aged 88

It is with deep regret that we here at Good Shepherd Media News have to report that “FRANK CAPRIO, THE NICEST HUMAN JUDGE OF TODAYS COURTS, HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 88, A GOOD MAN DOWN!”

Breaking News

Passing and Legacy: Judge Frank Caprio, affectionately remembered as the “Nicest Judge in the World,” passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on August 20, 2025, following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Life & Fame : Serving as a municipal court judge in Providence from 1985 to 2023, he became a beloved public figure through his viral television show Caught in Providence (2018–2020), where his warmth, mercy, and compassion in the courtroom captured hearts around the world.
Final Messages & Faith: In his final messages, he expressed deep gratitude for the countless prayers offered on his behalf. He encouraged others to hold fast to their faith and emphasized his reliance on divine strength, reminding all that “the Almighty above is looking over us.”
Official Honors: In recognition of his service and impact, Rhode Island’s governor honored him as a true state treasure and ordered flags to be lowered to half-mast in his memory.

Judge Frank Caprio has passed away peacefully at the age of 88, following a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Beloved around the world for his deep compassion, humility, and unwavering faith in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched millions through his work in the courtroom, and even more through his example of humanity.

His warmth, humor, and kindness left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him or hearing his words.

He will be remembered not only as a respected judge, but as a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. His legacy lives on in the countless lives he uplifted and the kindness he inspired.

In his memory, may we all strive to lead with more empathy, more understanding, and more heart, just as he did every single day.

“FRANK CAPRIO, THE NICEST HUMAN JUDGE OF TODAYS COURTS, HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 88, A GOOD MAN DOWN!
OUR PRAYERS GO OUT TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER TO RECEIVE THIS MAN INTO HEAVEN, AND TO HELP HEAL THE WOUNDS HE ABSENCE LEAVES IN THOSE THAT LOVE HIM!

Judge Frank Caprio passed away peacefully at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond. His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him. He will be remembered not only as a respected judge, but as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. His legacy lives on in the countless acts of kindness he inspired.

In his honor, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world — just as he did every day.

US celebrity judge and social media star Frank Caprio has died aged 88, his family has said.

Over a 40-year career in Rhode Island, he famously used compassion and humour to make judgements that took into consideration the personal circumstances of the people in the dock.
Videos of Judge Caprio presiding over cases on his hit TV show Caught in Providence have had billions of views on social media, earning him the title the “nicest judge in the world”.
His death following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was announced on his official Instagram account, where he was remembered for his “warmth” and “unwavering belief in the goodness of people”.
Judge Caprio had presided over thousands of cases in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, before embarking on a TV career.

His signature courtroom style produced viral clips ranging from him inviting children to sit with him behind the bench during cases, to announcing a “mini-judge” plushie of himself.

A TikTok video showcasing his morning routine – brushing his teeth, signing his book and watching videos of his own show – has had more than 5m views.

In an 2019 interview, Judge Caprio said his courtroom proceedings “show a slice of life of Rhode Island that is very interesting, and it reflects the same issues people are experiencing nationwide”.
David Caprio, his son, thanked fans for their love and support and urged people to “spread a little kindness” in his father’s memory.
In an Instagram statement to his 3.4 million followers, Judge Caprio was remembered for the “countless acts of kindness he inspired”.
“His warmth, humour, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him,” the statement said.
During its run, Caught in Providence was nominated for three Daytime Emmys, with Judge Caprio earning two of his own nominations last year.
The company behind it, Debmar-Mercury, paid tribute to Judge Caprio’s “unique brand of compassion and common sense approach”.
“We will miss him dearly,” co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement.
After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023, Judge Caprio said he was “fully prepared to fight as hard I can” and thanked followers for their support.
In one of his last social media posts, Judge Caprio announced he was back in hospital after suffering a “setback” in his treatment and asked his followers for their prayers.

Judge Caprio is survived by his wife, Joyce Caprio, of almost 60 years, their five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. source

MY BIGGEST MISTAKE… I’ll never forget what my father told me on my first day as a judge!

Judge Frank Caprio passed away peacefully at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond. His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.
He will be remembered not only as a respected judge, but as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. His legacy lives on in the countless acts of kindness he inspired.
In his honor, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world — just as he did every day.

View this profile on Instagram

Judge Frank Caprio (@therealfrankcaprio) • Instagram photos and videos

Reality TV star, Judge Frank Caprio, dead at 88 following battle with pancreatic cancer

Family says beloved municipal judge ‘touched lives of millions through his work in courtroom’

Frank Caprio, a retired municipal judge in Rhode Island who went viral on social media for his kindness, has died. He was 88.

The family released a statement on Instagram Wednesday in a post featuring Caprio with his family, writing his death came after “a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.”

“Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond,” the statement read. “His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”

The statement continued: “He will be remembered not only as a respected judge, but as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. His legacy lives on in the countless acts of kindness he inspired.”

Judge Frank Caprio has died at the age of 88. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

“In his honor, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world — just as he did every day,” the statement concluded.

Caprio garnered a following on social media after videos of him treating those who appeared before him in his courtroom with kindness and compassion went viral, earning him the title of “Nicest Judge in the World.”

In the videos, Caprio can often be seen bringing children up to join him on the bench, setting up payment plans for individuals who weren’t able to pay the full amount of their fine, and sometimes waiving the fines completely.

His social media fame led him to star in his own reality show, titled “Caught in Providence,” which was on the air for two years, from 2018 to 2020. The show originally aired on local access television, but was picked up by Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury division.

Caprio’s success on social media led to a reality show called, “Caught in Providence.” (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

“Judge Caprio’s unique brand of compassion and common sense approach to justice caught the attention of daytime TV and social media audiences, making ‘Caught in Providence’ a fan favorite,” Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of Debmar-Mercury, said in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. “We will miss him dearly.”

The show went on to receive four Daytime Emmy Award nominations, including one for Caprio.

In December 2023, Caprio announced to his social media followers he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, calling it “an insidious form of cancer” and asked his followers to keep him in their prayers.

“One thing that people ask me is, ‘What can I do for you?’ First of all, I can’t thank all of you enough for your friendship and your kind messages. But I would ask each of you, in your own way, to please pray for me,” Caprio continued. “I am in need of the power of prayer, which I believe, in addition to the medical treatment that I’m receiving, is the most powerful weapon to help me survive this.”

Caprio told his followers he had a setback in an Aug. 19 Instagram post. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

In an Aug. 19 Instagram post, Caprio told his 3.3 million Instagram followers that he “had a setback” and asked them to “remember me in your prayers once more.”

“Last year I asked you to pray for me, and it’s very obvious that you did because I came through a very difficult period. Unfortunately, I’ve had a setback. I’m back in the hospital now and I’m coming to you again asking you to remember me in your prayers once more.”

The governor of Rhode Island, Dan McKee, reacted to Caprio’s death on X, writing in part, “Judge Caprio was a Rhode Island treasure. As we mourn his passing, my thoughts go out to his family, friends, and all who loved him.”

https://goodshepherdmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MY-BIGGEST-MISTAKE…-Ill-never-forget-what-my-father-told-me-on-my-first-day-as-a-judge.mp4

https://goodshepherdmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/As-I-continue-this-difficult-battle-your-prayers-will-lift-my-spirit.mp4

https://goodshepherdmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Judge-Frank-Caprio-has-passed-away-peacefully-at-the-age-of-88.mp4

https://goodshepherdmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Part-2-Be-kind-to-people-and-take-care-of-your-families.mp4

Pro wrestling Champ Hulk Hogan dies at 71: Tributes pour in for WWE legend — follow live updates

The Truth News — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 21:18:18 +0000

Hulk Hogan dies at 71: Tributes pour in for WWE legend — follow live updates

The professional wrestling icon and entertainer died in Clearwater, Fla., on Thursday morning.

https://goodshepherdmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/RIP-Hulk-Hogan-1953–2025-.mp4

Hulk Hogan was a larger-than-life personality who rose to great heights in sports entertainment and buoyed a successful career in the ring into an iconic one outside of it.

Hogan died after suffering a possible “cardiac arrest” at his home in Clearwater, Florida, TMZ Sports reported on Thursday. Emergency personnel reportedly rushed to his home and he was seen being carried out of it in an ambulance.

WWE released a statement later.

Hulk Hogan gets the crowd going at WrestleMania 21 at Staples Center in Los Angeles on April 3, 2005. (Mike FANOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the company wrote. “One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s.

“WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”

Clearwater Police Department released a statement.

“Clearwater Fire Department and Clearwater Police Department personnel responded to a medical call at 9:51 a.m. today in the 1000 block of Eldorado Avenue on Clearwater Beach,” the statement read. “The nature of the call was for a cardiac arrest. A 71-year-old resident, Terry Bollea, also known as Hulk Hogan, was treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue crews before being taken by Sunstar to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”

The news of Hogan’s death came weeks after he was alleged to be having a health crisis. However, his wife, Sky, denied those reports, saying he was “strong” and was recovering from surgeries.

Hulk Hogan is introduced during the Texas Longhorns versus the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Nov. 16, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

“It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we confirm we have lost a legend,” the post read. “Our beloved Terry Bollea, known worldwide as Hulk Hogan, passed away today surrounded by his loved ones.

“At this time of grief, we ask that everyone please respect the privacy of his family and friends. May we all take solace in the wonderful memories he left behind for the millions of fans worldwide whose lives he touched for more than four decades. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”

Hogan was set to join former pro wrestling executive Eric Bischoff in a new venture called Real American Freestyle. It was a fresh attempt at putting freestyle wrestling on the map. Hogan also dipped his toe into the political waters. He stumped for President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention and at a Madison Square Garden rally last year.

“We lost our Commissioner. We lost a friend. And the sport of wrestling lost one of its greatest champions, not just in the ring, but in spirit,” Real American Freestyle (RAF) CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein said in a statement,.

“Hulk Hogan believed wrestling was more than just entertainment. He saw it as a brotherhood, a proving ground and a platform for greatness. That’s what Real American Freestyle was built to be, a new stage for the toughest, most passionate athletes on Earth. And Hulk was at the center of it.

“From day one, he threw his weight behind this league. He met with athletes. He watched tape, shared stories, and showed up like only he could. RAF was personal to him, something bigger than all of us. This league is part of his legacy, and we intend to honor it.”

The superstar pro wrestler, whose real name was Terry Bollea, got his start in Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) in the late 1970s before he eventually joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979. However, it wasn’t until his return to the WWF, now the WWE, when he really turned into the superstar that fans came to know.

Vince McMahon had purchased the WWF from his father and picked Hogan to be the main attraction for the company. He started to wrestle as a babyface when he saved Bob Backlund from an attack by the Wild Samoans. “Hulkamania” became the rage from there.

Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. (Al Dunlop/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Hogan demanded his followers to train, say their prayers and eat their vitamins. As his catchphrases and personality caught on, Hogan began one of his most famous feuds with Andre the Giant. The rivalry culminated in an epic match at WrestleMania III as Hogan, the champion, was going up against the so-called “undefeated” Giant.

Hogan was seen picking up the 520-pound behemoth and slamming him down on the ground. The move was dubbed “the bodyslam heard around the world” and became the calling card for WWE’s promotional events in the future.

He would continue with classic rivalries against Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Earthquake, Yokozuna and the Honky Tonk Man. As he left the WWF, Hogan would later rebrand himself and kick off another wild six years of him being on top of the wrestling world.

World Championship Wrestling (WCW) brought over WWF stars Kevin Nash and Scott Hall in a shrewd free agency move. The two branded themselves as The Outsiders and teased they were working together with a third man.

Nash and Hall took on Savage, Sting and Lex Luger at Bash at the Beach in 1996. Hogan came out toward the end of the match to a huge pop. Commentator Bobby “The Brain” Heenan famously wondered on the broadcast which side Hogan was on. Sure enough, Hogan delivered a leg drop onto Savage and changed the pro wrestling world forever.

Hogan’s new faction would be dubbed the New World Order, and the storyline would allow WCW to control the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks.

Hulk Hogan rips his shirt on RAW at Intuit Dome on Jan. 6, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (WWE/Getty Images)

Hogan would later return to WWE after the company bought WCW for another run and had a dream match against The Rock. He had a four-year run with Total Nonstop Action wrestling and would make sporadic appearances in WWE after that.

He was a six-time WWE champion, won the Royal Rumble twice and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as an individual in 2005 and as a member of the NWO in 2020. He was also a six-time world heavyweight champion in WCW as well as the IWGP champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling once.

He left an indelible legacy on pro wrestling.

He is survived by his two children, Nick and Brooke, who he had with his first wife, Linda Claridge, and his current wife, Sky Daily. source

WWE

The WWE, or World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., is the world’s largest professional wrestling promoter and a global media entertainment company. The company has two flagship television programs: Smackdown, which airs every Friday on Fox, and Monday Night Raw on the USA Network. The WWE also produces films and licenses its brand for video games and action figures. Every year, Wrestlemania and Summer Slam are the largest pay-per-view events for the WWE. The company’s content is available in over 1 billion homes and brings over a billion in revenue annually. The headquarters for the WWE is located in Stamford, Connecticut, and it employs more than 800 people

Founded in 1953 under Capital Wrestling Corporation, the company was acquired by Titan Sports Inc and changed its name to the World Wrestling Federation and later to its current brand in 2002. WWE’s founder Vince McMahon holds a majority stake in the company at 36% and was its CEO from 1982 until his resignation in 2022. The company has affiliate offices worldwide in Los Angeles, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munch, and New York City. During McMahon’s leadership, the company became a global entertainment and media group.

All wrestling content produced by the WWE is pre-staged performances that feature storylines, scripts, and pre-planned matches. Regardless, performers have still been seriously injured and even died in the ring. McMahon was forced to publicly acknowledge the staged aspects of its wrestling content in 1989. Officially, the company is branded as sports entertainment while having aspects of dramatized acting and wrestling. The WWE’s most well-known performers include the Undertaker, John Cena, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Ric Flair.

McMahon resigned as the CEO in 2022 due to a company investigation into alleged misconduct. He was replaced by his daughter Stephanie McMahon, who serves as Co-CEO and chairwoman. source

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died at 71 years old, TMZ Sports has learned.

Medics were dispatched to the WWE icon’s Clearwater, Florida home early Thursday morning … with operators stating it was regarding a “cardiac arrest.”

A video of the scene outside Hogan’s residence shows responders desperately trying to save his life as he was transported to an ambulance.

In the clip, several paramedics appear to be conducting chest compressions as Hogan is wheeled to the emergency vehicle.

Pinellas County Fire and EMS

Cops tell us officials responded to the call at 9:51 AM … and Hogan was treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue personnel before being taken to a nearby hospital.

Getty

He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Clearwater Police Maj. Nate Burnside said Hulk died at 11:17 AM … before adding, there are “no signs of foul play or suspicious activity.”

Just a few weeks ago, Hogan’s wife, Sky, whom he married in September 2023, denied rumors he was in a coma … stating his heart was “strong” as he recovered from surgeries.

Getty/TMZ.com

We broke the story last month — there were rumblings Hogan was on his “deathbed” … but we were told at the time he was just dealing with the symptoms of a neck procedure he underwent in May.

Hulk, born Terry Gene Bollea, transformed professional wrestling into a family entertainment sport. Before Hulk, wrestling catered to a fairly narrow audience. Hulk’s theatrics in the ring were magnetic for children and their parents, and it supercharged the sport.

Hogan kickstarted a pop culture phenomenon with “Hulkamania” after defeating the Iron Sheik for the World Heavyweight Championship in 1984 — a craze that never went away, and his signature bandana and handlebar mustache were often copied by fans in crowds for decades.

In 1996, Hulk transformed himself from hero to villain … he created the NWO — New World Order — and became Hollywood Hulk Hogan. It propelled him and professional wrestling to even more fame.

Hogan had countless iconic performances … including a matchup against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at WrestleMania X8 in 2002 and a face-off with Andre the Giant at WM 3 — and had memorable feuds with Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage.

Hulk was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He was removed in 2015 after a scandal erupted over racist comments while he was being secretly recorded during a sexual encounter. Gawker posted the clip and Hulk subsequently sued, winning the lawsuit.

TMZ.com

Hulk was inducted a second time in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020 … this time as a member of NWO.

Getty

WWE released a statement on Hogan’s death … saying, “One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s.”

“WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”

JULY 2024

Hulk was the star of the 2024 Republican National Convention, when he set the room ablaze with theatrics.

Hulk had an amazingly successful movie career, beginning in 1982, with “Rocky III,” playing the iconic character Thunderlips. He also starred in “No Holds Barred,” “Suburban Commando” and “Mr. Nanny.”

And there’s more … Hogan starred in the hit VH1 reality show, “Hogan Knows Best,” with his family … Linda, Nick and Brooke.

Fox News

What’s amazing about Hulk … he had scores of surgeries as a result of wrestling injuries. He told Harvey during a taping of “Object-ified” he had no original body parts left.

MAY 2025

TMZSports.com

The last time we spoke with Hulk was back in May … as he was launching Real American Freestyle … an amateur wrestling league. The first event is August 30 on Fox Nation.

RIP

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, former ‘Cosby Show’ star, dead at 54

The Truth News — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:19:32 +0000

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, former ‘Cosby Show’ star, dead at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor perhaps best known for starring in the TV sitcom “The Cosby Show” as son Theodore “Theo” Huxtable, has died at 54.

Warner drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday, Costa Rican National Police told ABC News. Warner’s official cause of death was asphyxia, police said.

Warner died near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica, after getting caught by a rip current Sunday afternoon, police said. Bystanders rescued him and took him to shore, where he received treatment, though he was declared dead by the Costa Rican Red Cross, police said.

Warner was formally identified by Costa Rica’s national police, which described him as a tourist.

Celebrities, co-stars mourn Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s death

Malcolm-Jamal Warner speaks during the 65th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on Feb. 5, 2023 in Los Angeles.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Warner played Theo Huxtable for all eight seasons of “The Cosby Show,” which ran from 1985-1992, receiving an Emmy nomination for the role.

Warner also starred with Eddie Griffin in the 1996-2000 sitcom “Malcolm & Eddie,” and as Dr. Alex Reed in the BET sitcom “Reed Between the Lines.” He also appeared in guest roles on dozens of television shows over the years.

Warner most recently starred in the Fox medical drama “The Resident” for five of the show’s six seasons.

Born Aug. 18, 1970, Warner caught the acting bug early in life and attended and graduated from The Professional Children’s School in New York City.

He made his first television appearance in an episode of the TV series “Matt Houston” in 1982 and also appeared in the “Fame” television series the following year.

In 1984, he landed his role in “The Cosby Show” alongside Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Bonet and more.

In 2023, Warner appeared on “Live with Kelly and Mark” and shared how he got the role.

“When my agent submitted me, they were looking for a 6-foot-2-inch 16-year-old,” he said at the time. “Because it was a running joke — Mr. Cosby’s son at the time was 15 and was [6 feet, 2 inches tall].”

He said that they weren’t able to find someone with that criteria, so his agent resubmitted him for the role and he auditioned.

“I was literally the last person they saw,” he said.

The Cosby Show cast members, Tempestt Bledsoe, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Lisa Bonet, Phylicia Rashad, Keshia Knight Pulliam and Bill Cosby.

Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

The role earned Warner an Emmy nomination in 1986 for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.

He added, “That impact is irreversible.”

Following “The Cosby Show,” Warner continued to appear in several television series including “The Michael J. Fox Show,” “Key & Peele,” “American Horror Story” and “Sons of Anarchy” in 2014, as well as “Suits” and “American Crime Story” in 2016.

In 2011, he starred in the BET comedy series “Reed Between the Lines,” alongside Tracee Ellis Ross.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner On The Legacy of ‘The Cosby Show’

He also starred in several films, including “The List” in 2007, “Fool’s Gold” in 2008 and “Shot” in 2017.

In 2015, Warner earned a Grammy Award for best traditional R&B performance alongside Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway for their cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.”

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Reveals He Had Crush on ‘Cosby’ Co-Star Lisa Bonet

He told Questlove in 2023 that he was 26 when he started playing the bass as a hobby while working on “Malcolm and Eddie.”

He also spoke about playing the bass in a 2015 interview with ForBassPlayersOnly.com, saying, “I always say the bass chose me because as a kid, the bass was always thing thing that resonated with me.”

“I got my first record player when I was 8 and the first record I stole from my mom’s collection was Grand Central Station,” he added. “So at 8 years old, that’s what would hit me.”

Warner also earned a Grammy nomination in 2023 for best spoken word poetry album for “Hiding In Plain View.”

In June 2024, Warner started the podcast “Not All Hood” with Candace Kelly, where they talked about mental health in the Black community and more.

He told People in May 2024 that the podcast was a space for him to “be as vulnerable as I allow myself to be.”

“So many of our Black images and so much of our Black music shows one side of our Black culture,” he said. “We want to make sure that we can balance that out with the many other aspects of Black culture out there.”

In 2013, Warner told the Archive of American Television that his “proudest achievement” in life was “being able to have a post-Cosby life and post-Cosby career and still have my head on as straight as possible.”

“I’ve had such an awesome life,” he said at the time. “I’ve got my ups and downs and all of that, but if I die tomorrow, I know I would go with a smile on my face.”

He added, “I have peace of mind and for me, you can’t put a price on that. And I can definitely say that I feel successful in my post-Cosby life and having a peace of mind.” source

Hollywood stars honored Malcolm-Jamal Warner with moving tributes to “The Cosby Show” actor shared one day after his drowning death in Costa Rica. He was 54.

Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé and Kate Hudson were just a few colleagues who paid respects online to Warner.

“Speechless on this one,” Foxx shared on Instagram Monday with a photo of “The Resident” star. “Rest in power, my brother.”

Malcolm-Jamal Warner died Sunday in Costa Rica. He was 54. (CBS Photo Archive)

Beyoncé added an image of Warner to her website, and wrote, “Rest in power, Malcolm-Jamal Warner. For being a big part of our shared television history. You will be missed.”

“Spent time working on a film in Australia with Malcolm and he was the kindest and sweetest,” Kate Hudson wrote on her Instagram stories. “My heart is heavy and sending such love to @malcolmjamalwar family.”

“Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Working alongside him on The Resident was an honor,” Morris Chestnut shared online. “He brought so much depth, warmth, and wisdom to every scene and every conversation. One of the nicest in the business. Rest easy, brother. Your legacy lives on.”

“Everyone at Fox is heartbroken by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, the extraordinary Malcolm-Jamal Warner,” the network said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. “While his iconic roles – from comedic to dramatic – are unforgettable and timeless, Malcolm will be remembered most for his warmth, kind heart and the lasting impact he had on his friends, family and fans everywhere. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones.”

Malcolm Jamal Warner drowned after being pulled into deeper waters by a current while swimming in Costa Rica. (Getty Images)

Warner’s former “9-1-1” co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt posted in her Instagram stories, “I cannot believe this. This hurts my heart. A gentleman, an incredible talent and we were so lucky to have him in the 911 family. Heartbroken and sending love to his family.”

Tracee Ellis Ross shared a carousel of images with Warner online, and wrote, “I love you, Malcolm. First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant. You made the world a brighter place. Sending so much love to your family. I’m so sorry for this unimaginable loss.”

Viola Davis wrote on Instagram, “I actually am speechless!!!!! No words! Theo was our son, our brother, our friend… He was absolutely so familiar, and we rejoiced at how TV got it right!! But… Malcolm got it right… and now… we reveled in your life and are gutted by this loss. Blessings and prayers to your family and loved ones… We will speak your name—always.”

Taraji P. Henson admitted Warner’s death “hurt” in a post shared online. “Malcolm, we grew up with you,” she wrote. “Thank you for the art, the wisdom, the grace you gave us!!!!! You left the world better than you found it. Rest easy, king!!!! Your legacy lives far beyond the screen.”

Warner co-hosted the “Not All Hood” podcast with Candace Kelly, a platform where different lived experiences were discussed from within the Black community.

“We’re heartbroken by the unexpected passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner,” the Fanbase network said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “On Fanbase, he showed us what it means to be a creator with purpose, Malcolm brought intention, integrity, and brilliance wherever he was. His legacy runs deep and we were honored to witness it. His voice as a Black man in America shaped generations and reminded creators everywhere of the power of speaking truth through their work.The Fanbase community joins the world in mourning his loss and honoring the impact he had on culture. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all those who were inspired by his light.”

Warner was swimming Sunday at Playa Grande de Cocles in the Limon province when a current pulled him into deeper waters, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department claimed.

“He was rescued by people on the beach,” an initial report stated, but first responders could not revive the actor.

Warner gained fame as the son of Heathcliff Huxtable, played by Bill Cosby, on “The Cosby Show” from 1984 to 1992. He appeared in all 197 episodes of the NBC sitcom.

Warner starred as Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” (Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank)

He appeared in nearly 200 episodes of the family sitcom. (R.M. Lewis Jr./NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

In 1986, Warner earned an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor in a comedy.

The show’s legacy was tarnished after Cosby was accused of sexual assault. Cosby’s 2018 conviction was overturned in 2021. Since then, five more women have come forward with accusations against the comedian.

Despite the controversy, Warner was still proud of the show.

“Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now, I’m still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on – first and foremost, Black culture – but also American culture,” Warner told People magazine in 2023. source