President Donald Trump is reportedly “seriously considering” granting a full pardon to Sean “Diddy” Combs, according to a new Page Six report. The Bad Boy mogul, who is facing multiple federal charges related to sex trafficking and transporting women across state lines, could potentially avoid prison altogether if Trump pulls the trigger on clemency before Diddy’s sentencing in October.
🏛️ Trump Weighs Clemency After Bail Ruling
Sources tell TMZ and Fox 5 NY that the White House is in talks with Diddy’s legal team about a possible presidential pardon—but President Trump is waiting on a key bail ruling. If Judge Arun Subramanian denies bail, Trump could act swiftly. But if bail is granted, any pardon decision may be postponed until after sentencing in October.
Back in May, Trump told reporters he would “certainly look at the facts” before deciding on a pardon—even noting he hadn’t spoken to Combs in years and wasn’t following the trial closely.
Trump’s past pardon track record includes names like Kodak Black, Lil Wayne, and the Chrisleys—so a Diddy pardon isn’t unbelivable.
⚖️ Combs’ Legal Pushback
Diddy’s legal team has filed a motion seeking acquittal or a retrial, arguing the Mann Act was misapplied—emphasizing consensual adult behavior and contesting the admission of prejudicial evidence such as footage of an alleged assault
💥 Rising Opposition To A Pardon
Critics—including conservative commentator Megyn Kelly—have fiercely opposed the move. On her podcast and social platforms, Kelly labeled Combs a “woman abuser” and warned that pardoning him would alienate young female voters and reinforce a perception of elite immunity.
🖤 Nour Nation, Here’s What’s Next
As of right now there has been no official word from the White House–however with Diddy’s October sentencing slowly creeping up the next steps in his legal issues will definitely continue to break the internet.
The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge ticked higher last month in a sign that President Donald Trump’s broad-based tariffs are starting to lift prices for many goods.
Prices rose 2.6% in June compared with a year ago, the Commerce Department said Thursday, up from an annual pace of 2.4% in May. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices rose 2.8% in the past year, the same as the previous month, which was revised higher. The figures are above the Fed’s 2% goal.
The uptick in prices helps explain the central bank’s reluctance to cut its key interest rate this week, despite repeated demands from Trump that it do so. On Wednesday, the Fed left its key rate unchanged at 4.3%, and Chair Fed Powell suggested it could take months for the central bank to determine whether the import duties will cause just a one-time rise in prices, or a more persistent increase in inflation.
Trump has attacked Powell personally and repeatedly, and did so again on Thursday for the Fed’s reluctance to cut rates, calling him “TOO ANGRY, TOO STUPID, & TOO POLITICAL, to have the job of Fed Chair.”
On a monthly basis, prices ticked up 0.3% from May to June, while core prices also rose 0.3%. Both figures are higher than consistent with the 2% target.
“The above-target rise in core prices in June, upward revisions to previous months’ data and the sharp rise in core goods inflation will do little to ease the Fed’s concerns about tariff-driven inflation,” said Harry Chambers, assistant economist at Capital Economics, a forecasting firm. “If these pressures persist, as we expect, a September cut looks unlikely.”
The government’s measure of gas prices jumped 0.9% from May to June, while grocery costs rose 0.3%. Many longer-lasting goods that are heavily imported saw clear price increases, with furniture prices up 1.3% just last month, appliances up 1.9%, and computers up 1.4%.
Washers stand on display near the entrance to a Costco warehouse Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Sheridan, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The cost of some services fell dramatically last month, offsetting some of the price pressures from goods. Air fares dropped 0.7% from May to June, while the cost of hotel rooms plunged 3.6% just in one month.
Thursday’s report also showed that consumer spending rose 0.3% from May to June, a modest rise that suggests Americans are still spending cautiously. Adjusted for inflation, the increase was just 0.1%, the government said.
Americans’ incomes also picked up just modestly, rising 0.3% last month, a rebound after a 0.4% drop in May. But adjusted for inflation and taxes, incomes were flat in June.
Consumers have been cautious all year. On Wednesday, the government said the economy expanded at a 3% annual rate in the second quarter, a solid showing but one that masked some red flags. Consumer spending, for example, rose at a lackluster 1.4% pace, after an even smaller gain of 0.5% in the first three months of the year. A sharp drop in imports in the April-June quarter, which followed a surge in the first quarter, provided a big lift to the government’s calculation of U.S. gross domestic product.
Earlier this month, the government reported that its more closely-watched consumer price index
San Diego-based hip-hop artist and ministry leader Dontae Ralston has officially announced his forthcoming album Came Up, slated for release this October. The highly personal project will feature notable appearances from Sevin and IV Conerly of HOG MOB Ministries, along with legendary West Coast rapper Mitchy Slick.
Described by Dontae as a “powerful” body of work, Came Up chronicles his harrowing yet redemptive journey from addiction and incarceration to faith and restoration. “It’s my testimony, in sound,” Dontae shared. “It’s not just music, it’s my life, transformed.”
A Story Rooted in Redemption
Before stepping into ministry, Dontae’s life was shaped by deep personal struggles. Raised amid poverty and cycles of addiction, he spent time behind bars before encountering what he calls a spiritual turning point. That transformation led him to HOG MOB (Hooked on God, Ministry Over Business), a national Christian hip-hop collective and outreach movement focused on bringing the gospel to prisons, recovery programs, and underserved neighborhoods.
Through HOG MOB, Dontae forged strong bonds with leaders like Sevin, IV Conerly, and Zaydok, brothers in faith and purpose. Their work extends beyond music, incorporating street ministry, discipleship, and social support for individuals navigating post-incarceration life.
From the Studio to the Streets
In addition to finalizing Came Up, Dontae is developing a collaborative track with the San Diego Football Club, a new Major League Soccer team. The song will be part of a forthcoming compilation project celebrating the city’s diverse cultural roots and resilience. Production is set to begin this summer, with a release expected before the year’s end.
“I’m not just dropping a personal single,” Dontae said. “This is a partnership. We’re telling the story of the city and its people through this project.”
Touring Prisons, Reaching Souls
This fall, Dontae will hit the road with fellow HOG MOB members on a national prison tour, performing and ministering at several major institutions including:
San Quentin State Prison (California)
Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola
Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (San Diego)
Ironwood State Prison (California)
The tour aligns with HOG MOB’s mission to serve those society often forgets. “We go where the church doesn’t always go,” Dontae said. “We reach those who feel unreachable.”
Building Beyond Bars: Project West Expands Beyond the music and tours, Dontae’s nonprofit, Project West, continues to make an impact. Founded to support justice-involved individuals, those battling addiction, and people transitioning from homelessness, the organization provides transitional housing, life skills training, and mentorship. Expansion efforts are already underway, with new chapters planned in multiple cities across the West Coast later this year.
Music With a Mission
For Dontae Ralston, music has never been about fame. It’s about faith. Each lyric, collaboration, and performance is part of a larger purpose: to reflect the struggles of the streets while offering a message of hope and healing.
“Everything I do, from the booth to the block, is about being real,” he said. “People don’t need perfection. They need something honest, something that speaks to where they’ve been and where they’re going.”
With Came Up on the horizon and multiple initiatives in motion, Dontae Ralston is proving that hip-hop, when fused with mission, can spark real change, one soul, one story, and one song at a time.
Noir Nation, former Empire actor Bryshere Gray, widely recognized for his breakout role as Hakeem Lyon, is no longer facing legal trouble following a hotel altercation in Virginia earlier this summer.
According to TMZ, the case was officially dropped this week after the alleged victim, Dustin “Chosen” Wilkins, submitted a request to the court for dismissal. The surprising turn comes after Wilkins told the court: “He needs help, not handcuffs.” He made it clear he would only press charges to ensure Bryshere sought mental health treatment.
🥊 The Alleged Altercation
Back in June, Bryshere allegedly punched Wilkins in the head during a heated exchange inside a hotel in Chesapeake, Virginia. After a warrant was issued for his arrest, the actor turned himself in.
💬 Victim Speaks Out
What makes this case especially unique is Wilkins’ public stance. He explained to TMZ that his intention wasn’t to see Bryshere behind bars, but rather to push him toward getting evaluated and receiving professional help.
By July 30th, the court honored Wilkins’ request and dropped the charges entirely.
🚨 A Troubled History
This isn’t Bryshere’s first legal issue. In 2020, he was arrested in Goodyear, Arizona after a domestic violence incident involving his then-wife. According to police reports, she escaped their home, flagged down help at a gas station, and told officers she had been assaulted for hours.
He later barricaded himself inside their home, leading to an hours-long standoff with SWAT. He was charged with assault, aggravated assault, and disorderly conduct, eventually pleading guilty in 2021. He received 10 days in jail, 3 years of probation, and was required to undergo domestic violence counseling.
Insiders say the recent incident and past behavior show a troubling pattern—one that’s worsened due to refusal of consistent mental health treatment and lack of accountability structures around him.
🧠 From Charges to Healing?
While the latest legal battle is now behind him, this moment highlights a deeper issue: a young Black man unraveling under public scrutiny, trauma, and unchecked mental health challenges.
Let’s hope this dismissal leads not to another public spiral—but to serious recovery, accountability, and healing.
Dua Lipa’s bond with her heritage has never been up for debate. But now, it’s official. The global pop superstar has been granted Kosovar citizenship by presidential decree, cementing her place in the country’s cultural and national identity in a move that has sent waves of pride and celebration across the Albanian diaspora.
A Presidential Homecoming
In a heartfelt ceremony that took place this week, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani personally handed Dua Lipa her citizenship certificate, sharing photos of the moment on social media. The image of the chart-topping artist standing beside the president, smiling, grounded, and visibly moved, was a moment of full-circle glory for a woman whose career and identity have been intrinsically tied to her roots.
President Osmani shared the news via a formal statement on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
“Welcome back home, Dua! Today, by presidential decree, I had the honor of granting the citizenship of the Republic of Kosovo to one of the most iconic cultural figures in our country’s history, @DUALIPA. Dua and Kosovo have always been inseparable. From the world’s biggest stages to the hearts of millions, she’s carried our story with strength, pride, and grace. She’s pushed boundaries, made history, and reminded the world that greatness begins with knowing who you are and where you come from. Our gratitude is endless for everything Dua has done, and continues to do for Kosovo.”
This isn’t just symbolic. It’s historic. While Dua Lipa was born in London to Kosovar Albanian parents and has long been a vocal advocate for her heritage, the formal recognition of her as a Kosovar citizen by the highest office in the country signifies a deeper institutional embrace of cultural pride and diasporic identity.
“She’s Always Been Ours”
Kosovo’s citizens didn’t need a piece of paper to claim Dua Lipa as one of their own. But the decree adds official recognition to a relationship that’s been thriving for years. Lipa has repeatedly used her platform to spotlight Kosovo, Albania, and the broader Balkan region, whether through her music, her style, or her philanthropic work.
Alongside her father, Dukagjin Lipa, she co-founded the Sunny Hill Foundation, a Kosovo-based nonprofit aimed at supporting youth and the arts. The organization is best known for producing the Sunny Hill Festival, a major music event held in Pristina that has drawn international talent like Miley Cyrus, Calvin Harris, and Diplo to the small Balkan nation. Lipa has frequently described the festival as one of her proudest accomplishments, calling it a love letter to Kosovo.
A Cultural Force on the Global Stage
From her breakout self-titled album to her Grammy-winning disco revival Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa has consistently infused her career with pride for her heritage. She has spoken openly about growing up in a London household shaped by war, migration, and resilience, and how her identity has informed her music, politics, and sense of self.
Her third studio album, Radical Optimism, has only solidified her status as a voice of global youth. But behind the pop anthems and chart domination is a woman deeply connected to her lineage, one who has never once distanced herself from the story of her people.
Gilbert Arenas is celebrating his release a day after he was arrested for his connection with an illegal gambling ring in his Los Angeles mansion.
On Wednesday, July 30, the 43-year-old former NBA star was arrested on federal charges of operating an illegal gambling ring alongside five others and accused of hosting high-stakes poker games at his Los Angeles mansion, CNN reported.
In a video uploaded to X shortly after his release, on Thursday, July 31, the former Wizards player dances down the precinct steps, pumping his fists and chanting, “They can’t hold me.”
“Im Back on the Streets,” he wrote in the post. “This aint got shyt to do with me ‘ just rented the house’ Wasnt apart.”
Arenas, a former NBA All-Star best known for his explosive scoring and time with the Washington Wizards, was arrested on three federal felony counts: conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating that business, and making false statements to federal investigators, per the Department of Justice.
Prosecutors allege that between September 2021 and July 2022, Arenas allowed his mansion to be used for high-stakes poker games and directed an associate to coordinate the logistics, including hiring staff, collecting house cuts on each hand, and ensuring rent was paid.
The arrest came after a lengthy investigation, which began after law enforcement raided the home in July 2022, BBC News reported.
The games allegedly included chefs, valets, armed security, and young women hired to serve drinks, provide massages, and entertain players. According to court documents, even the women’s tip earnings were taxed by those running the games.
One co-defendant, Yevgeni Gershman, who has been described as a suspected organized crime figure from Israel, has been linked to a broader scheme involving immigration and marriage fraud. The other defendants include Evgenni Tourevski, 48, Allan Austria, 52, Yarin Cohen, 27, and Ievgen Krachun, 43.
Arenas was released on $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on September 23. If convicted, each charge carries a potential five-year sentence. For now, he maintains his innocence and claims he didn’t have a direct hand in the operation.
The end isn’t just near. It’s knocking on the Warrens’ front door.
Cue the flickering lights, spine-tingling violins, and that oh-so-familiar clap. New Line Cinema has just dropped the full trailer for The Conjuring: Last Rites, and yes, horror hounds, this is it. The final bow for Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren is upon us. If the trailer’s demonic energy is any indicator, they’re going out not with a whimper, but with a terrifying, soul-snatching scream.
This September 5, horror’s first couple returns for one last investigation. It’s a case that dares to ask the unthinkable: What finally scared the Warrens enough to stop?
A Bittersweet Last Rite: The End of an Era
Let’s take a second to let it sink in. Since James Wan’s The Conjuring burst into theaters in 2013 like a bat out of hell (a beautifully-lit, 1970s hell, to be specific), the franchise has summoned more than $2 billion at the global box office. That’s not just rare for horror. That’s downright unheard of. For a genre so often reduced to low budgets and midnight showings, The Conjuring Universe became a blockbuster juggernaut.
Central to it all were Farmiga and Wilson, the emotional, ghost-hunting heart of the series. As real-life demonologists, Lorraine and Ed Warren gave these films more than jump scares and spinning crucifixes. They gave it soul. Now, with Last Rites, they’re closing the book on their haunted legacy.
The Final Case: The Smurl Haunting
In Last Rites, director Michael Chaves (returning after The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) takes us to the eerie small town of West Pittston, Pennsylvania, just outside Scranton, to investigate the infamous Smurl haunting. Yes, horror enthusiasts, this is the real deal.
The Smurl case, which tormented the family from 1974 to 1989, is a lesser-known but deeply disturbing footnote in Warren lore. Reports of shadow figures, ghastly odors, violent attacks, and even an alleged demonic sexual assault plagued the household. That’s not a typo; look it up. They gave it soul-pure nightmare fuel.
It wasn’t just ghost-story enthusiasts who came knocking. Genre legend Jason Miller, who played Father Karras in The Exorcist, even visited the house. If Father Karras thought it was worth checking out, you know the vibes were seriously off.
The trailer teases a drawn-out spiritual war, with the Warrens attempting to decipher whether this haunting is a hoax or something that could tear the family and them apart. Spoiler alert: it’s the second one.
Meet the Next Generation (And Maybe the Next Spin-Off?)
Last Rites doesn’t just mark an end. It lays groundwork for what could be next. The film introduces Judy Warren (Mia Tomlinson) and her boyfriend Tony Spera (Ben Hardy), who are given surprisingly meaty roles in the trailer. It’s not hard to imagine Warner Bros. eyeing these two as potential leads in future spin-offs or that much-whispered-about HBO Max series still in development as of last summer.
Also returning is fan-favorite Father Gordon (Steve Coulter), the veteran priest who never seems to get a break. Rounding out the cast are Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon, John Brotherton, and Shannon Kook.
Yes, horror hounds, keep your eyes peeled. There is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in the trailer showing young Ed and Lorraine. Could we be getting a taste of their Amityville years? Nothing has been confirmed, but the fan theories are already spiraling.
One Last Time with the Dream Team
This ninth (yes, ninth) installment is being shepherded by franchise staples. Michael Chaves directs from a screenplay by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, based on a story by Johnson-McGoldrick and James Wan, with characters created by Chad and Carey Hayes. Of course, The Conjuring godfathers James Wan and Peter Safran return as producers.
The film is another co-production between The Safran Company and Wan’s Atomic Monster, and it will be released only in theaters and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures on September 5 in North America, and internationally beginning September 3.
The Future of the Franchise: Possession Never Dies
Just because the Warrens are retiring doesn’t mean The Conjuring Universe is going dark. With whispers of that upcoming HBO Max series (rumored to focus on the couple’s earlier years, possibly even Amityville), and with Warner Bros. likely unwilling to let a billion-dollar demon franchise lie still in its grave, there’s more horror to come. But Last Rites promises to close this particular chapter with the blood, trauma, and theological terror fans have come to love.
RENO, Nev. (AP) — The suspected gunman who killed three people outside the largest casino in Reno, Nevada, before police officers shot and arrested him has died.
Dakota Hawver, a 26-year-old Reno resident, died in the overnight hours, police announced Thursday morning. Hawver had been hospitalized in critical condition since the shooting at the Grand Sierra Resort.
Two of the three people killed in Monday’s shooting were visiting from Southern California for a bachelor party, while the third victim was a 66-year-old man who lived in the area, authorities said.
Investigators haven’t found any connections between Hawver, the casino or the victims, according to police in the neighboring town of Sparks who are leading the investigation. They said the motive is still unknown.
Two other people wounded in the shooting remained hospitalized but were expected to make a full recovery, police said.
Justin Aguila and Andrew Canepa, both 33 years old and from Southern California, were fatally shot from behind while waiting in the valet area for a ride to the airport, police said.
Reno resident Angel Martinez was shot and killed by the suspect as he drove through the parking lot. Police said the shooter had been hiding behind a parked vehicle.
Investigators determined the suspect fired around 80 rounds from a 9mm handgun that he had legally purchased two years ago. He has no criminal record and no history of mental health problems, officials have said.
The shooting unfolded early Monday, when the gunman walked up to the valet area, pulled out the gun and pointed it at a group of people, police said. His weapon initially malfunctioned, but he was quickly able to get it to shoot before running through the parking lot, where he encountered an armed casino security guard.
The gunman opened fire on the guard, who returned fire as the shooter fled again before being shot by police and taken into custody.
The Grand Sierra Resort is one of Reno’s most prominent venues. It has hosted concerts, sporting events and a campaign rally by President Donald Trump before the 2024 election. Near the California border and just northeast of Lake Tahoe, the town is a popular summer tourist destination.
