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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson decided to fire back at President Trump after he threatened to send the National Guard and called him an “incompetent man.” Johnson criticized Trump for being “one of the biggest threats to humanity” and highlighted the improvement of public safety in Chicago in recent years.

Trump threatened to send the National Guard to other cities after Washington, D.C.

After announcing the deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., Trump said he would take similar steps in cities like Chicago.

“And if we need to, we’re going to do the same thing in Chicago, which is a disaster,” he said, according to WGN.

“We have a mayor there who is totally incompetent, he’s an incompetent man. And we have an incompetent governor there,” Trump added in reference to Mayor Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

In his weekly media briefing on Tuesday, Johnson addressed Trump’s comments and said he doesn’t have the legal authority to send troops in Chicago.

“He is provoking on sending federal troops, the National Guard, into cities to plunder them, though those entities do not have policing power,” Johnson said, according to NPR. “They can’t even do the very thing that he claims that he wants them to do.”

Johnson called Trump ‘one of the biggest threats to humanity’

“He is one of the biggest threats to humanity that we have seen in an entire generation,” Johnson said.

A journalist also asked him to react to Trump calling him “incompetent.”

“What do you say to Donald Trump? How did you feel when Donald Trump called you ‘incompetent’? Please answer that question if you will,” a reporter asked, according to Buzzfeed.

“OK. Fine. Since you are begging,” Johnson replied. “So, I will just say it like this, that the president has always been intimidated by the intellectual prowess of Black men.”

“And so, of course, he would speak in those petite and puerile terms, because he’s small,” he added.

Chicago’s crime statistics have been decreasing in recent years despite Trump funding cuts

Johnson highlighted that public safety has increased and crime statistics have decreased, countering Trump’s claims.

“From my first day in office, public safety has been my top priority. In just two years we have made historic progress, driving down homicides by more than 30% and reducing shootings by almost 40% in the last year alone,” Johnson wrote on X.

He called out Trump’s policies and funding cuts towards measures that would help curb violence.

“Last week, we learned that President Trump cut another $158 million in funding for violence prevention programs in cities like Chicago. These cuts are on top of the Trump administration dismantling the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and terminating more than $800 million in grants for anti-violence programs across the country,” Johnson added. “If President Trump wants to help make Chicago safer, he can start by releasing the funds for anti-violence programs that have been critical to our work to drive down crime and violence. Sending in the National Guard would only serve to destabilize our city and undermine our public safety efforts.“

Chicago police data show that crime has gone down by 15% since 2023. Violent crime has decreased by 23%, while shooting incidents are down 37% year to year, WGN reported.

The federal government issued three rounds of stimulus checks between 2020 and 2021, and speculation about a possible fourth payment has circulated for months, though there’s no confirmation so far.

There is a specific amount that is circulating around: $1,390 to be exact.

Read on for more about the latest stimulus check rumors.

Where did the fourth stimulus check rumors originate?

Blavity reported that government officials have cleared up some misinformation about a $2,000 stimulus check that has circulated on social media and unverified websites. They have confirmed that, as of now, there will be no fourth stimulus check on the way for Americans.

However, President Donald Trump has hinted at a different kind of cash payment for Americans. On July 25, he floated the idea of issuing tariff rebate checks to the public, citing the influx of revenue from tariffs.

“We’re thinking about that actually,” Trump said, according to USA Today. “We have so much money coming in, we’re thinking about a little rebate. But the big thing we want to do is pay down debt. But we’re thinking about a rebate.”

Other proposed direct payments for Americans

Days later, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025. He said the payout would be similar to the stimulus checks Americans received during the pandemic, with $600 per adult and dependent child or $2,400 for a family of four, according to Blavity. Congress has not yet passed the legislation.

The idea of a direct payment has been discussed since earlier this year. In February, the Department of Government Efficiency proposed sending $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers as part of an ongoing effort to downsize the government and reduce federal spending. At the time, Elon Musk, who was head of the department, was unsure about the proposal, but Trump seemed to have loved the idea.

“We’re considering giving 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% to paying down the debt,” Trump said at the time while speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami Beach, per USA Today.

Here’s what Americans should know about stimulus checks, inflation relief, and tax refunds, and how to track these funds with the IRS:

When were past stimulus checks issued?

The U.S. government has sent three consecutive stimulus checks to American households nationwide, providing some financial relief to working taxpayers.

First check (2020): Up to $1,200 per individual, $2,400 per couple, plus $500 per child under 17.

Second check (2021): Up to $600 per individual, $1,200 per couple, plus $600 per child under 17.

Third check (2021): $1,400 per eligible individual and dependent. The deadline to claim the third stimulus check or the Recovery Rebate Credit was April 15.

What states are sending inflation refund checks?

These funds are sent to Americans who pay property taxes or rent in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Colorado. However, to receive the direct payment, residents would have to be eligible based on varying criteria and qualifications, according to Blavity.

Several states, including New York, have issued or are in the process of issuing one-time “inflation relief checks” to residents affected by rising sales taxes. Payment amounts vary by income: individuals earning up to $75,000 receive $200, while married couples filing jointly with incomes up to $150,000 receive $400.

Those who filed their federal income taxes and provided their bank information can expect their refund within 21 days. Without bank details, they can expect their refund within six to eight weeks by mail.

According to the IRS, the most effective way for Americans to check the status of their refund is to use the “Where’s My Refund” tool on the federal agency’s website. They may also call the IRS at 800-829-1954 for more information.

In 2021, The Gathering Spot DC opened its doors in Washington, D.C., to professionals, entrepreneurs and cultural leaders across sectors so they could connect, collaborate and build community.

Now, the private membership club is launching Safe House, an opportunity for non-members in the area to use the space as a sanctuary to “work, rest, connect, or simply find refuge in community” during this politically charged time.

Read on for more about the initiative.

D.C. locals interested in Safe House must complete an application and vetting process

As the National Guard deployment and federal control continue to strain Washington, D.C., Safe House hopes to provide locals with a place to breathe. The Gathering Spot DC explained that locals interested in attending Safe House must complete an application and vetting process to get in.

The Gathering Spot’s co-founder, Ryan Wilson, explained in an Instagram reel shared earlier this week that “it is more important that we are in community during moments like this than ever.”

He clarified that while non-members won’t have the same access as The Gathering Spot members, they will get the “opportunity to be with one another.”

“This is what The Gathering Spot was created to do in many ways,” he said.

Wilson urged D.C. locals to “resist” and find power in connection.

“We have to actively resist what we are seeing,” he said in the clip. “This is absolutely unprecedented and unacceptable, but together in community, we will be able to overcome.”

Trump has deployed around 500 federal agents and the National Guard in D.C.

On Aug. 8, after the beating of former Department of Government Efficiency operative Edward Coristine, President Donald Trump deployed around 500 federal agents into Washington, D.C., under a 1973 law that allows the president to take temporary control over the capital’s police, The New York Times reported. Since then, he’s commandeered the city’s police force and deployed the National Guard to secure D.C., which Trump said is a hotbed of violent crime.

It’s the first time a U.S. president has taken over the city’s police, a move Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser finds “unsettling,” per The New York Times. She said crime is under control in the city and considers deploying troops an “authoritarian push,” the BBC reported.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, violent crime is down 26% this year compared to last year, and robbery is down 28%, per the BBC.

Trump has expressed a desire to initiate similar deployments in New York and Chicago.

A Minnesota teenager filed a charge of discrimination against a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant on Tuesday. She claims a server followed her into the women’s restroom as she went to dinner in April 2025 and asked her to prove she was a girl.

Gerika Mudra, an 18-year-old cis lesbian woman, went to dinner at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant location in Owatonna, which is near Minneapolis. She said that a server followed her inside the restroom and said, “This is a women’s restroom. The man needs to get out of here,” NBC News reported.

When she came out of the stall, she reportedly told the server, “I am a lady.”

“You have to get out now,” the server allegedly replied, according to Gender Justice, the organization that filed the charge on Mudra’s behalf.

Mudra said she showed she had breasts in order to prove her gender: “She made me feel very uncomfortable,” she said. “After that, I just don’t like going in public bathrooms. I just hold it in. … I want to be able to use the bathroom in peace.”

The lawsuit alleges the incident violated Minnesota’s Human Rights Act

Gender Justice filed a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Tuesday. The organization said the incident violated the Human Rights Act, which forbids gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination.

“Businesses have a legal obligation not to just have antidiscrimination policies on paper, but to train staff and ensure that those policies are followed in real time,” Sara Jane Baldwin, a senior staff attorney at Gender Justice, said on Tuesday. “When that doesn’t happen, the business is liable for the harm caused.”

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A climate of ‘fear and suspicion’ based on gender

Gender Justice also said that the incident “reflects a broader climate of fear and suspicion aimed at anyone who doesn’t conform to narrow expectations of what girls and women ‘should’ look like,” according to NBC News.

Several states have laws restricting transgender people. Nineteen states prohibit trans people from using bathrooms in accordance to their gender identity in K-12 schools, while 27 states ban them from playing on school sports teams corresponding to their gender identities, per NBC News.

“This kind of gender policing is, unfortunately, nothing new,” Gender Justice executive director Megan Peterson said. “And yet, in our current climate we have to ask: What if Gerika had been a trans person? Would this story have ended differently? That’s the terrifying reality too many trans people live with every day.”

An instant coffee brand sold at Dollar General stores nationwide has been recalled due to the “potential presence” of glass in its products, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced Tuesday.

The company voluntarily recalled three lots of its 8-ounce Clover Valley Instant Coffee that were sold and distributed in 48 states between July 9 and July 21, according to the federal agency.

“The recall is being initiated after a customer notified Dollar General employees about the potential issue,” the statement said. “Ingesting glass fragments may cause injury to the consumer, and these injuries may include damage to teeth, laceration of the mouth and throat, or perforation of the intestine,” according to the FDA. “No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date.”

Product information for customers to look out for

The following details are essential for customers to check if they purchased any affected cases of the 8-ounce Clover Valley Instant Coffee:

UPC: 876941004069Lot: L-5163 / Best By 12/13/2026Lot: L-5164 / Best By 12/13/2026Lot: L-5165 / Best By 12/14/2026

The Lot codes can be found around the neck of the jar.

Customers who purchased the recalled products are urged to discard them immediately and contact Dollar General for a full refund, including tax. The company can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-888-309-9030 between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. CT, seven days a week.

Dollar General is investigating the source of the glass contamination and has apologized for the inconvenience. The recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the FDA.

AT&T has agreed to a $177 million class action settlement involving two data breaches that exposed personal information of millions of customers.

The first breach occurred in March 2024, involving customer data leaked on the dark web. The second breach occurred in July 2024, when certain customer data was illegally downloaded from an unauthorized access to an AT&T workspace hosted by Snowflake Inc. Lawsuits related to both breaches were consolidated and settled together in March 2025, without AT&T admitting any wrongdoing, according to Kroll Settlement Administration.

Who’s eligible?

Two groups of people qualify:

AT&T 1 Settlement Class: Individuals in the U.S. whose personal information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, account details, and in some cases Social Security numbers, was exposed in the first breach.

AT&T 2 Settlement Class: AT&T account holders and users whose phone numbers and related call data were compromised in the second breach.

What can you claim?

AT&T 1 Class Members may qualify for:

Up to $5,000 for documented losses since 2019

Tiered Cash Payment: If the Social Security numbers were exposed, five times the amount of a Tier 2 payment.

Tier 2 Cash Payment: If the affected customers had their information in the first data breach, excluding their Social Security numbers.

AT&T 2 Class Members may qualify for:

Up to $2,500 for documented losses on or after April 14, 2024

A Tier 3 Cash Payment is a pro rate share based on remaining settlement funds after settlement administration costs, attorney fees, costs and service awards.

Some people may be part of both classes (Overlap Settlement Class Members). These customers were affected by both data breaches. According to the news release, the documentation for each Documented Loss Cash Payment must be unique, meaning that a Settlement Class Member may only use the information supporting a Documented Loss Cash Payment once.

Key deadlines for affected customers

File a Claim: by Nov. 18, 2025

Opt-Out or Object: by Oct. 17, 2025

Final Approval Hearing: Dec. 3, 2025

Claims can be submitted online or by mail. Visit the official settlement website or call (833) 890-4930 for more information.

After investigating the shooting death of Atlanta rapper T-Hood, born Tevin Hood, police have named Ky Lasheed Frost, the son of Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta stars Kirk and Rasheeda Frost, as a suspect in the case.

The Gwinnett County Police Department said Ky, 24, was involved in the incident and possibly acted in self-defense following a domestic violence dispute. New details have emerged since the shooting occurred at an Atlanta-area home Friday evening, according to a news release, TMZ and Us Weekly, as the investigation continues.

T-Hood reportedly dated Kelsie Frost

Hood, 33, was reportedly dating Kirk’s daughter, Kelsie Frost, whom he shares with his former girlfriend Kellie Harris. The rapper’s mother claimed Ky is the alleged gunman.

When officers arrived at the home, they discovered Hood with gunshot wounds and rendered aid. Gwinnett County Fire Rescue transported him to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries. According to the news release, a female victim sustained physical injuries in a “domestic disturbance” incident before the shooting.

How was Ky involved in the domestic violence dispute?

The suspect, believed to be Ky, arrived at the residence after the physical altercation had taken place and separated himself from the residence before the shooting occurred, per the news release. He was taken into custody and subsequently interviewed by detectives.

As of now, a motive has not yet been determined, and no charges have been announced.

“Currently, there is no evidence to suggest the involvement of additional parties beyond those residing in the home. Although the investigation is still ongoing and additional information will be released when it becomes available, this case is being investigated as a possible self-defense shooting,” the Gwinnett County Police Department said in an update on Tuesday.

Kelsie, 30, recently addressed “conspiracy theories” in the wake of Hood’s death, according to Bossip.

“I can’t sit back and let the narrative being created go on. The love of my life is GONE. The man I lay with and cuddle every single night…is no longer here. So as I want to ask for respect and privacy, I won’t because I will always defend my baby. I don’t condone this s**t in any way, shape, form or fashion. I am sick to my stomach. I don’t wish this on anyone,” she wrote on Instagram Stories about the incident she described as a “total nightmare.”

President Donald Trump’s attempts to amass power for himself and push his restrictive conservative agenda have extended to the arts and entertainment industries, as he has taken over the Kennedy Center and its prestigious honors ceremony. Among the awardees chosen by Trump this year, one name is drawing extreme reactions: Gloria Gaynor. Some are urging the famed disco singer to reject the endorsement by Trump.

Trump announces list of ‘anti-woke’ 1980s icons as Kennedy Center honorees

Trump announced the artists intended for celebration at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. Along with Gaynor, the list includes Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford, the rock band Kiss, action star Sylvester Stallone and country singer/songwriter George Strait. The artists, all in their 70s or 80s, were popular in the 1980s, when Trump enjoyed fame as a real estate mogul and public personality. In announcing this year’s honorees, Trump noted that he vetted all the potential awardees, rejecting some he characterized as “wokesters,” though he didn’t specify what artists he may have vetoed. Trump also announced that he would personally host the show.

Gaynor urged to reject the award

Given Trump’s anti-“woke” agenda, the inclusion of Gaynor has been curious. She is the only Black artist among this year’s honorees. Her music and style have also made her very popular among the LGBTQ+ community, while Trump’s policies have often focused on scaling back LGBTQ+ rights and recognition. Gaynor has not given a direct public response to the honor. Although her X account reposted the announcement that she and the other artists had been chosen, her account appears to have been deactivated on Thursday. Many, meanwhile, are saying that Gaynor should not accept the recognition. The View cohost Anna Navarro urged Gaynor to turn down the honor.

“I wish she wouldn’t accept an award from the hands of a man who has attacked the rights and history of women, people of color and LGBTQ,” Navarro wrote in part on her Instagram account. “Trump is a stain on the prestige and significance of the KCH,” Navarro continued. “Don’t do it, Gloria!”

Trump went from ignoring the Kennedy Center to taking it over

The concern over Gaynor’s reaction to the honor reflects the larger controversy concerning Trump’s tumultuous relationship with the Kennedy Center. In 2017, Trump’s first year in office, several Kennedy Center honorees skipped the traditional pre-ceremony event at the White House, and Trump responded by skipping the honors ceremony throughout his term. Upon returning to the presidency this year, Trump quickly took control of the organization, firing several members of its governing board. Trump was then voted chairman of the organization, leading to prominent members such as Shonda Rhimes resigning from the center.

The Trump-hosted Kennedy Center Honors ceremony is scheduled to take place in December, giving Gaynor plenty of time to decide how she will react to being chosen by Trump for this honor and for her fans to determine how they will respond to her decision.

In 2023, Wendy Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. Williams recently completed another medical exam that determined that she will remain under a legal guardianship. According to court documents obtained by People, doctors gave their opinion on Williams’ mental condition after completing several medical and neuropsychological tests, including brain imaging.

Per the documents, Williams is now re-diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which affects her language, behavior and personality. The 61-year-old talk show host was also once again diagnosed with aphasia, which affects her communication, The Daily Beast reported.

Wendy Williams’ representatives say she’s mentally competent

Following the latest medical update, Williams’ guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, asked the court to extend her authority to oversee the star’s assets. However, Williams’ lawyer Joe Tacopina spoke up for his client in a recent statement, saying she remains mentally competent and she needs to be released from the guardianship.

“She’s lucid and in control of her faculties,” Tacopina said in July, per The Hollywood Reporter. “What’s happening here is not normal.”

Kevin Hunter, Williams’ ex-husband, also filed a $250 million lawsuit against Morrissey in June. 

“Guardianship is a civil death. In New York, more than 28,000 adults, which includes [Williams], are being abused, neglected, and defrauded under the care of court-appointed guardians,” Hunter’s lawsuit stated, according to People.

Hunter said he’s not trying to end the guardianship, but he’s requesting a “new impartial guardian.” The lawsuit also requested for Williams to be released from “involuntary confinement,” as well as $250 million in relief for loss of finances, damage to reputation, emotional distress, legal expenses and deprivation of liberty. People reported that Hunter said Williams “has been the victim of unrestrained abuse, maltreatment, and fiscal malfeasance.”

Williams made an appearance on The View in March and opened up about her life in a memory care facility.

“I am not permitted to do anything but stay on this floor, the memory unit floor, where these people are 90 and 80 and 70. Look, I’m 60. Why am I here…where people don’t remember anything?” she said, per Complex. “I want to terminate the guardianship and move on with my life. If that’s possible at all.”

Sabrina Morrissey sued A+E Networks on behalf of Wendy Williams

Williams found herself at the center of another legal battle after her story was chronicled in the Lifetime documentary, Where Is Wendy Williams? in 2024. In the lawsuit against A+E Networks, Morrissey said the talk show host didn’t have the mental capacity to authorize the documentary.

Morrissey asked the court to delay the litigation with A&E while Williams’ representatives look to solve the dispute over the guardianship, TMZ reported. A+ E also agreed to delay the case for three months, but asked for an early deposition of Williams, saying they have concerns of her “purported progressive neurological disease.”

After testifying in the Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial, Kid Cudi is now opening up about what it was like.

“I hated every minute of it. I did not want to do it,” he said on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, according to Variety.

Still, Kid Cudi said he wanted to stand strong for Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie, who was the key witness in the case.

“Cassie is my friend. I love her, and I want to see her do well,” the 41-year-old rapper said on the podcast. “When I saw her get married, I was so happy for her that she found someone, her person. When I saw that she was having kids, I was like, ‘Oh this is so awesome.’ I’ve always just wanted to see her thrive and do well and be happy, because I know she was living a nightmare. I was there to support her.”

What happened between Diddy, Kid Cudi and Cassie?

Kid Cudi, who briefly dated Cassie in 2011, said Combs became angry when he found out about their relationship. As he took the witness stand, Cudi said Combs, who is suspected of blowing up the rapper’s Porsche in 2012, also broke into his home.

“It was crazy, man,” he told Cooper. “I had a hard time understanding if it was reality. I was like, ‘Am I in a movie? What the f**k is going on?’”

Kid Cudi refused to testify against Diddy at first

Walking into court on May 22, Kid Cudi said he felt calm. However, he told Cooper that he refused to take the stand when prosecutors first asked him.

“They asked again. I said no. Then I got subpoenaed, and I was like, ‘F**k! S**t! No!’” he said.

Kid Cudi also spoke about his dilemma in choosing what to wear, asking himself, “Do I have to be like in a f**king suit or something?”

“I was like, ‘F**k this s**t.’ This is what I’m wearing today. I’m going to the f**king s**t in this,” he said. “I’m not dressing up for this s**t. Wearing some hard bottoms? I’m wearing some Salomons and I’m coming in there with my Levi’s and my leather jacket, and that’s it.”

Backlash followed after Kid Cudi’s testimony against Diddy

Sitting down with CBS Mornings, Kid Cudi said he faced backlash following his testimony, as well as support.

“The backlash was swift,” he told CBS Mornings, according to Variety. “I had a lot of people that supported me, but there were a few that had some opinions about it. It was interesting because I’m not no street dude. I don’t live by no code, you know? So I guess it’s because I’m a rapper. People just threw that on me. But, like, my music has never been about that and I have never tried to pretend I was about that. I’m from the suburbs, baby!”