THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Shooting in Asheville. ABC 13: “3 dead, 7 injured in early morning Asheville shooting, police say.” The report: Asheville Police are investigating an early morning shooting that left two (now 3) people dead and seven others injured. According to the Asheville Police Department, patrol officers responded to the 250 block of Biltmore Avenue around 2:20 a.m. Sunday, after receiving reports of shots fired and multiple people struck by gunfire. When officers arrived, they found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds.

      A morbid reflection of a national scourge. Asheville isn’t a peaceful tiny mountain city anymore, for many years now. A major reason why I don’t really go out these days, compared with my relentless community activities from around 2000 to maybe 2017? A sad fact, as well, is how the other side of the divide views law enforcement. It isn’t crime per se, but political trajectory. That entirely reconfigures how we coexist in a public space. ☮️🗽☮️

ABC: “Man sets off device at federal building in New York, triggering terrorism probe.” Whenever the discussion slides to terrorism per se, the immediate subject is “foreign terror,” such as Arab/Muslim militants. True, much post-9/11 extremist violence in the U.S. were carried out by home-grown radicals, domestic citizens, or permanent legal residents. Yet many mass shootings or random killings are also carried out by “lone wolves” whose anger or hate are more driven by mental health issues rather than political/ideological angst.

       More and more, the real threat is within. And how America's eerie divide views such threats: Not as crime per se but as Left vs. Right dartboard. This: Between 2010 and 2021, the federal government tracked 231 domestic terrorism incidents with known offenders, identifying a general upward trend. The frequency of domestic terror incidents in 2026 is driven primarily by lone actors and small cells across the ideological spectrum rather than discrete, coordinated campaigns. These require a longer, non-partisan discussion though. ☮️🗽☮️

CNN: “Influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate expected to reject U.K. extradition after U.S. arrest.” Easily, these neo-machos are “favorite” Social Media meme fodders. Uh huh. 21st century “hyper-masculinity” gurus who are also facing ongoing international sex trafficking and rape investigations. But, for the meantime, they are internet flash bros. Their fashion sense is more bantered about or heavily ridiculed more than grown-ups discourse about the seriousness of their alleged crimes. 🤨😞🤨

ABC News: “As Nolan Wells' death investigation continues, family and friends gather at funeral.” Death in the family is tragic. Violent death is a lot more tragic. But do we really dig deep into deadly occurrences such as Nolan’s case as a possible crime, rather than it could be a feed to the loud “race-fueled” debate? Meanwhile, do we give the same passionate concern if another ethnicity (beyond the obvious political feed) figured in a "mysterious" death? “White killed black” or “white murdered Latino” is the usual angle of reportage. What about “cold facts” details of the incident, crime or confrontation? Today’s journalism already had it figured out on the first story headline/banner and first two lines? ⚖️🗽⚖️

Yahoo: “WNBA coach Sandy Brondello apologizes for Angel Reese remark and is suspended 1 game.” The story: The Toronto Tempo head coach was suspended for one game by the WNBA for referring to Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese as a "protected species" during a game. The Incident: During the Dream’s 111-92 victory over the Tempo two nights ago, Tempo forward Nyara Sabally left the game with an injury following contact with Ms Reese, but was also whistled for a foul. Broadcast microphones picked up Sandy arguing with officials, saying the words.

       My take: That microphone shouldn't be there at all. Realism? WTH! In the heat of the (game’s) moment, coaches say things. People say things. I say things that I later regret. It's primal. Should we trumpet all the rage or frustration that comes out of our mouth–for the world to hear? What for? So we can easily cancel them out? Are we this pure and unblemished? Are we this perfect? Yes, the league has to instill rules but rules must be more realistic, than idealistic. This is all ideological overreach. 

       Meanwhile, Sandy Brondello, who earns a reported annual salary of $1 million, lost $25,000 (a day’s pay). Doesn’t really matter that much. But would the “penalty” make WNBA perfect next time? Just lose that hot mic, please! Just let the coaches coach and the players play. And the referees officiate the game. 🏀⛹️‍♀️🏀

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

I reckon, actors and actresses earn more these days, compared with the past before there was streaming TV. Performers earn anywhere from minimum scale rates of $1,246 per day up to $4+ million per episode, depending entirely on their industry status, billing, and the show's platform. Since there’s a dog (or cat) in many shows and movies these days, they also earn good money: Most animal actors today earn between $250 and $1,000 per day of filming! But you should google how much Taylor Swift’s cats earn! 🎥📹📽

I guess not many know, so they ask: “Are activists paid?” Of course, most are. It is a job. I was. All mass protest moves are organized and there had to be people who accomplish them. No civil disobedience activity is implemented at random. Those are done by NGOs or non-profits, which are institutionally-funded, mostly by organizations that (usually) pursue an advocacy agenda. Politics, ideologies. These days, those memes and stuff on Social Media? Of course, those are made by people who have been paid. 

       This: Meme-makers make an average of $45,422 to $100,501 per year in corporate or full-time roles, while freelance and independent "memelords" can make anywhere from $10 to $30,000+ per individual sponsored post depending heavily on their follower count. ✊✊✊

Yahoo: “More than 2,000 people are now sick in a parasite outbreak as officials hunt the source.” News adds that more than 2,000 people across at least 21 states are sick with cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite–that is typically tied to contaminated fresh produce like leafy greens, cilantro, basil, or raspberries. Symptoms: Sudden, severe, and watery "explosive" diarrhea, as well as stomach cramps, nausea, bloating, and fatigue. Okay.

      Here: Big Pharma profits in the U.S. reached record highs, with the top 10 drugmakers generating over $130 billion in net earnings in 2025. But they are not really “content” with that profit number. Exponential spike in profit is a no-brainer.

      This year, American drug companies are experiencing surging profits and revenues, primarily driven by skyrocketing demand for weight-loss (GLP-1) metabolic therapies. Hint: Johnson & Johnson is on track to hit an unprecedented milestone of $100.5 billion in guided sales for 2026, globally. (You know that “trends” in America, narrated on the internet, is a worldwide pitch.) 🩺💉🩺

CNN: “Teen's death after July 4 boat trip fuels speculation, grief and racial tension.” The story and how it is racially angled: “The death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, a Black college athlete, after a July 4 boat trip with white friends to Horn Island, Mississippi, has sparked widespread grief, internet speculation, and racial tension. His body was found July 6, with his family's civil rights attorneys calling for a deeper probe.”

       Law enforcement investigation is clearly blurred, redirected, or worse, ruined by how the media does its own probe or reporting. That’s just how journalism evolved in the 21st century. Need I say more? 🤨😞🤨

Yahoo: “Trump says he 'will not sign' bipartisan housing bill in 'PROTEST'.” Yes, the word protest is in all-caps. You dig? Hint: President Trump is reportedly withholding his endorsement in protest of the Senate's failure to pass the SAVE America Act. That’d be a present participle of future tense. Yet we know that this is no-brainer politics. Deliberation strategy, Congress whips, legislative lobby, and stuff. But the internet media tosses us every little thing that happens in the halls of power, play by play a-la an NBA game in real time. 

       That’s fine but then the “news” at the moment is angled primarily to serve a partisan purpose. Or a demonization trajectory versus POTUS. Meanwhile, do we really talk about details of the “housing bill” or the SAVE America Act? The media accentuates the Trump angle to rabble-rouse a Left vs. Right caterwaul, yet a real policy discussion is ignored. 🏛🗽🏛

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

I didn’t watch “The Apprentice” at all but then, Donald Trump was hard to miss. When he ran for POTUS in 2016, I only had harsh words for him (check my blogs in those days) up to the time he eventually won. Yet I started pondering a few months after his MOAB hits in April 2017, the time he u-turned to a relatively dovish playbook. And so on and so forth.

      Meanwhile, I pretty much view Mr Trump as my granddad talkin’ smack when I was little. His words astounded even my grandma, but he is entirely cool beyond his mouth. Yes, I still don’t watch The D say it before the media. But I intensely follow his work. POTUS work. His foreign policies? Yes, I am diggin’ it. Understatement? In case you’d opt to say the contrary, let me know. But no laughing emoji, but your grown-up words only. Educate me. ☮️🗽☮️

USA Today: “Trump unveils $400 million Air Force One gifted by Qatar.” I’m lovin’ it! Valued at approximately $400 million, the custom VIP Boeing 747-8 jet is the most expensive gift ever given to a U.S. President by a foreign government. I don’t have any problem with that, whatsoever. Qatar is not poor like Botswana or Congo. Qatar is ranked #9, richest country on earth, per capita.

      I see this as a win-win as America sees a bonanza of FDIs (investments) from rich Middle East countries on Trumptime. Qatar is #3 behind UAE and Saudi Arabia per ME category. Overall, Japan is the #1 FDI nation in the U.S. (the rest: Canada, Germany, UK, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg); yes, no China. Total worth of foreign direct investment into the United States in 2025: $288 billion. All good! ✈️😚🇶🇦

USA Today: “UFC Freedom 250 scored a ratings win. It also got a reality check.” What is the “reality check,” you reckon? Another insult leveled at Mr Trump? Of course. Although my only son is a pro mixed martial arts fighter, I am not a fan of the sport. But I know REALITY. Reality: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is the world's third most popular sport, boasting an estimated 450 to 650 million fans globally, trailing only soccer and basketball. Meanwhile, the UFC's estimated valuation sits at around $12 billion to $23 billion.

      Hey, instead of a lavish party as part of the Freedom 250 where we’d ogle at the rich and famous in Vera Wangs and Tom Ford outfits flashing their Van Cleef & Arpels, we saw a sport for the masses. Sure, Donald Trump is a populist POTUS. But I stick to how I define the word, old-school. A populist is a political figure, ideology, or movement that champions the rights and interests of "the ordinary people" against a perceived corrupt or self-serving "elite." 🏛🗽🏛

AFP: “Italy's leader calls Trump's comments 'made up' as foreign minister cancels U.S. visit.” Read through it. Read between the line/s. Whatever. For me, this is another example of how today's media manipulates us, the readership public. Left-wing media (who are, of course, anti-Trump) prop up their "reports" with a "Trump quote." Quotes are The News! These new journalists are expectedly young, who are writing/reporting per baton of old 1 Percenter corporate bosses a.k.a. profit gods. They have "reworked" how news is peddled to the consumer market. We are not anymore provided the pertinent info. We get the flash, not the facts.

      These “kids” get the highs when world leaders fight and we in Social Media duke it out on a diversity of subjects, such as donuts and condoms, Bruce and Billie Kid Rocky, and other stuff that are "influenced" as political trans-fats. We suck `em up! Meanwhile, do you want a better analysis that’d feed your Left/Right angst? Go ask AI or ChatGPT. 🗣✍📰

The Hill: “GOP senators sound alarm over Trump's Iran deal and $300 billion in relief and aid.” Of course, the U.S. military budget (more than 4x than China’s) doesn’t alarm lawmakers, Blue or Red. (Sarcasm, okay?) Anyhow, they seem to suggest that the money would come from U.S. taxpayers. Nope. The $300 billion proposed redevelopment fund for Iran will come from private sector investments and contributions from regional countries, contingent on Iran adhering to strict conditions and peace agreements.

      Private sector investments? Companies from the U.S., Asia, South America, and the Gulf are expected to inject capital into Iranian infrastructure, energy, and logistics once sanctions are officially lifted. Tell me what is really new about this? That has been the story in the Middle East since discovery of oil in the 1920s/1940s! Or in/around the global glade, post-colonization years. Or after a world war, go check Bretton Woods of 1944 for starters.

      Why do my super smart Left-winger “armchair revolutionary” pals keep on ranting about it as though we don’t know history? As for me, in my super old age, anything that ends a war, I am for it. Respite from body bags or mass graves, and $2 billion saved for a day (of war). 🇺🇸☮️🇮🇷