Month: February 2025

Police in Santa Fe, New Mexico say that an investigation is underway after Oscar award-winning actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found dead alongside one of their dogs in their Santa Fe residence.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office said in a statement when news first broke of their death: “On 26 February, 2025, at approximately 1:45pm, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and a dog were found deceased.”

Later on Thursday, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the couple were found Wednesday afternoon during a welfare check after their neighbor called and was concerned about their well-being. According to the search warrant affidavit, their deaths were considered “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation, due to all of the circumstances surrounding the scene.”

According to the search warrant: Hackman was found on the floor in the mud room, appearing that he fell suddenly. Arakawa was found lying on her side on the floor in a bathroom, with a space heater near her body Her body showed signs of decomposition with mummification to her hands and feet. On the counter near Arakawa was an opened prescription bottle, with pills scattered. A German shepherd was found dead about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa, with two other dogs were found alive – one was near Arakawa, and the other was located outside.

The document further stated that the Santa Fe City Fire Department found no signs of a possible carbon monoxide leak or poisoning; if there was carbon monoxide at the scene, it could have vented out of the home through the open front door before responders arrived. Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office, said that the medical examiner’s reports with the final cause of death “generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to generate.”

Hackman is a two-time Academy Award winner who was awarded Oscars for Best Actor for his portrayal of Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in William Friedkin’s 1971 thriller The French Connection; and for Best Supporting Actor for playing Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film, Unforgiven.

Hackman retired from acting in 2004, and moved to Sante Fe with his second wife, Arakawa.  The actor shared three children from his 30-year marriage with Faye Maltese (they divorced in 1986).

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President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that 25% tariffs will go into effect on goods made by Canada and Mexico on March 4.

Trump said in a Truth Social post: “Drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels. A large percentage of these Drugs, much of them in the form of Fentanyl, are made in, and supplied by, China. More than 100,000 people died last year due to the distribution of these dangerous and highly addictive POISONS. Millions of people have died over the last two decades. The families of the victims are devastated and, in many instances, virtually destroyed. We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled. China will likewise be charged an additional 10% Tariff on that date. The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect. Thank you for your attention to this matter. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

During a meeting on Wednesday with his cabinet, Trump said that he is planning to impose 25% tariffs on goods imported from the European Union, including “cars and all other things. They’ve really taken advantage of us. They don’t accept our cars, they don’t accept, essentially, our farm products. They use all sorts of reasons why not. And we accept everything from them.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that she hoped to speak with Trump this week, while Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente was scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday afternoon.  Sheinbaum said that her government would stay “cool-headed” and optimistic about an agreement coming together to avoid the tariffs, adding: “I hope we are able to reach an agreement and on March 4 we can announce something else.” (per AP News.)

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State and local health officials announced Wednesday that an unvaccinated school-aged child who was hospitalized with measles has died from the illness in West Texas. It is the first U.S. death reported from a measles outbreak since 2015.

In a press release, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said the child was hospitalized in the northwestern city of Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles. According to data from DSHS, as of Wednesday, 124 cases of measles have been confirmed associated with the outbreak that began in Gaines County (which has become the epicenter) with 80 cases confirmed among residents. Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, and 18 people have been hospitalized so far.  Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases with 62, followed by 39 cases among children ages 4 and under.

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) said in a statement that the outbreak has since spread to several counties in the region and is “suspected” to have spread into New Mexico. The NMDOH said that nine cases have been confirmed in Lea County, which borders Texas; of the nine cases, four are among children.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said during a meeting of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet members on Wednesday that the HHS is “watching” cases, and that the Texas outbreak as “not unusual … We’re following the measles epidemic every day.”

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired more than 100 intelligence officers from 15 agencies for using a government chat platform for discussions that included topics like polyamory, gender transition surgery and politics.

In a post on X, the National Security Agency said it was “aware of posts that appear to show inappropriate discussions” by intelligence personnel and that the case is under investigation: “IC (intelligence community) collaboration platforms are intended to drive mission outcomes. Potential misuse of these platforms by a small group of individuals does not represent the community. Investigations to address this misuse of government systems are ongoing.”

According to Gabbard, the chat tool was overseen by the National Security Agency. Christopher Rufo, a conservative commentator who writes for City Journal, first reported the existence of the chats and posted what he said were transcripts of the conversations, which he said were obtained from a NSA employee and a former employee.

Gabbard said the fired intelligence officers’ conduct represented “an egregious violation of trust” and violated “basic rules and standards around professionalism.” Gabbard told Fox News: “I put out a directive today that they all will be terminated and their security clearances will be revoked .. today’s action and holding these individuals accountable is just the beginning of what we’re seeing across the Trump administration, which is carrying out the mandate the American people gave him, clean house, root out that rot and corruption and weaponization and politicization.”

A social media post by Gabbard’s spokeswoman confirmed the she sent a memo directing all intelligence agencies to identify the employees who participated in the chatrooms and to terminate their employment and revoke their security clearances.

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