Steve Pond's Blog, page 86

Diddy Trial Lead Prosecutor – and James Comey’s Daughter – Fired by Trump DoJ

2 weeks after Sean “Diddy” Combs’ shocking upset victory in his federal criminal sex trafficking trial, the Trump administration has fired the case’s lead prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey.

Comey, as it happens, embodied several unlikely coincidences within the administration. First and foremost she is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who Trump fired in 2017 over the bureau’s investigation of the president’s alleged ties to Russia. She also worked on the federal case against Jeffery Epstein before his death by an apparent suicide in 2019, and later led the successful prosecution against Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

It’s unclear if Comey was fired specifically over the outcome of the Combs trial. But according to ABC News, Donald Trump has privately expressed anger about having a member of the Comey family working in his administration. The failure to secure conviction against the rap mogul on all but 2 minor charges may have provided justification.

Combs faced multiple serious charges that could have seen him sentenced to life in prison. But on July 2, the jury found him not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, and only convicted him on two minor prostitution charges.

Epstein meanwhile is back in the news due to a major schism within the Republican Party caused by the abrupt declaration last week from Attorney General Pam Bondi that the billionaire sex offender never kept a list of clients or other incriminating blackmail information. Just months earlier Bondi declared authoritatively that she was in fact in possession of that list and would release it soon.

Since then, Trump himself has attempted to downplay or even dismiss Epstein’s importance, and core supporters have since been rocked by infighting even at the highest levels of the party. For examples, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino reportedly threatened to step down over Bondi’s claim, and several prominent right wing media personalities have argued bitterly over the matter.

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‘Citizen Kane’ Rosebud Sled Auctions for $14.75 Million in 2nd Biggest Memorabilia Buy Behind ‘Wizard of Oz’ Slippers

On the second day of bidding at Heritage Auctions’ entertainment auction, the iconic Rosebud sled from Orson Welles’ 1941 classic “Citizen Kane” sold for a record $14.75 million, making it the second-biggest purchase of Hollywood memorabilia ever.

The sled previously belonged to “Gremlins” director Joe Dante, who unbeknownst to many was in possession of the red sled since 1984.

Rosebud is now the second most-valuable piece of movie memorabilia behind Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.” The magical slippers sold for $32.5 million last year at Heritage’s auction.

“I’ve had the honor of protecting this piece of cinematic history for decades,” Dante said in a statement. “To see Rosebud find a new home — and make history in the process — is both surreal and deeply gratifying. It’s a testament to the enduring power of storytelling.”

The sled was thought to be lost for four decades after shooting wrapped on the Academy Award-winning film. Dante found Rosebud while working on the former RKO Pictures studio lot and quietly preserved it for decades. It is one of only three sleds known to have survived from the set.

Sold for $14,750,000.

Long thought lost, this original “Rosebud” sled from Citizen Kane is one of only three known to survive and was miraculously saved from disposal by director Joe Dante in 1984 while filming on the former RKO lot.

Dante, the acclaimed director of Gremlins… pic.twitter.com/MUkZoEV06O

— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) July 16, 2025

Welles wrote and starred in “Citizen Kane,” which followed the complex tale behind media mogul Charles Foster Kane’s ominous dying word: “rosebud.” The last word starts an investigation into his scandalous web of a life. Viewers learn that “Rosebud” was the name of his childhood sled, which was destroyed in a fireplace symbolizing Kane’s loss of innocence.

Watch a clip from the film here:

“This is not just the most important Entertainment event we’ve ever held — it’s one of the most important in Entertainment auction history,” Heritage EVP Joe Maddalena said. “These aren’t just props. They’re mythic objects. They tell the story of Hollywood’s greatest moments, one piece at a time, each tied to a memory, a performance, a legend. We’re honored to bring them to the fans, collectors and institutions who will preserve them for the generations to come.”

An original Bob Peak painting from “Apocalypse Now” sold earlier in the day for $687,500, more than doubling the record sale for the artist.

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CEO of Europe’s Largest Publisher Mandates AI Use in Newsrooms: ‘You Only Have to Explain if You Didn’t’

Using AI as a newsroom tool is no longer a suggestion, but an expectation, at Politico and Business Insider parent company Axel Springer after an all-hands meeting at Europe’s largest publishing company led by CEO Mathias Döpfner, according to a Wednesday report by the newsletter Status.

“I tell you, what is happening at the moment with regard to technology is the biggest change in modern civilization,” Döpfner said, according to Status editor Oliver Darcy, who reviewed an unlisted YouTube video of the Wednesday global meeting. “The first wave of internet is nothing against these developments.”

Streamed company-wide from a stage at Axel Springer’s Berlin headquarters, the “impassioned and urgent message” lasted nearly an hour. Döpfner covered several topics, but AI was the central theme, including his own experiences using the tool to create whole-cloth memos and presentations.

“It’s really like a new beginning,” he said. “A new era.”

Döpfner made it clear that every employee in every department was to expected to embrace the technology

“Nobody in the company has to explain in the company why she or he is using AI to do something — whether to prepare a presentation or analyze a document,” he said. “You only have to explain if you didn’t use AI. That’s really something you have to explain because that shouldn’t happen.”

Döpfner did not give specific guidelines or policy, but suggested it could be used in certain editorial endeavors.

“Of course, every mistake should be avoided and the credibility and truthfulness of our reporting is the most important thing,” he said, adding that AI-caused mistakes are inevitable but necessary to begin implementing the new tech. “If we make a mistake we have to apologize.”

He did note that avoiding mistakes like language-model “hallucinations” is the responsibility of the user.

“You use AI how much you want but you also take the responsibility that you double- and triple-check that it’s true,” he said. “If you made a mistake with the AI it’s the same as if you would had done it without AI”

As for disclosing AI use as a research and writing tool in articles, Döpfner said it would be not be necessary any more than when one uses Google to look up information.

“We would never say this article was made with the help of AI,” he said. “We always use all sources of information, and in the future more and more AI.”

Döpfner relayed how after attending the Sun Valley conference, he recorded a voice memo about his meetings and ran it through ChatGPT to create a summary for his executives.

“It was the most perfect document I’ve ever sent,” the media head said, admitting that he relies on the OpenAI model for everything from analysis to writing op-eds. He said the tech is already disrupting the publishing business, noting how direct traffic across Axel Springer properties dropped significantly after Google began generating its own news summaries with AI.

“It’s a little hint of what can happen and will happen with artificial intelligence,” he said. “Everything is going to be disrupted.”

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Joanna Bacon, ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Breeders’ Actress, Dies at 72

Joanna Bacon, an English stage and screen actress best known for her roles in films like “Love Actually” and TV shows including “Breeders,” died June 14 after a battle with cancer. She was 72, and her funeral was held July 15.

On the screen, Bacon worked for decades, with her first credit dating back to 1991. In “Love Actually,” she portrayed the mother of Martine McCutcheon’s Natalie. More recently, Bacon appeared in 30 episodes of the FX series “Breeders,” playing the mother of Martin Freeman’s leading man, Paul. The series ran for four seasons from 2020 to 2023.

Bacon also had an extensive history on the stage. She performed at such venues as Lancaster’s The Dukes Theatre, London’s Hampstead Theatre and the National Theatre.

Bacon was a longtime member of the Essex-based Harlow Theatre Company, joining up with the group when it formed in 1978. At the theater, Bacon performed in numerous productions, including “Dirty Linen,” “Abigail’s Party” and William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.”

“It is with much sadness that we inform our HTC members past and present of the passing of Jo Bacon on June 14th following a short and brave battle against cancer,” the Harlow Theatre Company said in a statement. “Jo will be sadly missed and fondly remembered. She continued to support HTC attending many of our productions. She would settle herself in the front row with a notebook and watched with a critical eye and her passion for theatre. She never forgot to praise our work.”

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Where to Watch the ESPYs Live: Is It Streaming?

The Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards — or, the ESPYs, for short — are set to air Wednesday night. Hosted by Shane Gillis, this will be the 33rd annual ESPY Awards ceremony, airing live out of Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre.

With a series of competitive and special awards set to be handed out at the annual sports awards, here’s how you can watch the 2025 ESPYs from home.

When do the ESPYs air?

The ESPYs air Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Where can I watch the ESPYs live?

There are two places you can go to watch the EPSYs live on Wednesday night.

If you are watching the show on TV or cable, you can view it live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

If streaming is more of your thing, you can stream the show live at the same time on ESPN+.

Will there be a red carpet?

A red carpet event will stream before the ceremony on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.

What if I miss the ESPYs?

Starting Thursday, July 17, anyone with a subscription for ESPN+, Disney+ or Hulu can stream the 2025 ESPYs on-demand across the three streaming services.

Who is hosting?

Stand-up comic Shane Gillis will host the 33rd ESPYs for ESPN. Gillis recently hosted “Saturday Night Live” for a second time back in March — a show he was briefly hired onto and fired from before his first season due to a history of insensitive jokes. In June, the actor released the second season of his Netflix comedy “Tires,” which has already been renewed for a third.

Though the ceremony has been hosted by actors and comedians many times before, Gillis is a departure from last year’s host, athletic megastar Serena Williams. The year before Williams, the ESPYs went without a single host due to the 2023 WGA strike. Past hosts include Anthony Mackie, John Cena and Norm Macdonald.

Who are the nominees?

There are a slew of categories that will be presented at the ESPYs, recognizing athletes and performances across athletics. Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Shohei Ohtani are nominated in Best Athlete — Men’s Sports, while Simone Biles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and A’ja Wilson make up the Best Athlete — Women’s Sports category.

Are there any special awards?

There are four individuals who will be recognized with special awards at the 2025 ESPYs Wednesday night.

Oscar Robertson, a former NBA player for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks, will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the annual ceremony. This award is presented to the former player for his fight to establish free agency within the league.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley, current head coach of Penn State’s women’s volleyball team, will be honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. This comes after Schumacher-Cawley led her team to become an NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship-winning group in 2024. Schumacher-Cawley, who became the first female coach to achieve this victory, was battling breast cancer at the time of the season.

Both David Walters and Erin Regan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2025 ESPYs. The two former athletes (Walters an Olympic medalist in swimming and Regan a goalkeeper for the Wake Forest University women’s soccer team in the late 90s and early 2000s) both serve in the Los Angeles County Fire Department. They were both on the front lines as part of the relief effort for the 2025 Southern California wildfires.

Who is performing?

There will be a few musical performances at the 2025 ESPYs. Busta Rhymes, Clipse and GELO will all perform throughout the ceremony. Additionally, artist Tobe Nwigwe will lead the In Memoriam segment, featuring a performance from David Michael Wyatt.

Who is presenting?

There is an extensive list of presenters who will give out awards at the 2025 ESPYs. Presenters includes Angela Bassett, Alison Brie, Billie Jean King, Rob Mac (formerly Rob McElhenney), Pat McAfee, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Lindsey Vonn, Russell Wilson and more.

The post Where to Watch the ESPYs Live: Is It Streaming? appeared first on TheWrap.

Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov ‘Gave Up Hope’ That Trump Base Could Be Punctured — but She’s ‘Excited’ by Epstein Files Fallout | Video

Jessica Tarlov was convinced Trump’s MAGA base could not be punctured until the Epstein files fallout began.

While on Wednesday’s episode of “The Prof G Podcast,” the Fox News host explained to Scott Galloway how the schism in Trump’s powerful base had her “excited” and hopeful for a further decline in the president’s support.

“We are conditioned to think nothing matters because nothing has mattered up until this point,” Tarlov said. “You think ‘oh, this is going to be a news story for a couple days’ and you worry if you’re recording something, that it’s going to be old by the next day. But this one had legs. A lot of that is because you have the luminaries – and I’m being generous with that term – the faces of the party upset, and the rank-and-file upset. Usually those things don’t coincide.”

She continued: “I’m kind of in two minds about it. The one mind is that I’m excited. It also shows that for some in this movement there is a bridge too far or a line that you can’t cross. There are a lot of people, especially the rank-and-file, who are upset because this guy was running a pedophile ring and there were kids that were being abused who deserved justice. And the other side of that is that it exposes Trump – who has managed, miraculously – to market himself as someone isn’t just in it for himself and isn’t part of the swamp. He’s exposed now as your run of the mill sharkey salesman.”

Watch the full Prof G Pod episode below:

Tarlov said she “kind of just gave up hope that people would see that aspect of his character” but with the upheaval surrounding the lack of transparency about the Epstein files both Trump and his supporters are lashing out at each other. On Wednesday, the president posted a long, rageful message on Truth Social condemning his “stupid” supporters for thinking he was hiding information on Epstein.

“[The Democrats’] new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line and sinker,” Trump posted. “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for eight long years.”

He added that when it comes to those who were once on Team MAGA but have questioned his approach to Epstein, he does not “want their support anymore!”

You can listen to the full “Prof G Pod” episode here.

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Trump Lashing Out at ‘Stupid Republicans’ Over Epstein Files Puts US in ‘Uncharted Territory,’ Nicolle Wallace Says | Video

President Donald Trump’s rageful messages toward “stupid Republicans” and the portion of his MAGA base still demanding information on the Jeffrey Epstein Files continued to fracture the party on Wednesday — and even MSNBC host and political world stalwart Nicolle Wallace admitted that it puts American voters in “uncharted territory.”

The host explained that the country and the party are in “uncharted territory” for the first real time since Trump took the White House as he continues to insult and downplay the Epstein files days after the DOJ released a memo stating there was no credible information left to pursue on the topic.

“Never before have the American people at large observed such pervasive and disruptive and jagged, such gaping new fault lines rupturing and exploding in spectacular fashion along the MAGA movement’s powerful landmass,” Wallace said. “For the past few days, supporters of Donald Trump have had their spears trained on one another in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s conclusion ‘that there is no there there’ on the so-called Jeffrey Epstein client list.”

She continued: “It wasn’t until today that Donald Trump entered the chat and Trump himself stabbed at his own supporters, calling them ‘weaklings.’ Those voters that continue to ask for answers around the Epstein related conspiracy theories. Donald Trump even suggested his supporters, the MAGA faithful, are ‘doing the Democrats’ work’ for some reason and asserted he didn’t want their support anymore anyway. It is a supreme political betrayal.”

Watch the full “Deadline White House” segment via MSNBC below:

On Wednesday, Trump went on a Truth Social tirade and lashed out at his devoted followers for believing he is withholding files regarding the late Epstein, saying it is nothing more than a “hoax” and “bulls–t.”

“[The Democrats’] new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump posted. “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.”

He added that when it comes to those who were once on Team MAGA but have questioned his approach to Epstein, he does not “want their support anymore!”

Trump’s Truth Social post came a day after he told reporters he was confused by how much the MAGA base cared about Epstein, his alleged sex trafficking crimes and theories around his 2019 death.

Watch the full MSNBC video above.

The post Trump Lashing Out at ‘Stupid Republicans’ Over Epstein Files Puts US in ‘Uncharted Territory,’ Nicolle Wallace Says | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Sarah Jessica Parker Says ‘And Just Like That’ Co-Star Kristin Davis Tells Her Fan Criticisms of Carrie: ‘I Don’t Want to Hear!’ | Video

Sarah Jessica Parker knows that her “Sex and the City” and “And Just Like That” heroine Carrie Bradshaw isn’t always easy to like – but she doesn’t really want to hear about it.

Sitting with Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers’ “Las Culturistas” podcast on Wednesday, the longtime executive producer and star said she knows the feverish fan takes exist about Carrie’s at-times questionable behavior, adding that while she tries to stay ignorant to them, one co-star keeps her in the loop, for better or worse.

“I’m not privy to all of the chatter so I’m just — Kristin Davis always keeps me posted in ways that sometimes I’m like, ‘You don’t have to tell me that! I don’t want to hear what anyone has to say,’” Parker said when talking through Carrie’s missteps. “Plus it doesn’t help me. But I’m thrilled that people have feelings! Like, how great.”

Asked if she judges Carrie for cheating on Aidan in the original HBO comedy series, for instance, Bradshaw quipped: “Like men have been doing forever, as leads on shows and in movies and people are like, ‘I love him!’”

“I mean, she’s a fictional character. I think people make mistakes and smart people do stupid things and they use poor judgment and they fall really short often. The best of us fall short,” she said.

When Rogers accused Chris Noth’s notorious “Big” character – who Carrie eventually marries in the multi-series and two-film franchise – of “narcissistic abuse,” Parker admitted that “those are new words for me,” but “if Carrie Bradshaw were somebody who was absolutely reliable to resist in that instance the temptation of Big … then I’m not entirely sure — what is the show?”

“Who is this person if she is only making really solid, predictable choices?” Parker questioned, adding that the show is “not a recipe for all of us to live by. That’s what makes it. It’s like there’s an altered state to ‘Sex and the City.’ It’s not entirely, the emotional life is rooted in truth, but its existence has always felt to me like slightly technicolor, slightly altered. Like, the city looks like this, and the clothes look like this. There’s a time warp, like, time suspends and you can be with people you love for long periods of time, which does not exist for all of us, no matter how much we love our friends. And love has this sort of, like, extra dose of some kind of adrenaline-fueled … You don’t spend time on HBO being perfect.”

Parker then cited one of her “favorite characters in the world” who was on the prestige cable network at the same time as Carrie during “Sex and the City’s” original run: Tony Soprano of “The Sopranos.”

“That is not a man who made great choices. But it’s curious how many people did not interrogate those same things about him, nor should they have because it was just beautiful writing and it brought us into the life of someone we wouldn’t normally feel such compassion for,” Parker reflected. “So I’m not comparing, I’m just saying it’s curious how little tolerance we have for a woman falling short, let’s just say.”

It’s not the first time during Parker’s Season 3 press run for “And Just Like That” that she’s defended Carrie from fans who might question her life choices. On a June episode of Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she applauded the writing of the character for stirring such division in the fanbase.

“I admired that she was scrappy,” she said of Carrie. “She was a little survivor. She had instincts to keep her head [up], not always making smart choices and falling short of being the best friend or the best girlfriend or her best self, but I also was very happy that they were writing her that way.”

“And Just Like That” Season 3 is currently streaming on HBO Max. “Las Culturistas” is an iHeartPodcast and Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network production.

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Suspect in Murder of ‘American Idol’ Supervisor Robin Kaye and Her Husband Arrested

One day after “American Idol” supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca were found dead in their home, a suspect in their murder has been arrested, LAPD said Tuesday.

The suspect was identified as Raymond Boodarian, a 22-year-old Encino resident who had no prior connection to the victims. Police alleged that on Thursday, July 10, Boodarian was burglarizing the house when Kaye and Deluca came home and surprised him. During an ensuing struggle, he shot and killed the couple. Police say they identified Boodarian through a combination of forensic evidence and security camera footage.

The award-winning executive and Deluca, a songwriter and musician, were found shot in the head midafternoon Monday, after several days of not being seen or heard from by friends and family. Complicating matters, police admitted Tuesday that LAPD received 2 calls pertaining to a possible burglary at the couple’s address on the night they were murdered, which included the detail that someone was seen hopping from a fence.

LAPD said officers responded to the calls on that day, but were unable to get into the house. It wasn’t explained how the burglar was able to access the property but police were not. Officers on the scene reported no signs of burglary, as did a helicopter. Officers returned to the scene Monday after family members requested a wellness check, this time somehow able to access the property, and the couple’s bodies were discovered.

Police say Boodarian does not appear connected to any burglary rings.

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‘Nosferatu’ Star Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Reunite With Robert Eggers for ‘Werwulf’

“Nosferatu” star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is set to reunite with director Robert Eggers on his next film, “Werwulf,” set for a Christmas 2026 release by Focus Features.

In “Nosferatu,” Taylor-Johnson played Friedrich Harding, a wealthy shipbuilder who does not heed Thomas and Ellen Hutter’s warnings that their German town has fallen under the curse of the vampire Count Orlok until it is too late.

Eggers co-wrote “Werwulf” with Icelandic writer Sjon, with whom he wrote his 2022 Viking revenge tale “The Northman.” The upcoming film will be set in the 13th century and will have Chris and Eleanor Columbus return as executive producers through their banner Maiden Voyage.

“Nosferatu” was a smash hit for Focus Features this past winter with $181 million grossed worldwide, becoming the studio’s third highest grossing film in history. “Werwulf” will hit theaters in 2026 as a likely R-rated gothic horror alternative to four-quadrant fare like Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday” and the DreamWorks animated legacyquel “Shrek 5.”

Taylor-Johnson most recently starred in another horror film, Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” and is set to reprise his role as the post-apocalyptic scavenger Jamie in the film’s sequel, “The Bone Temple,” due out this January. He is repped by WME, Brillstein and David Weber.

The casting was first reported by Nexus Point News.

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