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Heartbroken Jimmy Kimmel has announced the death of his childhood friend and Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III. Writing on Instagram, Kimmel shared: ‘Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III.’ ‘To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,’ the late night host said in a statement. ‘The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true,’ Kimmel added. ‘Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.’ Escobeda’s death Tuesday aged, 59, explains the reason why Kimmel abruptly canceled his show last Thursday.Kimmel was reportedly seen at a hospital after missing that show, exchanging emotional hugs outside a Los Angeles hospital, with his long-time friend’s father Cleto Escobedo Jr., a musician in his house band Cleto and the Cletones, outside a hospital in Los Angeles on November 6. Read More

A medical professional is backing up Wendy Williams’ claims that she’s not cognitively impaired, and fans of the former talk show host are rejoicing.  The former talk show host reportedly does not have frontotemporal dementia, the medical condition a judge has used to justify keeping her in a guardianship for more than 3 years. According to reports from TMZ, sources with direct knowledge told the outlet that a top neurologist concluded she does not have the disorder that primarily affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Williams recently completed a battery of tests in NYC, which reportedly led to the neurologist concluding she does not have frontotemporal dementia. These findings conflict with an earlier test where she tested positive for the condition, according to Wendy’s guardian. The outlet spoke to multiple experts about frontotemporal dementia, who all said that the condition never gets better, only worse. Williams’ legal team is preparing to file legal documents with the court in the next 2 weeks, which will pave the way for a hearing where they will ask the judge to terminate her guardianship. If the judge refuses to end the guardianship, lawyer Joe Tacopina will then demand a jury trial to ask jurors to free Wendy. The National Radio Hall of Famer has been speaking out against her guardianship for years now, insisting she’s far from cognitively impaired. Back in January, Wendy called into The Breakfast Club with her niece, Alex Finnie, saying she was unable to leave her current location due to her being under conservatorship. “I am not cognitively impaired. But I feel like I am in prison,” Williams said about her current situation. “I’m in this place where the people are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s. There’s something wrong with these people here on this floor.” Her niece added that the facility where Wendy is staying is highly secured and that her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, has full control over her communications. “This system is broken,” Wendy went on to say at the time. “What they’re doing to me is emotional abuse.” The post Wendy Williams’ Neurologist Denies Frontotemporal Dementia Diagnosis, Fans Say She Should Be ‘Freed’ From Conservatorship appeared first on Bossip.

When the government turned its back on hungry families, Black farmers stepped up. Not only that, but celebs like SZA are also working to feed families after the abrupt pause in federal food aid that millions rely on to eat. According to Capital B News, Black owned farms like Deep Roots CPS Farm in Charlotte, North Carolina, have been giving away free produce and doubling food credits while the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program remains caught in federal gridlock. Capital B News reports that the funding freeze, triggered by the October 1 government shutdown, left about one in eight Americans uncertain when or if their benefits would arrive. SNAP serves roughly 41 million people nationwide, many of them Black families, single parents, and seniors on fixed incomes. Capital B reports that a court ruling briefly ordered the administration to use contingency funds, but partial payments covering only 65 percent of benefits were released. In Capital B, the Center for American Progress, that shortfall jeopardized not just households but also the small retailers, corner stores, and markets that depend on SNAP redemptions to stay open. “We have always been rooted in the community,” said Cherie Jzar, who runs Deep Roots CPS Farm with her family. “We will never stop doing that, no matter if SNAP is paused or continues to go on.” Her words echo far beyond Charlotte’s Historic West End. According to Capital B News, in Oakland, Mississippi, a Black owned nonprofit grocer is boxing and delivering food to elders and children who have gone weeks without aid.  Across the country, grassroots organizers are making sure no one goes hungry while the nation’s wealthiest lawmakers debate budgets. In Capital B, Jzar and her family are offering free produce to seniors hit hardest by the funding freeze.  “The ones that are most vulnerable are our seniors who are on fixed incomes,” Jzar said. “They don’t have the means to adjust their budgets because of high food prices at times. And so what do we just do? Turn our backs to them?” Programs like Double Up Bucks, operated through the Charlotte Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, are stretching dollars further. According to Capital B, shoppers using EBT cards can double their spending power at local farmers markets, spend forty dollars, get forty more, keeping the community fed and local growers paid. Capital B News adds that members of the Congressional Black Caucus condemned the administration’s partial payments, calling them “reckless and illegal inaction” that “simply isn’t sufficient to keep food on the tables of American families.” SZA, Tyler Perry & Keith Lee Work To Feed Families In addition to the farmers, several celebs are stepping in to make sure families don’t go hungry, including SZA, Keith Lee, and Tyler Perry. In Los Angeles, SZA teamed up with beloved restaurant Jon & Vinny’s through her NOT Charity initiative to provide 1,400 free meals to residents relying on SNAP. From November 11–17, the restaurant’s Slauson location will distribute 100 dinners for two each day, offering much-needed relief amid the chaos. Jon & Vinny’s praised SZA for “inspiring all of us to be there for our neighbors,” as the SOS singer continues to use her influence to nourish the community and uplift others. Meanwhile, viral TikTok food critic Keith Lee launched his own nationwide effort to feed families, with some saying he’s “doing more than the President” for the American people. “It’s the holidays coming up… I want brands to comment that are willing to give away meals with me,” Lee told his 17 million followers. “I refuse to take any money. I don’t want money.” Lee, who’s been open about once relying on SNAP to feed his family, received an overwhelming response from the business community. Within days, more than 40 major brands, including DoorDash, Cracker Barrel, Top Golf, and Impossible Foods, along with 60 small businesses, signed on to partner with him. In a follow-up video, he said, “I’m coming to say thank you from the bottom of my heart because I’m honored to be part of this in any capacity,” adding that participating small businesses would be paid for their meals instead of being asked to donate. And in Atlanta, Tyler Perry has pledged nearly $1.5 million to help fill the gap left by stalled federal funding. As previously reported, his donations will support organizations like the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Meals on Wheels Atlanta, Baby2Baby, Caring for Others, All for Lunch, the Ron Clark Academy, and Goodr, which focuses on distributing fresh produce to families in need. The post Self-Sustainability: SZA, Black Farmers & Others Keep Working To SNAP Save The Day When The Feds Won’t appeared first on Bossip.

Last week, not one, but two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use the government’s contingency funds to continue the funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid the ongoing government shutdown, ruling against the White House’s previous claim that those funds couldn’t be used for SNAP. Days later, the administration that hates poor people and loves convincing other poor people to hate poor people revealed its plan to send partial payments this month to the roughly 42 million Americans who receive food stamps, brazenly defying the judges’ rulings. From the New York Times: But the roughly one in eight families that receive SNAP may still be at risk of imminent hunger and financial hardship. The Trump administration opted against using its full stable of available funds — totaling into the billions of dollars — to sustain the nation’s largest anti-hunger program in full this month. As a result, eligible households may receive only half as much in benefits compared with their usual amounts, officials said. It also remained unclear when food stamp recipients would actually receive their aid. The Trump administration had previously warned that it could take weeks to provision benefits on a partial basis, further underscoring the consequences of its budgetary decision on Monday. So, basically, two separate judges ruled that the federal government must keep paying SNAP recipients their full benefits, and here’s live footage of how the government responded. In fact, according to a sworn statement from a US Department of Agriculture official that was submitted in federal court, $4.65 billion of the contingency fund will “be obligated to cover 50% of eligible households’ current allotments” for November, which means SNAP recipients will only receive half of what they are owed. Not only that, but USDA official Patrick Penn told CNN that because partial payments will require states to reprogram their systems to adjust for the reduced allotments, SNAP recipients in some states may not see their November benefits for weeks or even months. “Given the variation among state systems, some of which are decades old, it is unclear how many States will complete the changes in an automated manner with minimal disruption versus manual overrides or computations that could lead to payment errors and significant delays,” Penn said. Nah — don’t be out here blaming state systems because the federal government, under President Donald Trump, is so janky and ghetto that it’s about to owe its citizens back payments for food assistance. Actually, CNN noted that “states stopped the process of issuing benefits for November after the USDA sent them a letter on October 10 ordering them to do so” because “it does not have the funds to pay November’s assistance amid the federal government shutdown, which began October 1.” So, states had already stopped the payments, but then two judges ordered the government to proceed with those payments in full, and now the government is essentially telling those states, “Here’s half, and you can tell your lower-income people that now is a good time to take up fasting.” It’s no wonder the Trump administration has been so desperate to blame the shutdown on Democrats. This is just a shameful, embarrassing way to run a government. While Republican officials and right-wing media are doing their best to demonize people who lack food security, the MAGA-fied government seems to be content with letting them starve. Sad. SEE ALSO: What Happens If SNAP Stops? What You Should Know And Do To Protect Yourself Judges Rule Trump Administration Must Continue To Fund SNAP 25 States Sue Trump Administration Over SNAP Benefits Restaurants In Several Major Cities Offering Free Food To People Losing SNAP Racist Newsmax Host Says SNAP Recipients Use Benefits To ‘Get Their Weaves’ And Nails Done If SNAP Benefits Get Cut Off, White Grievance Will Eat Itself When The Government Starves Us: How SNAP Cuts Target Black Survival

COVID-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance have been a hot-button issue in recent months. So much so that the entire federal government is shut down over the GOP’s refusal to extend them. Senate Democrats have argued that without the subsidies, millions will become uninsured in the upcoming year due to being priced out. The open enrollment period for ACA insurance began over the weekend, and the price increases have driven home exactly why the subsidies are necessary. According to Politico, the price increases aren’t uniform from state to state. While premiums have increased 101% in Colorado, it’s even worse in New Jersey, where that rate has increased by over 175%. The sad part is, this isn’t surprising news. There have been several reports this year detailing what would happen if the GOP allowed the subsidies to expire, and yet they still let it happen, despite Republican voters making up a large portion of those who rely on ACA insurance. From Politico: Residents of the 30 states that use the federally run HealthCare.gov will see an average 26 percent premium rise in 2026 for an average ACA plan, according to the analysis. Residents of the 20 states with their own exchanges will see an average 17 percent hike. These numbers include everyone on the exchanges. However, that figure doesn’t reflect what a person who gets a subsidy might pay. “There is what the insurance company charges but since nine out of 10 [ACA customers] get a subsidy they don’t pay that,” Cynthia Cox, vice president and director of KFF’s ACA program, said in an interview. “They pay a certain amount of their income.” Without the enhanced subsidies, ACA customers will pay a lot more out of pocket. KFF estimates that customers on HealthCare.gov and in state-run exchanges will see their monthly out-of-pocket premium payments increase by 114 percent on average.  Even if the GOP manages to come around on extending the subsidies, it’s unclear how soon they could be implemented in the current open enrollment period, if they could even be implemented at all. If someone signed up for a more expensive plan, would the subsidies be retroactively applied? It’s almost like they should’ve just extended the subsidies ahead of time. Of course, that’d be too much like doing the right thing, and we all know the modern GOP is allergic to that concept. ABC News spoke to several people who are facing being uninsured as a result of the expiring ACA subsidies. Beth Dryer, a Virginia resident, told ABC that she knew her ACA plan would likely have a price increase, but she was shocked by how much. Her $80 monthly premium increased to $425. “I thought maybe it would double, but this is more than quadrupled in cost for me,” Dryer said. “So it’s just straight out — there’s no way I would be able to afford this next year.” “The Republicans aren’t going to budge on the tax credits, and they’re happy to watch people die. I mean, that’s essentially what it is,” Dryer added. “You cut these tax credits, people are dying. People are already dying because they don’t have quality health care. People are already dying because they have food insecurity.” Stacy Cox, a photographer in Utah, told ABC News that she and her husband were paying $495 for coverage this year. She received a letter in the mail informing her that if she stayed on that plan, her monthly premium would skyrocket to $2,168.68. “It’s devastating because we can’t afford that. Just that bill right there, that’s more than our mortgage, our insurance, most of our food,” Cox said. “This will devastate us if we tried to pay it.” I get my insurance through the ACA and filled out my application this weekend when open enrollment opened. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my current plan because my provider is no longer offering insurance in Arizona. The ACA marketplace still showed me what a comparable plan would cost, and my monthly premium went from $40 to $400. While yes, I’m making a bit more money now than I was last year, I’m still not at what I would call the “straight balling” threshold, so that’s out of the question. In addition to the price increases, the site also feels less useful. I can’t pay what my current plan has increased to, but there are plans somewhat more in my price range (somewhat is doing a lot of work here, y’all). I have asthma, and my priority is largely on keeping my inhaler prescriptions reasonable. Instead of organizing the plan list by the medications I’ve input, I have to go through plan after plan to find the intersection of what I can afford and what covers my medications. I’ve used the ACA for insurance for several years, and I don’t recall it ever being this much work to find a workable plan. What’s truly baffling is that Trump ran on keeping prices low, yet every move made by the GOP, from tariffs, the big, beautiful bill, and now ACA subsidies, is increasing prices for people across the board. They’ve exacerbated the cost-of-living crisis to such an extent that even despite their best efforts to gerrymander the midterms, they may wind up pushing people to vote Blue. SEE ALSO: Affordable Care Act Insurance Could Be 75% More Expensive Next Year Rising Health Insurance Premiums And Expiring Subsidies Demand Action

Unbeknownst to many, one of Beyoncé’s biggest hits owes its existence to a little nudge from her head honcho, Blue Ivy—another managerial moment of genius we’re all thankful for. Beyoncé’s hit song “BROWN SKIN GIRL” became a fan favorite when it was released in 2019 as part of The Lion King soundtrack, earning a Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2021. The massive tune was also historic for the legendary singer’s eldest daughter, Blue Ivy, who received a writing credit for the track, making her the second youngest person ever to win a Grammy. Interestingly, Blue was the reason the song made it onto the album in the first place, as Beyoncé wasn’t initially keen on it, according to a new interview with Warner Records President of A&R, Steve Carless. On the latest episode of One of One: A PLLRS Podcast, released on Oct. 31, the Grammy Award-winning executive shared with host Reginald Calixte some behind-the-scenes details of his iconic role at the label, including how Blue Ivy helped convince Beyoncé to embrace the now-legendary song “BROWN SKIN GIRL.” Carless explained that while Beyoncé was working on The Lion King: The Gift album in 2019, he was tasked with pitching songs for inclusion. When he submitted the demo version of “BROWN SKIN GIRL” — made by SAINt JHN and producer P2J — he was certain that Beyoncé would approve the track for the album, but he was surprised when she flat-out rejected it during a listening session. Despite this, Carless continued to play it for her at the insistence of her longtime A&R, Mariel Gomerez, who thought the song was “fire,” but Bey made it abundantly clear that it was a hard pass. “We keep playing the song, keep playing the song, and she’s like, ‘No, that’s not it. Stop playing me that sh*t,’” he recalled. According to Carless, Beyoncé is always respectful; however, he noted that she “holds court” when it comes to her creative vision. He was certain she wouldn’t budge, but he didn’t give up just yet. Three weeks later, in a meeting with the Renaissance hitmaker, Disney executives, Jay-Z, and others involved in the soundtrack, Carless decided to play the song one last time, admittedly nervous as they were getting close to the deadline. That’s when Blue Ivy stepped in to save the day. “Blue Ivy’s in the meeting. She starts singing the hook: ‘Your skin’s just like pearls. The best thing in the world,’” Carless told Reginald Calixte. “Now, [Beyoncé’s] like, ‘Play it again.’ Now, we’re in the room for 15 minutes listening to this song,” He added. “She’s like, ‘Alright, I like it. I’ll take it. It’s going to be the single.’” Blue Ivy put her manager hat on and saved the day. Imagine what The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack would have been without this special song? Watch Steve Carless’s full interview on the One of One: A PLLRS Podcast below. RELATED: Creative Arts Emmys 2025: Beyoncé, Kendrick, Obama & ‘SNL’ Shine The post Manager Knows Best! Here’s Why We Can Thank Beyoncé’s Head Honcho Blue Ivy For ‘Brown Skin Girl’ appeared first on Bossip.

This year marked the fifth anniversaries of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and 280 other Black people who died at the hands of police. Worldwide protests and nationwide promises seemed to signal a shift — if not for real change, at least more awareness around these stories. But between the Trump administration’s renewed attack on anyone not white and male and fewer Black journalists in consistently shrinking newsrooms, there’s been noticeably less coverage around violence against Black people. And that isn’t due to a decrease in these cases. In fact, since 2020, the number of Black people killed by police has increased. In 2024, that number was 341, according to Mapping Police Violence. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Trymaine Lee said in an interview that this speaks to “the precarity of our existence.” “What’s insane is that from George Floyd’s very public murder, we saw an organized movement worldwide that we’ve never seen before in the name of Black life,” Lee said. “The number has continued to rise, but the coverage has been diminished. We are still at the whims of the media powers, right? So we’re being there more people and more Black people being killed by police, but the coverage is lower, because they’ve decided that that’s not the story that matters, right? That’s not the one that matters. They’ve tired of it. They’re fatigued of it, and now with this administration in particular, they don’t have to.” This speaks directly to Lee’s debut book, A Thousand Ways To Die, which was released Sept 9. In it, he breaks down the generational cost gun violence has had on Black people in America. The foundation of the book was inspired by Kevin Johnson, who was shot and paralyzed at 19 during a robbery attempt for his Allen Iverson Jersey. Lee was an intern covering the case for the Philadelphia Daily News back then. For more than 20 years, Lee has spent his career covering stories of gun violence against Black people, including Trayvon Martin. The cost of his work came to a head after he suffered from a serious heart attack that made him face his own mortality. “It forced me to consider my own mortality, but also to widen the aperture on what violence actually is and the broad ripples of violence, and how we’re all touched by them in different ways,” Lee said. As much as this is a book about gun violence, Lee said this is also a book about journalism. The author used old newspaper articles and Census data to give context of what societal conditions were when his grandfather, Horace, was gunned down. Throughout history, Black journalists and activists have been pivotal in ensuring stories of racist acts are brought to the forefront. That can be a heavy burden to bear, Lee said. “We already have these pressures of this capitalist society that’s built to exploit us and exploit the labor, and what happens when that exploitation of labor comes when we’re telling our stories,” he asked. “It’s about Black journalists and how we approach the craft and how we satisfy delivering the stories for an audience, while also grappling with the pain that our people experience and that we experience, and then having to engage with the white gatekeepers who are in control of telling these stories through the media and helping define us?” So far in 2025, 205 Black people have been killed by police in the United States. Within the past year, there have been several cases of suspected lynchings, with Delta State University student Trey Reed’s death being the latest. Through A Thousand Ways To Die, Lee said he wants readers to understand how we got here instead of blaming the Black community on the violence it experiences. “Let’s point to it and name the source of it, because without naming the source, society will have us thinking that we’re the problem, that there’s something innately wrong or violent about us, and so we’ll own in a way that isn’t healthy or true or honest,” Lee said. “Ain’t nothing wrong with us. Let’s look at the machinery built around us.” Taryn Finley is an award-winning journalist, host, and producer based in Brooklyn, specializing in storytelling that intersects race, culture, and identity. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Taryn’s career spans over a decade of impactful work, writing for HuffPost, Refinery29, Essence, and The New York Times. She also hosted HuffPost’s podcast I Know That’s Right and co-hosted MadameNoire’s digital series Listen to Black Women. SEE ALSO: Another Ferguson Voice Silenced: Dorian Johnson’s Death Raises Painful Questions [Op-Ed] Police Kill Black People, Congress Couldn’t Care Less

In today’s episode of Everybody Haaaaaates ICE (you were supposed to read that in the tune of Everybody Hates Chris), the ongoing situation in Chicago — where Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents keep running wild like rabid dogs off their leashes, and residents keep responding by, well, not having it at all — seems to be getting worse as clashes intensify between agents, protesters and, often, people who were just trying to get to work or school. As we’ve noted previously, while the Trump administration has claimed repeatedly that its immigration crackdown is about ridding America of the worst kinds of “criminal illegal aliens,” we’re not seeing evidence that hardened criminals represent the bulk of who is being accosted by agents, arrested, and disappeared to who knows where. Instead, immigration officers seem to be going after any and everyone who they think looks wrong, and subsequently arresting workers and people raising families, who may or may not have all their paperwork in order, and they seem to be dumbfounded by the lack of support they’re getting from the community, including the protesters they seem to be attacking first and vilifying as agitators later. For example, according to the Chicago Sun-Times,  a Halloween costume parade for children that was supposed to take place on a usually quiet residential block has been canceled because just hours before it was scheduled to begin, tear gas had been deployed by agents moved to detain Luis Villegas, a construction worker who agents chased down the 3700 block of North Kildare Avenue and tackled on a lawn. It was reportedly the first of two incidents in the same area where agents deployed tear gas, purportedly to defend themselves against enraged bystanders who took issue with ICE agents behaving more like criminals than the “criminal illegal aliens” they claim to be arresting. From the Sun-Times: Ald. Ruth Cruz (30th) called the two uses of tear gas in her ward “unprovoked and deeply troubling attacks on our communities.” She said Villegas has been in the United States since he was 4 years old. The Department of Homeland Security said he had been accused and arrested — not convicted — of assault. “This is home for him,” Cruz told the Sun-Times Sunday. “He has built his education, his family and his life here in Chicago.” Brian Kolp, a former prosecutor with the Cook County state’s attorney’s office and counsel for the city of Chicago who once defended Chicago police officers in lawsuits, was watching news about a temporary restraining order issued against federal agents when agents pursuing Villegas subdued and detained him on Kolp’s front lawn. Kolp was barefoot and wearing Blackhawks pajama pants as he stepped from his front door to yell “Nazi” and “Gestapo” at the agents who dragged Villegas to a vehicle. Kolp said the agents pulled his 70-year-old neighbor out of his vehicle and slammed him to the ground as he arrived home. He saw another person on a bicycle also get detained. Of course, the Department of Homeland Security is claiming agents were “boxed in by agitators,” a claim the department has made about previous incidents, only for witnesses and video footage to contradict the narrative. “These weren’t activists, these weren’t paid protesters, these were literally my neighbors coming out of their homes at 10 o’clock in the morning because they saw lawless agents acting in violent ways,” Kolp said, claiming the people officers deployed tear gas on were mostly neighbors who had stepped out of their homes to film and shout at agents. “There are only so many ways we can hold these folks accountable. If the courts can’t do it, Congress can’t do it, then it’s up to the community to do it.” Erin Sarris, a resident who has lived in the neighborhood for eight years, said she was on her way to the Halloween parade with her two 8-year-old daughters and 6-year-old son when she saw the cloud of tear gas from down the street. “It’s impossible to explain the concept of this to school-age kids like that and make them feel OK about it, because it’s not OK,” Sarris said. “It shatters their worldview of what’s right, fair, and appropriate in witnessing this.” Again, this was only the first incident involving ICE agents seemingly ignoring a federal judge’s previous order limiting their use of tear gas near schools and residential areas. More from the Sun-Times: Less than a mile away and around the same time Saturday, at Roscoe Street and Harding Avenue, federal agents again deployed tear gas as residents shouted at them. Two of Cruz’s staffers were hit by the tear gas as they responded, though she said they had recovered and were “more eager than ever to ask what more they can do to protect their communities.” She said her staffers witnessed a woman thrown to the ground by agents, but they said no one was detained. “Seeing it in person really emphasized there’s nothing calculated or organized about it,” one resident who witnessed the tear-gas deployment said of the ICE agents’ tactics. “It’s obvious what they’re doing is just evil.” These clashes between citizens and border cops are not limited to Chicago, of course. In large cities across the country, video footage of federal agents swarming citizens and non-citizens alike as angry onlookers heckle them and, sometimes, get themselves personally involved is being shared across social media on a daily basis. Recently, rumors have been swirling, especially in the world of right-wing media — including bootlicking op-ed writers who believe the “thin blue line” is something that needs to be protected — that the Chicago Police Department has been ordering its officers not to respond to calls about ICE agents needing their help while under attack by protesters. And while the CPD has denied these allegations, honestly, could you blame the department if it were true? After all, we’re talking about a city where officials had already made it explicitly clear that federal officers

President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he underwent an MRI and a cognitive test during his “secondary” physical at Walter Reed earlier this year, and like every other medical examination he has told the public about, he claimed the results were “perfect” and proceeded to talk as if doctors confirmed he’s some kind of living, breathing medical miracle, the likes of which the world hasn’t seen in. In fact, Trump’s cognitive test turned out so great, he is now suggesting Congress’ most prominent women of color, Reps Jasmine Crockett and  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, should also be tested — as if they’re the ones who think windmills cause cancer, Lysol is an injectable COVID cure, boat batteries cause shock attacks and that President Joe Biden was in charge of the FBI on Jan. 6, when Trump was still president. Also, Crockett and AOC aren’t the ones who seem unsure on whether to rule in or rule out the clearly unconstitutional idea of a president running for a third term. Actually, let’s talk about that first. According to the Guardian, Trump was on Air Force One while traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Tokyo, Japan, when he told reporters he would rule out running for the vice-presidency in 2028, so whoever actually ran for president could drop out and make him president again, which many of his supporters have floated around as idea for their MAGA messiah to weasel his way into a third term in 2028. “I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute. Yeah, I would rule that out because it’s too cute. I think the people wouldn’t like that … It’s not – it wouldn’t be right.” First of all, “I’d be allowed to do that,” followed up immediately by, “I wouldn’t do that,” doesn’t sound like a man with “perfect” cognitive abilities, but it does sound like a guy who would declare that he’s “not a dictator” in the same rant during which he mused that many Americans would “rather have a dictator.” Also, “too cute”? Nah, it would be “too cute” if Trump’s stubby, little baby hands were on an actual baby. Nothing would be cute about Trump ordering one of his loyal stooges to run for president and make him their running mate just so they can win and drop out, in order to keep the guy who’s totally not a dictator in power without being democratically elected. But at least Trump has ruled out serving a third term altogether, right? Or has he? From the Guardian: Referring to the possibility of a third term, however, Trump said: “I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever.” When pressed by a reporter whether he was not ruling out a third term, he said: “Am I not ruling it out? I mean you’ll have to tell me.” He added: “All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they [the Democrats] don’t.” No, no — the man who is asking reporters to tell him whether or not he has ruled out the completely illegal act of serving for a third term definitely sounds like he aced any test on how well his mind works. So, let’s get back to that. “I got an MRI, it was perfect,” Trump told reporters during that same flight to Japan, according to the Hill. “Nobody has ever given you reports like I gave you, and if I didn’t think it was going to be good, either, I would let you know negatively,” he continued. “I wouldn’t run, I’d do something. But the doctors said some of the best reports for the age, some of the best reports they’ve ever seen.” I mean, the man can’t even string together coherent sentences while boasting about how coherent he is. Now, Trump could have just stopped there, and we all could have rolled our eyes and moved on like we usually do, but he hadn’t even said anything racist or misogynistic yet, or hit his political opponents with unprovoked insults, which brings us back to Crockett and AOC. “You give her an IQ test. Have her pass, like, the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed,” Trump said, referring to Ocasio-Cortez. “I took — those are very hard — they’re really aptitude tests, I guess, in a certain way.” “The first couple of questions are easy. A tiger, an elephant, a giraffe, you know. When you get up to about five or six, and then when you get up to 10 and 20 and 25, they couldn’t come close to answering any of those questions,” he added. As I wrote previously, “Don’t get me wrong, Trump pivots to personal insults on everyone who he’s up against, but there are certain insults — typically the ones that involve intelligence or gender-related bodily functions — he reserves for women, and, more specifically, Black women and women of color.” I wrote that when the guy who thinks “groceries” is a brand new word because he, apparently, just discovered it this year was calling Kamala Harris “dumb as a rock.” Again, nobody asked Trump about Crockett, Ocasio-Cortez, or literally any of the Democrats in Congress, who clearly live rent-free in Trump’s head, despite his claims that the Democratic Party is essentially over. It’s almost as if no time is an inappropriate time for Trump to relay the unsolicited information that his own insecurity as a white, fragile, and aggressively mediocre male causes him to hate accomplished, intelligent, and far more articulate Black and brown women uncontrollably. You kinda have to admit, though, that it’s often difficult to tell if Trump is truly declining cognitively, or if he’s the same delusional idiot he has always been. Because as much as it does seem that his elevator is permanently stuck on the non-existent 13th floor, it’s his usual refusal to accept reality that has him