MMN Editor

A podcast listener recently reached out with a question about my portfolio:

“Clark recently mentioned that he sold most of his rental properties. I’m a few years away from doing the same thing. What, if anything, did Clark do to mitigate capital gains taxes?”

My short answer? I paid them.

Over the last several years, I’ve gradually simplified my real estate portfolio, scaling down from nine rental properties to just three. Every single time I sold a property, I paid the capital gains tax.

Here is why I chose to pay up rather than jumping through hoops to avoid the tax bill — and why you might want to do the same if you’re looking to exit real estate.

1. Don’t Let the “Tax Tail” Wag the Investment Dog

When people look for ways to defer capital gains taxes on real estate, the most common tool is a 1031 exchange.

A 1031 exchange allows you to defer paying capital gains tax if you identify a new replacement property within 45 days of selling and close on it within 180 days.

Not long ago, a gentleman came up to me completely incensed about the tax bill he was going to owe on a recent property sale. He asked me question after question about how to avoid paying it. I asked him one simple question:

“Do you actually want to own another property?”

He paused and said, “No, I just don’t want to pay the tax.”

If you no longer want the responsibilities of being a landlord, doing a 1031 exchange just to avoid a tax bill forces you right back into the very business you’re trying to leave. Never buy another asset you don’t want simply to dodge a tax bill.

2. A Tax Bill Means You Won

Nobody loves paying taxes. But paying capital gains tax means that you made money.

You held a property, managed it over the years, and reaped the benefits of long-term real estate appreciation. The tax bill is simply the price of admission for walking away with a substantial profit.

Instead of dreading the tax bill, reframe it: You owe tax because you had a successful investment.

3. Tax Rates Are Historically Low

We live in a time where the national deficit is running high because of federal spending. From a historical perspective, current capital gains tax rates are actually quite favorable.

For most long-term real estate investors, Federal long-term capital gains rates max out at 20% or less (though depreciation recapture and state taxes may apply). Taking advantage of these rates now allows you to settle your bill with the IRS and walk away with clean, unencumbered cash.

Final Thoughts

If you are at the stage in life where you want to simplify your finances and step away from property management, don’t let the fear of taxes hold you back.

Pay the tax, take your hard-earned profits from years of property appreciation, and enjoy the freedom that comes with having that cash available for your next chapter.
The post Why Clark Howard Was Actually Happy to Pay Capital Gains Tax on His Rental Properties appeared first on Clark Howard.

Los Angeles Mayoral Candidates Spar Over Response To Rise In Homelessness

Authored by City News Service via The Epoch Times,

Mayor Karen Bass and her challenger in the Nov. 3 election, Councilmember Nithya Raman, criticized one another on July 24 over the increase in homelessness in Los Angeles.
Homeless tents are seen in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles on June 11, 2026. Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

Homelessness increased by 3.4 percent in the city to an estimated 45,194 people, and unsheltered homelessness also rose by nearly 8 percent, according to figures from the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. The data showed the first increase in the unhoused population following two consecutive years of decreases.

Raman, who represents the Fourth Council District, held a news conference in Studio City to discuss the results of the count released on the afternoon of July 24.

“By now you’ve probably seen the reports: despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent – and repeated assurances that Los Angeles had turned a corner – unsheltered homelessness increased by nearly 8% in this city,” Raman said in a statement.

“That is a moral outrage. And it is a failure of leadership,” Raman added.

The councilwoman noted her district experienced a 49 percent decrease in unsheltered homelessness.

“We track every case, break through the barriers holding up placements, connect people with housing and care, and stay involved until they are housed,” Raman said in her statement.

Raman said, if elected, she would bring that approach and results citywide.

She added homelessness is “not an unsolveable problem. It’s a mismanged one.”

In response, Bass’s campaign said Raman claimed credit for the decrease in her district while avoiding the rest of the city’s data as chair of the City Council’s Homelessness and Housing Committee.

Bass’s campaign said Inside Safe brought 236 people in the Fourth Council District into interim housing since 2023. It further alleged Raman has not attended a single Inside Safe operation in her district last year.

The homeless count further showed that the Fourth Council District had a reduction of recreational vehicles used as housing for people experiencing homelessness from 103 in 2023 to 38 in 2026, a 63 percent decline.

Bass’s campaign said the removal of RVs involves towing, storage, and relocation operations that the city’s homelessness teams run.

“Nithya Raman is taking credit for the results of Inside Safe while campaigning against it,” Alex Stack, a spokesman for Bass’s campaign, said in a statement.

“While Raman takes credit for the city’s work in her district, ignoring the fact that she’s the chair of the Homelessness & Housing Committee for all of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass is working to move our city forward and address years of neglect,” Stack added.

Bass served on the LAHSA Commission for a three-year term that ended June 30. The commission consists of 10 appointed members – five representatives from the city and five from the county.

Commission members hold authority over budgetary, funding, planning and program policies.

Bass, who is seeking a second term, continues to campaign on what she has deemed as progress in her first term – part of that includes her administration’s ability in moving unhoused people into temporary housing.

The 2026 Homeless Count represents an opening for Raman, who is attempting to garner voter support with a new approach to address homelessness.

Raman has criticized Bass’s Inside Safe program for being too costly, and failing to produce better results.

While Bass has defended Inside Safe, her signature program for encampment resolution, a Los Angeles Times analysis found that in the nearly four years since the program began, about 41 percent of unhoused people who participated in the program had returned to homelessness.

In a statement Thursday, Bass blamed the Trump administration for the increase in homelessness, saying its policies have driven up the cost of living and while reducing federal funding for safety net programs. She noted that reductions in state funding for homelessness have also impacted the city’s ability to respond to the crisis.

The mayor also criticized Los Angeles County for a “lack of adequate services,” which she said was a contributing factor to people cycling in and out of homelessness. The county provides cities with services such as mental health and substance-abuse counseling.

Bass noted the city has reduced unsheltered homelessness by 11 percent since 2023, and housing more than 1,000 homeless veterans.

Recently, critics have expressed frustration with Bass over the slow cleanup of rotting food left by the Lineage Logistics cold-storage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, as well as concerns raised over a crisis communications consultant who worked for Bass’s office for free, among other issues.

Meanwhile, Republican Party of Los Angeles County Chair Roxanne Hoge told City News Service in an email that the rise in homelessness was caused by existing leadership.

“Every parent knows that you get more of behavior you reward. Karen Bass, Nithya Raman, Lindsey Horvath and the entire Homeless Industrial Complex comprised of NGOs and the California Democrat Party reward everything from criminal vagrancy, drug addiction, untreated mental illness and the takeover of public spaces. The results we see are the results they want,” Hoge said in a statement, referring to Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and nongovernmental organizations.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 07/27/2026 – 19:15

Former Netflix executive Kevin Baillie has sued the streaming giant, according to court papers reported by The New York Post Sunday, after he said he was fired in April from its Eyeline Studios division because he disclosed medically supervised ketamine treatment for depression during a workplace retreat.”The ketamine therapy issue has factored into the termination,” the attorney said, according to the lawsuit.Baillie, who served as vice president and head of creative at the visual effects division, earned about $1.1 million annually. The complaint said Netflix also denied him as much as one year of severance pay following his dismissal stemming from his comments in January at Netlix-owned Sendero Ranch in Northern California, according to the suit.He said he underwent ketamine therapy at a Santa Barbara clinic in 2022 while experiencing clinical depression following his mother’s death. He said the drug was prescribed and administered under medical supervision, according to the report.TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER DIRECTING FDA TO REVIEW PSYCHEDELICS DESIGNATED AS BREAKTHROUGH THERAPY DRUGSThe executive disclosed the treatment during a vulnerability-trust exercise that encouraged employees to share personal experiences. When a Netflix investigator questioned him March 18, the complaint said the therapy was presented as potential recreational drug use.The investigator raised the treatment “in a manner suggesting suspicion of recreational drug use,” the complaint said, according to the Post.Baillie said the company’s investigation also examined allegations that he used profanity and consumed alcohol. His previous performance review had addressed his language but did not direct him to stop swearing entirely.”Drop one or two less f-bombs but don’t stop entirely,” the performance review said, according to the complaint.VALERIE BERTINELLI APOLOGIZES AFTER DROPPING F-BOMB ON LIVE TVThe lawsuit said Baillie also told colleagues during the retreat that his former father-in-law had taught him to drink a Guinness while standing on his head. A colleague then asked Baillie to demonstrate the trick.”His colleague immediately asked for a demonstration,” the complaint said. “Rather than withhold the openness that the session had encouraged, he performed the trick.”Netflix’s public culture memo promotes vulnerability and candor while describing the company as a professional sports team rather than a family. Managers apply a “keeper test” when deciding whether to retain employees, although the memo also said workers should receive regular feedback and be evaluated on their entire record.”If the answer is no, we believe it’s fairer to everyone to part ways quickly,” Netflix said of the “keeper test,” which entails candidly assessing if one would fight to keep a worker if they wanted to leave, or if they would hire the person again if they knew everything they do now.”You willingly receive and give feedback; you are open about what’s working and what needs to improve; you admit mistakes openly and share learnings widely,” the site states.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREKetamine is a Schedule III controlled substance that is federally approved as an anesthetic and is also prescribed off-label for depression. The FDA has separately approved the ketamine-derived nasal spray Spravato for treatment-resistant depression under medical supervision.Baillie is seeking a jury trial, lost wages, compensatory and punitive damages and damages for emotional distress. He previously worked on visual effects for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Harry Potter” franchises. Netflix had not publicly responded to his allegations as of Monday. Fox News Digital reached out to Baillie and Netflix for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith went live on Twitch to respond after ex-girlfriend DiJonai Carrington accused her of a multi-player cheating scandal.During a livestream, Smith refused to confirm or deny the allegations, instead questioning why the Chicago Sky guard chose to air their private history a year after their breakup.Carrington launched the feud on Threads by alleging Smith cheated on her with Aces teammate Deja Kelly, Atlanta Dream guard Aaliyah Nye and others.WNBA ROCKED BY MULTI-PLAYER CHEATING SCANDAL AS DIJONAI CARRINGTON CALLS OUT EX NALYSSA SMITH”Whether she cheated on me and I cheated on her, why are we bringing that to the internet a year later when nobody did anything to anybody? Whether she cheated on me or I cheated on her, that has nothing to do with anybody,” Smith said. “Like what? That don’t even make sense. And to bring it to the internet a year later, is crazy. Just for fun? That’s ridiculous, especially when you’re in a happy, healthy relationship.”Smith also criticized Carrington for dragging Kelly and Nye into the public dispute.WNBPA SAYS IT DID NOT ASK WNBA TO DROP USA 250 ALL-STAR PATCH AFTER UNION OFFICER PUBLICLY OBJECTED”Then, to bring up folks name that has nothing to do with anything. These folks is minding their business. These folks woke up to this s**t on a random Sunday night of these type of allegations,” Smith said. “I think that’s very weird.”Detailing the in-person confrontation that preceded Carrington’s social media outburst, Smith claimed Carrington started an argument that ended with security stepping in.”Here goes DiJonai. ‘You talkin to that b*tch. You talkin to that b*tch.’ B*tch this. B*tch that. I’m like ‘Why I gotta be a b*tch?’ Literally on my grandmother’s grave, I’m like ‘Damn why I gotta be a b*tch.’ That’s how the whole thing started,” Smith said. “I’m literally like ‘Who’s a b*tch?’ So, then it causes commotion and I’m just like ‘Damn now what?’ I look like the problem. So, then security come and he’s like ‘Alright y’all gonna have to leave.’ Mind y’all, I’m the victim.”Smith also denied online claims that she showed up uninvited to keep tabs on Carrington.WNBA COMMISSIONER VOWS TO CRACK DOWN ON ‘RACISM, MISOGYNY,’ DODGES BIG QUESTIONS AT ALL-STAR PRESS CONFERENCE”I didn’t do ‘none.’ I’m sitting on the couch posting, minding my business. I didn’t do nothing to nobody,” Smith said. “So, the fact that people are trying to create this narrative of ‘Lyss came somewhere uninvited and she came here just to spy on folks. Y’all gotta stop all that lying.”Smith suggested alcohol contributed to Carrington’s outburst.”I guess the liquor, the cameras, her crowd, I guess she got some type of, somebody boosted her up to gain some confidence,” Smith said. “But at the end of the day, that was some bulls–t. We came to the spot. Folks was chilling. Nobody did nothing to nobody.”The former Baylor teammates will meet on the court Aug. 1, when Carrington’s Sky host Smith and the Aces in Chicago.Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Former President Joe Biden’s recordings from interviews with his memoir ghostwriter — obtained during special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation — have been released to the public.After a months-long fight from Biden’s attorneys to block the release of the tape, they abandoned their lawsuit calling for dismal Friday in which a judge accepted Monday.The plaintiff, Mike Howell formerly with conservative think tank Heritage Foundation and now at Oversight Project, has fought for more than two years to obtain the materials through FOIA requests, arguing that the public has an interest in reviewing the recordings and transcripts on which Hur based his decision.BIDEN’S HUR INTERVIEW TAPES COULD NOW GO PUBLIC AFTER HIS ATTORNEYS WAVE WHITE FLAGThe Oversight Project published more than 70 hours of recordings from Biden’s 2016 and 2017 conversations with his “Promise Me, Dad” ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, in which the then-former vice president frequently pauses, speaks haltingly and struggles to recall events — reinforcing Special Counsel Robert Hur’s characterization in his report.”Joe Biden didn’t want these tapes to come out. But now they have — after two years of painful delay. There is no joy in Bidenville today. Robert Hur’s and Merrick Garland’s decision to give Biden a free pass for keeping and disclosing classified information must now be reexamined from top to bottom,” Oversight Project Vice President of Litigation Jeff Clark exclusively told Fox News Digital.Hur investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents dating from his time as vice president in the Obama administration and as a U.S. senator from Delaware. He declined to pursue criminal charges because he concluded prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Biden willfully retained or disclosed the material.HUNTER BIDEN RESURFACES IN LA, REACTS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT BIDEN TAPES, UFO FILESIn his report, Hur wrote that Biden’s conversations were “painfully slow” and said Biden was “struggling to remember events and straining at times to read and relay his own notebook entries.””Mr. Biden’s memory was significantly limited, both during his recorded interviews with the ghostwriter in 2017 and in his interview with our office in 2023,” wrote Hur.He also said, in shocking reasoning for the lack of prosecution, that Biden could appear to a jury as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” rather than an intentional violator of classified document laws.

President Trump on Monday responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, criticizing his plan to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying, “Nobody tells me what we should be selling or not.”
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump on Tuesday at the White House during a visit to the United States, where he will also attend the wake for late Senator Lindsey Graham. Trump told reporters that he and Netanyahu are “pretty close” to the same page. “We have a little difference, but pretty close,” Trump said.
But he made it clear that they’re not on the same page regarding Turkey.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu appeared on CNN with Dana Bash hours after Trump said he would sell F-35s to Turkey during the NATO Summit in Ankara, overturning a ban from his first term.
“He’s not exactly a model ally of the United States,” Netanyahu said, asserting that the move “doesn’t make Turkey a friendly state to the United States.”
“It would destroy the power balance in the Middle East,” he continued. “This is not a force for peace and stability… When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake.”
WATCH:

Trump was asked on Air Force One earlier about Netanyahu’s opposition, and he essentially told the Israeli Prime Minister to pound sand.
“Well, look, Turkey’s been a great ally for me. You know, I think he’s done a very good job, did a good job with Syria. He’s a friend of mine,” Trump said of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“And nobody tells me what we should be selling or not. Turkey’s been a tremendous ally for me.”
“If it was up to Turkey, Turkey would,” Trump continued, noting they’re “not a big fan of Israel” and “not a big fan of Bibi.”
“They’ve been great for me. Turkey has been great, very powerful country, by the way. Tremendous military, very big military, very powerful military, has a lot of great equipment.”
When asked if Netanyahu wants the US to strike a deal with Iran or keep fighting, Trump declined to say but suggested that Netanyahu wants the US to keep going.
“Bibi has been great. I’m not going to say it. He was a wartime prime minister. We did very well together, and if you look at Iran now, they’re 8% of what they were four months ago. They’re 8% of what they were four months ago. So we’ll see how this all comes out.”
WATCH:

As The Gateway Pundit reported earlier, President Trump has halted US strikes against Iran as talks resume over the Strait of Hormuz and a potential long-term peace deal.
Still, Trump said he’s ready to “go back to very strong military action” in “not much time.”
MORE:
US Pauses Iran Strikes as Negotiations Resume but Trump Says He’s Ready to “Go Back to Very Strong Military Action” – Talks Will Proceed “Fast or Not at All.”

The post (VIDEO) Trump Responds to Netanyahu Opposing Sale of F-35 Jets to Turkey: “Nobody Tells Me What We Should Be Selling or Not” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Mitch McConnell Pokes Head Out Of Shell With New ‘Proof Of Life’ Pic From Rehab

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Monday ‘said’ he’s undergoing physical therapy, but that he hasn’t been medically cleared to leave rehab after being admitted to the hospital after his June 14 fall. 

“I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders,” McConnell, 84, one of the oldest members of the Senate, said in a statement – adding that he won’t be able to make it to a popular event called Fancy Farm slated to take place in Kentucky on Saturday.

The reason for the hospitalization was not disclosed until July 12, with McConnell stating at the time it was due to a fall that left him briefly unconscious. He’s also apparently suffering from a mild case of pneumonia and has totally not been dead for six weeks. 

BREAKING BOMBSHELL
New audio and video have been leaked showing Sen. Mitch McConnell being loaded by stretcher into an ambulance when transported to the hospital – EMS recordings conform they found an unknown person who was “unconscious” due to “cardiac arrest,” with “CPR in… pic.twitter.com/F5Aug8pmg8
— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) July 10, 2026
On Monday, Congress’s Office of the Attending Physician said that McConnell fell while at home in June and that he has been moved from the hospital to another facility.

“Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls,” the office said.

Mitch McConnell is fine 👀 pic.twitter.com/hMn29peojD
— Politi_Rican 🇵🇷 𝕏 🇺🇸 (@TheRicanMemes) July 27, 2026
“His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”

McConnell said on Monday that he was sorry to miss Fancy Farm and wished the community the best for the event.

“As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon,” he wrote.

McConnell has previously dealt with a number of health problems, including documented instances of him freezing while being near or addressing reporters. His office has said he experienced momentary lightheadedness at those times.

Mitch: Faithful servant of the people and spring chicken, on his 2026 re-election bid pic.twitter.com/1rlfzhKXc1
— Ben Bartee (@BenBartee) July 7, 2026
The senator said in 2025 that he would not run for another term. His current term ends on Jan. 3, 2027.

In the primary elections for the race to succeed McConnell, Republican voters chose Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), while Democratic voters selected former Kentucky Rep. Charles Booker.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 07/27/2026 – 18:50

Hollywood runs on multi-year contracts for a reason. Networks and studios lock executives into fixed terms so campaigns, budgets, and succession plans don’t collapse the moment a bigger offer appears elsewhere. That system assumes everyone treats the paper as binding.Warner Bros. Discovery says Amazon didn’t. On July 21, WBD and its subsidiary WarnerMedia Services filed suit against Amazon in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to Deadline.The case centers on Pia Barlow, HBO Max’s former EVP of originals marketing, who left for a newly created head of series marketing role at Amazon MGM Studios.Barlow’s WBD contract wasn’t set to expire until Oct. 31, 2027, according to The Hollywood Reporter.She told WBD she intended to leave on May 26, submitted formal resignation on June 5, and exited on June 26, according to Outlook Business. That is roughly 16 months of contract left on the table.WBD’s language leaves little room for interpretation. The suit accuses Amazon of running a “lawless employee shopping spree” and states plainly that “Amazon must be stopped,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. That is not the hedged phrasing of a routine contract dispute.Amazon allegedly offered a lawyer along with the jobThe complaint’s more unusual claim involves legal defense, not employment terms. WBD alleges Amazon selected a Seattle law firm with long-standing ties to the company to represent Barlow, and is paying or reimbursing her legal fees, according to Outlook Business.In effect, WBD is arguing Amazon budgeted for litigation before it happened.Related: Amazon’s FTC settlement window is about to closeThat detail matters more than the headline hire. It suggests Amazon anticipated exactly this lawsuit and treated potential legal exposure as a cost of doing business, rather than a deterrent.For a company already scaling MGM’s production slate, indemnifying recruits against their former employers is a signal about how much Amazon is willing to spend to build a studio workforce fast.WBD says this is not an isolated incidentThe lawsuit claims Amazon made a similar attempt weeks before Barlow’s departure, targeting another WBD employee under contract until Dec. 2027, according to The Hollywood Reporter.That attempt reportedly failed. WBD is asking the court for damages and an injunction barring Amazon from hiring any WBD employee before their term contract expires.An injunction of that scope would be unusual. It would not just resolve Barlow’s case. It would restrict how Amazon recruits from one specific competitor going forward, which is a far bigger ask than the damages claim suggests this is really about.

Warner Bros. Discovery sued Amazon, alleging it induced Pia Barlow to break a contract running until 2027.Leon Bennett / Getty Images

The dispute lands while WBD is fighting for its own futureThe timing compounds the pressure on WBD. Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of WBD is currently paused after a federal judge froze the deal amid a multistate antitrust challenge, with the halt extended until at least Aug. 17.WBD shares fell roughly 3.8% on the pause news, closing near $25.86.A company mid-acquisition, with its own leadership pipeline in flux, is precisely when a rival poaching senior talent does the most damage. That context helps explain why WBD is litigating an executive departure as aggressively as it might litigate a merger threat.There’s also an irony most coverage has missed. WBD isn’t only fighting Amazon in court. It runs agentic advertising technology built on Amazon’s AWS cloud, a partnership announced earlier this month.More Entertainment:Disney weighs new free offering as consumers ditch paid streamingNetflix’s move to buy Letterboxd sends a key signal to investorsHollywood’s next streaming gamble stars an actor who isn’t humanThe two companies are simultaneously commercial partners and courtroom adversaries, which says something about how entangled Big Tech and legacy media have become even as they compete for the same talent.This isn’t the first time a legacy media company has sued a tech platform over an executive hire. Disney sued YouTube last year over its hiring of former Disney executive Justin Connolly, a case that settled out of court, according to The New York Times.Warner’s suit reads as an attempt to avoid that outcome by seeking a court order rather than a settlement.The real question the case raises extends beyond Barlow or even Amazon. As streaming platforms, tech companies, and legacy studios compete for the same small pool of experienced executives, fixed-term contracts are becoming a battleground rather than a formality.How California courts handle this claim could shape whether those contracts still mean anything the next time a bigger paycheck comes calling.Related: Paramount’s Warner deal is suddenly in real trouble

A former U.S. Navy SEAL was convicted in a foiled plot to attack law enforcement officers with explosives during a “No Kings” protest in California after a store clerk’s tip led federal investigators to him.Gregory Vandenberg, 49, was found guilty after a five-day federal trial of transportation of explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempted transportation of prohibited fireworks into California, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.Jurors deliberated for about three hours before returning the guilty verdict.Prosecutors said Vandenberg was driving from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego ahead of the June 14, 2025, demonstrations when he stopped at a travel center near Lordsburg, New Mexico, and purchased six mortar-style fireworks and 72 M-150 firecrackers.FORMER MARINE GETS 100 YEARS IN PRISON AS JUDGE CALLS ICE DETENTION CENTER AMBUSH ‘AN ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY’While making the purchase, Vandenberg told a store clerk he intended to throw the explosives at law enforcement officers during the protests, federal authorities said.He repeatedly asked about the amount of gunpowder in the fireworks, whether taping multiple mortars together would increase their explosive force and said he was interested only in their ability to injure officers, prosecutors said.’SOMETHING BIG’: FEDS REVEAL HOW RELATIVES OF SUSPECTS IN FOILED WHITE HOUSE UFC PLOT SAW WARNING SIGNSVandenberg also encouraged the clerk to attend the protests and hand out fireworks to others, telling the employee he would not get hurt because of his military experience, according to trial testimony.The conversation alarmed employees enough that they wrote down Vandenberg’s license plate and contacted law enforcement before he reached California.Federal agents tracked Vandenberg to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, where he was arrested the following morning while sleeping inside his vehicle.ANTI-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATOR SENTENCED TO YEAR IN JAIL FOR MANSLAUGHTER DURING 2023 PROTESTSProsecutors said he falsely claimed he was traveling for work despite being unemployed and later told investigators he was visiting friends in Phoenix.A search of Vandenberg’s vehicle uncovered the fireworks along with clothing displaying antisemitic, anti-Israel and extremist imagery, according to prosecutors.Among the items recovered were shirts bearing an Al-Qaeda flag, a shirt calling for the destruction of Judea, a hat featuring the Al-Qaeda flag and apparel displaying a variation of the Black Sun, a symbol associated with neo-Nazi ideology.Jurors were also shown photographs of Vandenberg wearing a custom-made T-shirt bearing the word “AMALEK” while inside the travel center. Prosecutors said Vandenberg told investigators the word meant “destroyer of Jews.”Investigators also discovered Vandenberg’s cellphone home screen displayed a Taliban flag. A forensic review of the phone uncovered what prosecutors described as violent extremist content, including antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-U.S. material, as well as messages discussing the upcoming protests.According to prosecutors, those messages suggested Vandenberg believed the U.S. government, including President Donald Trump, was controlled by Israel and Jewish people, evidence they argued helped establish his motive for targeting law enforcement officers.”People in this country are free to hold their own beliefs and to express them peacefully,” Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison said in a statement. “What they are not free to do is use explosives to threaten or terrorize others.”Ellison added that Vandenberg “intended to turn explosives into a tool of intimidation,” and said the verdict “sends the message that attempts to substitute violence for expressing one’s opinion has no place in our communities and will be met with federal consequences.”Vandenberg was later sentenced to 16 months in federal prison, where he remains in custody. Upon his release, he will serve one year of supervised release.

A fishing content creator from New Zealand is lucky to still have his leg after going for a dive in Fiji. Henry Gibbs was spearfishing earlier this month in the water near the South Pacific island when he was bitten by a grey reef shark.The damage from the bite to his right leg required four surgeries and a skin graft, but didn’t cause him to lose any ability to use his foot.”No hard feelings towards the shark. I was in its environment hunting its food,” Gibbs wrote in an Instagram post a few days ago that included pictures of him in a hospital bed.”Wrong place, wrong time, and there are definitely a few lessons I’ll share when I post the footage in the hope it helps someone avoid ending up in the same situation and a bit on how to respond to it.”ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!On Sunday, the fishing influencer followed through on that and shared the footage of the shark circling below before racing toward him and taking a bite out of his lower leg.Gibbs explained that they had been diving in the reef for an hour or two before making their way to clearer blue water. They were trying to do some spearfishing and had a “handful of grey reef sharks” hanging out near them.One of the sharks in particular hung around longer than the others. He doesn’t know if it was the commotion coming from the boat, the speargun sounds or the general activity in the water that made the shark excited.’SHARK WEEK’ HOST FORREST GALANTE EXPLAINS WHY CRUSHING BEERS IN THE OCEAN IS A BAD IDEA”I’ll never know exactly what caused the change, but eventually it started making tight semicircles beneath us, became increasingly agitated and even sprinted at the boat,” Gibbs wrote in the caption of the shark attack footage.”Looking back, that should’ve been enough of a sign to call the dive. I never thought a shark of that size posed much of a threat, and that was a mistake.”He added that most of his encounters with sharks have come in New Zealand, where he says the sharks are less aggressive. A big mistake on his part was expecting this shark to act in the same manner.Having been bitten by a shark, Gibbs has some takeaways he’d like to pass along. The first is to end the dive and move on if a shark’s behavior changes. He also suggests sticking to plain black wetsuits in the tropics.He’s heard of several incidents now that he’s been attacked of grey reef sharks going after divers in camouflage wetsuits. His last two takeaways are to not ignore an agitated shark and to not judge the risk by the shark’s size.Gibbs teased that there’s more footage that’s more graphic than what he already shared. He also thanked those who reached out and who have cared for him since the bite.”I’m still deciding whether to share the rest of the footage as it becomes very graphic, but I do want to share more about carrying proper trauma gear, knowing how to use it, and diving with people you trust,” he wrote.”A huge thank you to everyone who’s reached out, and to all the doctors, nurses and hospital staff, family and friends who’ve looked after me.”You can add spearfishing in Fiji near grey reef sharks to the list of activities you’re not going to find me attempting.