The medical contractor overseeing healthcare at the nation’s biggest immigration detention site has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle claims it defrauded a program for disabled veterans, the Daily Beast’s sister Substack PunchUp reports. Loyal Source Government Services and another contractor, Officium Global, will jointly pay more than $3.6 million to settle False Claims Act and Contract Disputes Act allegations. Officium Global won seven set-aside contracts from May 2017 to June 2018 that were reserved for small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans, but prosecutors say it falsely certified its eligibility—and that Loyal Source caused the deals to collapse. Whistleblower Jeremy Lavin, who filed suit for the government, stands to pocket over $680,000. Loyal Source still supplies medical staff at Camp East Montana, the El Paso, Texas, site where three people are known to have died. The watchdog Project On Government Oversight found the firm has racked up 22 lawsuits since 2017 and more than $5.2 million in settlements.

*For the full article and many more scoops, head over to PunchUp.

Grammy-winning country star Jelly Roll has opened up about his pending divorce from podcaster wife Bunnie XO. During a concert in Saratoga Springs, NY, on Thursday, the singer told fans to “break your camera phones out,” as it was the only time he would discuss the split. Telling the audience that he and his ex remain “best friends,” he confirmed, “Nobody cheated on nobody.” The singer added, “Bunnie, I love you baby, thank you for those 10 years.” The 41-year-old singer also told fans to watch Bunnie’s latest podcast episode talking about the split, saying “every word of it is the truth.” On her Dumb Blonde podcast, Bunnie, 46, revealed that while they are in the process of settling their divorce, “We’re still having a baby together.” The podcaster said she and Jelly Roll will “co-parent together,” and they remain best friends. “Like, this isn’t what you guys think this is. Nobody cheated on the other person. It’s literally just we served our purpose for each other.” The podcaster also admitted Jelly Roll has already “started dating” and addressed his recent weight loss. “Daddy Roll is probably in his finest season, right? He’s feeling himself. He looks so good… he likes to snuggle and he likes to cuddle.” She also encouraged women to slide into her ex’s DMs on Instagram. “Don’t be scared. Shoot your motherf---ing shot,” she said. “I will be the ex-wife, okay? And we’ll have a great time.” Jelly Roll has a daughter, Bailee Ann, 18, and son, Noah Buddy, 9, from previous relationships.

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Attorneys for Luigi Mangione have reversed course on their plan to argue a psychiatric defense for the accused killer of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione’s defense team told the judge on Thursday that they would be withdrawing Wednesday’s plan to claim that the 28-year-old suffered an extreme emotional disturbance during his alleged murder of the healthcare executive, according to CNN. Experts previously told the outlet that entering an insanity plea for Mangione would be difficult, but was a valid course of action given the evidence stacked against him. Judge Gregory Carro’s evidentiary ruling last month allowed prosecutors to admit crucial evidence they claim ties Mangione to the crime scene and could reveal the motive behind his alleged killing. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state murder and weapons charges in the killing of Thompson, who was fatally shot in midtown Manhattan in December 2024. Mangione’s state trial is set to begin in September.

A trip to the zoo took a horrifying turn when a three-year-old boy was thrown into a crocodile exhibit. The incident occurred at Johnson’s Zoo, located in Cambridgeshire, about 70 miles north of London. The zoo is a popular destination for families and promotes its animals on its website, inviting people to come and see the “incredible crocodiles.” On Thursday, a 30-year-old man, unknown to the child, threw the boy into the dangerous exhibit, and police quickly rushed to the scene. “At this stage, we are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of this distressing incident to understand more about the circumstances,” law enforcement officer Verity McCann said. Another law enforcement officer announced that this was officially a “live criminal investigation” and discouraged people from speculating online. The man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of the toddler, who is currently hospitalized and in critical but stable condition.

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CNN has promoted Brian Abel to the role of anchor and correspondent. The move, announced on Thursday, will see Abel appear on CNN, CNN International and CNN Headlines, and the network’s domestic FAST channel, while continuing to serve as a fill-in anchor. Abel most recently worked as a correspondent for CNN Newsource in Washington, D.C., where he covered major stories including the 2024 presidential election, hurricanes and unrest in Minneapolis. Before joining CNN, Abel was an evening anchor at Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ, where he reported on major political and breaking news events. He earned an Emmy Award from the Michigan chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his work reporting on efforts to combat drug pipelines from Detroit to West Virginia. CNN noted that Abel’s extensive experience covering politics, breaking news and national events earned him the promotion. Based in Atlanta, Abel graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in journalism.

All My Children star Paul Avery, 81, and his wife Sheila died early Tuesday morning after their New Jersey home caught fire, WFMZ reported. New Jersey State Police received a call just before 1 a.m. about a fire at their home in Blairstown, a township 56 miles west of Newark. By the time emergency crews arrived, the home was already engulfed in flames and neither could be saved. The couple’s daughter, Kyle Avery, announced their deaths on social media Tuesday afternoon, stating, “I’m devastated to share that our parents, Paul and Sheila Garry Avery, passed away early this morning,” adding that they’re currently in the process of arranging a service. Paul was best known for his role as the bartender Hughie on the ABC soap All My Children, a character he played for more than a decade. The actor also had a minor appearance in the original 1978 Superman. Paul was a prominent member of the community, having founded the local paper, Ridge View Echo. “I always like to call Paul the most interesting man in the world, because he was when you consider everything he’s done in his life. Acting, skydiving, Vietnam veteran, started a newspaper,” said his friend and colleague at the paper, Joe Phalon. “His death is going to leave a real void in this community. Not just Blairstown, but the towns around as well.”

Oscar-winning director William Wyler’s daughter and son-in-law were found dead by authorities inside a running car in Northern California. Judith Sheldon, 84, and husband Wylie Sheldon, 86, were discovered unresponsive inside a Jeep Compass in Redding by a California Highway Patrol officer at around 5:45 p.m. local time Monday. According to a CHP collision report, a second officer soon arrived at the scene to provide medical assistance, but the couple was pronounced dead shortly afterward. While the deaths are still under investigation, the report states the deaths appear to be “medically related.” CHP Lieutenant Josh Smith told local media he does not suspect foul play, but is waiting for a medical exam to confirm. “It was the hottest day of the year so far, or second hottest. I’m sure there’s always a possibility that excessive heat played a role,” Smith told SFGate. An autopsy has been requested. Judith’s father, the late William Wyler, was an iconic filmmaker of the 1950s, known for hits such as Roman Holiday and Ben-Hur.

Everybody loves Nate Bargatze. Hell, I love Nate Bargatze. The clean-cut comic has built an empire on his dumb, everyman persona. He’s currently the #1 highest-grossing touring comedian. He’s hosted SNL. He just released his first movie (which, admittedly, tanked), and is a favorite of stand-up fans on both sides of the political aisle.

Bargatze himself had shied away from discussing his politics, or any politics, in public, telling Vanity Fair in 2021 that, “politics have got into everything. Comedians, movies, television. So why do you need me to do it? I don’t have a college education. I almost didn’t graduate high school… You should never vote for something I tell you to do.”

Hey, fair enough. Bargatze understands that his fans don’t need him to try to weigh in on policy. We’ve got funnier people to do that—like JD Vance. So it was a surprise to many fans when he showed up at last week’s White House UFC lameapalooza. He’s now facing criticism for attending the event and appearing to buddy up with members of the administration, even posing for pictures with Secretary of Roadkill Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

And look, one can certainly make the argument that sporting events are for everybody. Spike Lee and Donald Trump both showed up at the Knicks game and nobody said boo. Rather, they yelled it, at the President.

But this wasn’t that. This was, essentially, another tiresome Trump rally—plus ring girls. Fairly or not, one’s presence at President Diaper Baby’s bouncy house pyrotechnic birthday jam signified support for the man and his minions. (He also appeared to gamely pose for photos with Trump administration figures, and even Don Jr’s new wife Bettina.) Bargatze has never endorsed Trump, or any other politician, but allowing the regime to co-opt his image is the next best thing.

His Comedic Genius Is Being ‘Just the Right Amount of Dumb’THE LAST LAUGH

Matt Wilstein, Madeline Roth

During previous administrations, it was possible for entertainers to remain apart from the fray. Bob Hope, for example, entertained presidents of both parties over the decades. Even as recently as the Obama years, it would have been perfectly acceptable to have, say, Jeff Foxworthy perform at the White House.

Not so with this administration, whose callousness, corruption, and cruelty deliberately pits American against American, the same Americans Bargatze has spent his entire career trying to bring together.

Some of his fans are, predictably, upset. There are the inevitable calls to boycott his shows, with fans lamenting that Bargatze has “torpedoed” his reputation, and over on the Site-Formerly-Known-As-Twitter, some have taken to calling him “MAGAnate,” which is maybe a play on the word “magnet” or “magnate”? It doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t have to. People be mad!

He’s got his share of defenders, too, with many pointing out that Nate promotes his stuff on diverse networks and media platforms. He’s a guy equally at ease on Fox News and MS NOW. But this is qualitatively different than telling a few jokes for Brian Kilmeade on the morning show.

Yes, he was there for the fight not the politics. But that’s like saying you went to Jeffrey Epstein’s house to play Scrabble. It might be true, but don’t be surprised if your reputation takes a hit. Alan Dershowitz can’t even buy pierogis on Martha’s Vineyard anymore, for God’s sake!

It’s the same with Epstein’s former best friend. When you lend your likeness to him, which is exactly what Bargatze did, you are, at the very least, implicitly sympathizing with his agenda.

I get that it’s fun to watch men in short-shorts beat the shit out of each other. (Indeed, Bargatze’s first attempt at damage control was to deploy “sources” clarifying he’s just a big fan of cage matches, OK? He and his team have subsequently gone to ground entirely.) I once attended a UFC night and it was fun as hell. Senseless violence is as American as lack of health insurance. But there has to be a line. And it feels like Nate crossed it.

Newest Trump Family Member Grins With ‘Not Political’ ComicEXPOSURE

Ewan Palmer

Of course, Nate wasn’t the only celeb there. Fellow comedians Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe—last seen at a Trump rally calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage”—were there, apparently after being peer-pressured into attending by Joe Rogan. So were several sports figures and business moguls. None of them are receiving the same scrutiny as Bargatze because none of the others have made the same point of staying out of politics. Nobody’s mad at Mark Zuckerberg for being there because everybody already understands he’s a dickhead.

So now Bargatze is in the unenviable position of being in a quasi-scandal despite the fact that he didn’t do anything technically wrong. It’s not a sex scandal. It’s not even a wardrobe malfunction. Just plain old bad judgment.

I don’t know how Nate Bargatze votes. I don’t know what he believes about anything more substantive than picnics (he likes them). And maybe that’s the problem. There are moments in history when actively refusing to take sides is no different from taking one. This is such a moment. It sucks, but it’s the truth.

Bargatze could have stayed home in Nashville with his family and watched the damned thing on TV. He didn’t do that. Again, in ordinary times, there would be nothing at all wrong with a lil’ D.C. shindig. Of course, in ordinary times, there wouldn’t be a tacky-ass blood carnival on the White House lawn. Bargatze should have known better. I know he claims to be a dumb guy, but you’d think he’d be at least as savvy as Milli Vanilli.

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A reboot of the cult-comedy franchise Police Academy was scrapped after the 2014 fatal shooting of Michael Brown. Comedy writer Ike Barinholtz revealed on the Funny You Ask podcast that he was hired by New Line Cinema to write a script for a “dirty, rated-R, modern” take on the 1984 box office hit. The project was slated to star and be produced by Keegan-Michael Key, 55, and Jordan Peele, 47. Barinholtz explained that as the reboot was being developed, Michael Brown was shot by a police officer. “We’re not making a cop comedy right now where we’re having these two hilarious Black actors play police officers,” Barinholtz said. In August 2014, Brown was fatally shot by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, when he was 18-years old. While Wilson claimed that the teen tried to grab his pistol, Brown’s friend, Dorian Johnson, who was with him during the incident, explained that Wilson initiated the conflict by grabbing Brown by the neck through his patrol car window. Johnson claimed that Brown had his hands raised and begged Wilson not to shoot before the incident spiraled. A grand jury ultimately decided not to indict Wilson for the murder of Brown. The original Police Academy movie about a bunch of bumbling recruits starred Steve Guttenberg and Kim Cattrall. A total of seven Police Academy movies were made from 1984-1994, including two spin-off television shows.

North West, the 13-year-old daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, has just announced a tour that is set to kick off in August. She will co-headline a month-long tour with 21-year-old rapper and singer Molly Santana, with whom she previously collaborated on her EP N0rth4evr, released in May. The Molly x North Kimokawaii Tour will begin on August 5 in Dallas and feature 14 tour dates across North America, concluding with a final show in LA on August 27. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. local time on Friday. This is not North’s first time taking the stage. The teenager joined her father on stage in April at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium for two songs on his comeback tour. North also performed music from her EP at Rolling Loud during Santana’s May 9 set and performed the entire album on June 12 at Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash, donning a grungy, all-black Balenciaga look.