Donald Trump Promises $5,000 Check to Every American If GOP Wins Midterms: Will He …

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Donald Trump really, really wants his party to emerge victorious from November’s midterm elections.

And he’s willing to shell out over a trillion dollars to make it happen.

Yes, Trump took the stage at the first-ever Republican National Committee midterm convention last night, where he made a historic (and possibly bogus) promise:

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he hosts a dinner in the Rose Garden at the White House on September 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” Trump told the crowd … just one day after he claimed to have been rescued by firefighters during 9/11.

Yes, the President of the United States just offered a payout to every American adult on the condition that his party wins a slate of state and local elections.

Many have pointed out that that’s almost certainly illegal, but the question on the minds of many Americans today has little to do with constitutionality and everything to do with plausibility.

That question: Will Trump really deliver this time? The answer: Probably not. For a number of reasons.

For starters, there are the logistics:

Trump offered no details about where the money would come from, whether Congress would need to approve the payments, or how the administration would legally distribute them. He did say the money would need to be spent in the United States.

And the potential price tag is … substantial.

Depending on who qualifies, sending $5,000 payments to hundreds of millions of Americans would cost approximately $1.35 trillion.

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That makes this considerably more complicated than simply announcing that Uncle Sam is sending everyone a very generous check.

Trump has floated similar ideas before. He previously promoted the concept of a $2,000 tariff-funded “dividend,” while other proposed cash payments, including a DOGE dividend, failed to become reality.

The timing of this latest promise is also worth noting.

Trump has been urging Republican voters to treat the upcoming midterm election as though he himself were up for reelection. During his convention speech, he explicitly asked Americans to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.”

The message is clear: A vote for Republicans could supposedly mean $5,000 in your pocket.

Whether that money ever actually makes it there is another question entirely.

For now, Trump has offered voters a very enticing number without providing many details about how he plans to make it happen.

But hey, at least there’s finally a campaign promise you can put a dollar amount on.

Donald Trump Promises $5,000 Check to Every American If GOP Wins Midterms: Will He … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Henry Winkler Shades Tom Hanks After Decades of Feuding Between Two of the Nicest Men in …

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Why don’t Henry Winkler and Tom Hanks seem to get along?

They both have long careers. They even worked together on projects — just not for many decades.

Additionally, they both have well-deserved reputations as two of the nicest, most decent men in Hollywood.

In a new interview, Winkler is opening up about how he’s still “working on” his feelings about their tension … and whether he’s open to putting the past behind them.

As soon as Tom Hanks’ name comes up, Henry Winkler’s body language shifts with discomfort. (Image Credit: YouTube)

Henry Winkler discusses what allegedly ‘pissed off’ Tom Hanks

On the Wednesday, September 9 episode of In Depth with Graham Bensinger, acting legend Henry Winkler discussed his tense relationship with fellow acting legend Tom Hanks.

Winkler’s demeanor and body language clearly shifted as the interview brought up Hanks.

Thinking back, Winkler shared his side of things from when he was briefly director of Turner & Hooch before getting fired.

Winkler, who was at one time best known as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on Happy Days but today is best known for smaller, beloved roles on comedy shows (and, of course, for his social media presence), recalled feeling out of his depth.

He now feels that, in his capacity as director, he over-directed … which is why his role lasted less than two weeks.

Turner & Hooch is a film from the late ’80s. It is a buddy cop film in which one of the buddies is a dog. The other is Tom Hanks’ character.

“I, at that time being insecure, I talked too much and I gave them direction,” Winkler admitted.

“I [did] what I thought was my job, and I wanted to do it over again,” he recalled, “and apparently that pissed them off.”

Winkler ended up getting fired from the directing job, and admitted that he did not handle it well.

Even so, he remains unsure where the tension in his relationship with Hanks truly originates. This was not the first intersection in their careers.

During his September 2026 interview, Henry Winkler explained a clear rejection from an apparent foe — though that’s not what he called it. He’s too diplomatic. (Image Credit: YouTube)

He’s ‘still working’ on how he feels about all of this

Long before Turner & Hooch, Tom Hanks was not a movie star or a household name, but merely a guest star on Henry Winkler’s claim to fame.

“We did a retrospective of ‘Happy Days,'” Winkler recalled.

These retrospective documentaries are often nostalgia bait for people who watched these shows when they aired. They can also be educational for people who enjoy television and its rich history.

“And we wanted 60 seconds of Tom Hanks in his episode,” Winkler stated diplomatically, “and we did not get permission for that.”

In other words, he’s making it clear that there appear to be hard feelings from Hanks’ camp.

Winkler admitted that he is “still working” on his “perspective” about Hanks declining to participate.

He is, however, open to mending fences if he gets the chance.

It sounds like Hanks would have to feel similarly.

We’ll admit that it’s odd to hear about two of the — famously — nicest men in the entertainment industry not getting along.

Sometimes, two good and decent people just don’t like each other. Sometimes the vibes are bad. Maybe that’s all that there is to this.

Henry Winkler Shades Tom Hanks After Decades of Feuding Between Two of the Nicest Men in … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Corie Walsh, Accused of Murdering 2-Year-Old, Was ‘Obsessed’ With Lindsay …

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Corie Walsh allegedly killed her 2-year-old, planned to kill her husband, and attempted to take her own life.

She is said to have already been “obsessed” with the Lindsay Clancy case.

Before and even after the deadlocked jury resulted in a mistrial, the postpartum psychosis tragedy captivated the nation.

Did that same tragedy unfold here? Is Walsh a copycat of some kind? Is something else going on?

Corie Walsh is accused of killing her 2-year-old, but her defense attorney says that she was in a psychotic state and unaware of her actions. (Photo Credit: Will County Sheriff’s Office)

What did Corie Walsh’s attorney say in court?

NBC 5 Chicago reported on the bail hearing for 40-year-old Corie Walsh.

She is accused of having murdered her 2-year-old son, Barrett, who died via hanging.

There, prosecutors claimed that she had made statements about “poisoning [her husband] with a drink.”

Walsh also apparently tried to take her own life, as she was found fully clothed in a bloody bathtub with wounds on her wrists and thighs.

Additionally, she was reportedly in such a delusional state that she believed that she had killed all of her children, rather than only the 2-year-old. She reportedly told investigators that her toddler was “the devil.”

It sounds like her behavior worried friends

Defense attorney Robert Kerr informed the court that Walsh is “severely mentally ill” and and should be placed in “immediate” care to prevent her from harming herself further.

Their argument is that she was in psychotic episode when she allegedly hanged her 2-year-old until he died from asphyxia.

Apparently, in the hours before this tragic killing, Walsh was spiraling, sending frantic and “confusing” messages to friends.

The messages seemed “out of character” to them, as at least some of them would presumably testify.

Some of the messages were related to the Lindsay Clancy trial during jury deliberations.

The ‘Lindsay Clancy copycat’ theory is ‘sickening’

“It was manslaughter, please I’m really freaking out,” Corie Walsh allegedly messaged on September 1.

At times, Walsh allegedly seemed to believe that Patrick Clancy, not Lindsay Clancy, had killed the couple’s children.

(This is a debunked conspiracy theory. Lindsay and her attorney do not claim this, and it has been widely debunked.)

Kerr condemned any claims of Walsh being a “Lindsay Clancy copycat” as “sickening.”

He says that she was diagnosed with “grief psychotic disorder” at the hospital, and that her husband has “unwavering” support for her.

What is the truth?

We do not know what Walsh’s true mental state was, and we do not claim to know what really happened. Three main possibilities have been floated on social media.

The first is a genuine psychotic episode. There are several signs, from the alleged murder to the alleged attempt to take her own life.

The second is that Walsh, for whatever reason, consciously and deliberately wished to commit this heinous crime, and fabricated symptoms of psychosis (and perhaps ensured that she would survive the apparent suicide attempt) in order to get away with it. This could mean deliberately copying elements of the Clancy family’s tragedy.

And the third option is that there was some other mental illness at play, one different than a psychotic episode. That one’s pretty broad. We’ve seen people float the idea that someone with rare forms of OCD might feel compelled to enact a murder similar to one described in detail on the news, but that is so rare that it boggles the mind.

(Despite apparently labeling the toddler “the devil” and “the Antichrist,” religious psychosis usually takes a different form than this, but many cases of psychosis may involve religiously inspired delusions.)

All that we truly know is that another family has endured another tragedy. It will be up the experts and the courts to determine, to the best of their ability, who if anyone is at fault.

Corie Walsh, Accused of Murdering 2-Year-Old, Was ‘Obsessed’ With Lindsay … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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One Year After Charlie Kirk’s Death His Widow and Critics Debate His Legacy

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One year ago today, conservative pundit Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a speaking engagement at a college in Utah.

In the 12 months since Kirk’s death, he’s been the subject of countless thinkpieces, conspiracy theories, memes, and heated debates.

The trend shows no sign of stopping, and on the first anniversary of the tragedy, both Kirk’s supporters and critics are discussing his legacy.

Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, speaks before former President Donald Trump’s arrival during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference at the Palm Beach Convention Center on July 26, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Perhaps the most moving tribute came from Charlie’s widow, Erika Kirk, who wrote about her year of mourning in an article for the Salt Lake Tribune.

“Grief is strange. Time continues even when every part of you wants it to pause or, better yet, rewind. But the people we love who have passed on would not want us to spend the rest of our lives trying to rewind,” she wrote.

“At first, I needed to survive the next 15 minutes. Over time, I’ve realized that Charlie would want me to live them.”

Erika took over as CEO of Charlie’s Turning Point USA in the wake of his passing, and she’s often been criticized for exploiting the tragedy.

Many have argued that Erika’s time and attention would be better spent on her two young children.

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But in her article, she argues that carrying on his mission is exactly what Charlie would have wanted.

Commenters countered that he was generally opposed to the idea of working mothers.

Elsewhere on the internet, The Intercept published a piece entitled “They Tried to Make Charlie Kirk a Saint. They Made Him a Meme.”

“By elevating Kirk to a martyr and clamping down on free speech, the right assured that he would be ridiculed even in death,” columnist Katherine Krueger argues in the article.

She goes on to argue that there’s a tragic irony to the reaction, as Kirk considered himself a free speech warrior.

“President Trump and his allies almost immediately blamed Democrats and ‘the radical left,’ without evidence, for Kirk’s assassination,” Krueger writes, adding:

“At the Department of Defense, Secretary Pete Hegseth promised to investigate whether members of the armed forces were inadequately mournful and terminate them. The State Department revoked visas of noncitizens who ‘celebrated’ Kirk’s death

Even right-leaning commentators like Richard Hanania have noted that Kirk’s death did not have the unifying, “galvanizing” effect that so many conservatives anticipated.

“The truth is, Charlie Kirk helped build up the culture of conspiracism that would come to haunt his own death,” Hanania writes, noting conspiracy theories advanced by Candace Owens and other media figures.

One year on, there’s no denying that Charlie Kirk’s legacy remains complicated. But knowing how highly Kirk valued debate, perhaps his supporters can take comfort in the knowledge that he’s still being discussed every day.

One Year After Charlie Kirk’s Death His Widow and Critics Debate His Legacy was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Catelynn Lowell Attacked for … Getting a Normal Job?

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On top of Teen Mom fame and becoming an anti-adoption podcaster, Catelynn Lowell has a new job.

(This one is a “real” job, one that she teased back in the spring.)

Some parents in the district (and, let’s be real, some folks who just don’t like Catelynn) are objecting.

Tyler’s stepping in, reminding everyone of why his wife is more than qualified for this gig.

Tyler Baltierra and Catelynn Lowell attend the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards on August 20, 2018. (Photo Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV)

Why are some people mad about Catelynn Lowell getting a normal job?

On Wednesday, September 9, a Michigan school district announced that they’ve hired Catelynn Lowell.

She is working as an instructional aid for two of the district’s schools.

The district shared a photo of Catelynn alongside a brief bio.

The “Staff Spotlight” post did not delve into her time on Teen Mom.

“This year, she’s looking forward to growing within our school community and helping students reach their full potential,” the post gushed, describing her as a “birth mom and mother to three girls.”

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A post shared by Catelynn Baltierra (@catelynnmtv)

The thing about posting a photo of a reality star who has been on television since 2009 is that someone is going to recognize them.

Sure, most people have not seen even a single episode of the Teen Mom franchise.

But if dozens, hundreds, or thousands of people see your post, someone’s going to recognize the name, the face, or both.

Sure enough, a bunch of people recognized Catelynn’s name and photo on the post.

And some of those were parents who have children in that school district. As you might have guessed, some raised objections to her employment.

‘I’m a normal person’

Taking to the comments, Catelynn Lowell did her best to reassure anyone with concerns.

“If you truly knew me I have never once went around flashing the ‘TV card’ ever,” she commented, per The Ashley.

“I’m a normal person, a mom to three kids in the district,” Catelynn added. “A woman who loves kids and wants to see them all succeed and try their best.”

She continued: “So if that brings ‘heat on my back’ so be it. I know who I am as a person, my heart, my work ethic, and my love for our community.”

Additionally, Catelynn clarified that she had no role in the district singling her out among other new hires for this announcement. (Presumably, other new hires will receive similar posts.)

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Catelynn’s husband, who has been her partner since they were both children, rushed to his wife’s defense.

“I’m sorry to hear that other parents have nothing nice to say about us, but I also understand that not everyone is going to like everyone else either (even ppl who aren’t on TV),” Tyler Baltierra reasoned.

“It’s just disheartening that she can’t do what she loves & help her community without being attacked,” he added.

Tyler also noted: “We both graduated from an alternative high school for struggling youth, so we KNOW how important it is for these kids to have adults who, not only truly care for them, but also can relate to their struggles on a personal level.”

It’s very possible that some adults will be super weird about Catelynn working at their kids’ school. But she has a right to work without harassment. Catelynn and Tyler are two of the better parents from Teen Mom, and it sounds like those kids will be lucky to have her.

Catelynn Lowell Attacked for … Getting a Normal Job? was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Sydney Sweeney Goes Fully Nude For Sports Betting App Novig; Controversy Erupts on Social …

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Along with politically fueled outrage, sports betting and nudity are two things that make the internet go round in 2026.

So Sydney Sweeney’s new ad for the sports betting app Novig might actually make your local data center explode.

Yes, Sydney is once again using her most famous assets to capture the internet’s attention — and once again, it’s working like a charm.

Sydney Sweeney attends the Los Angeles premiere of Lionsgate’s “The Housemaid” at TCL Chinese Theatre on December 15, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

If you’re like most people, you’d never heard of Novig before today.

Now, the little-known app is trending on Google and across social media platforms.

And it’s all because of series of eye-catching ads in which Sydney promises that the betting platform is devoted solely to sports and doesn’t dabble in politics like other prediction markets.

Of course, it’s anyone’s guess how many viewers are actually bothering to unmute the viral clips.

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Needless to say, the folks running the show at Novig are probably very happy with their decision to shell out for a partnership with Sydney.

For the most part, reaction to the ads has been positive.

“Greatest ad ever,” wrote one enthusiastic commenter on Sydney’s page.

“She’s got the whole internet malfunctioning.. AGAINNNN,” another chimed in.

But as with Sydney’s previous ad campaigns, there’s been some blowback too.

Some folks are giving the actress a hard time for promoting a gambling app.

The decision to legalize sports betting remains a controversial one, and many critics are concerned about the impact on the lives of young men, who are the obvious target for these ads.

And then there are those who are criticizing Novig not for the nature of their business but for promoting themselves with such provocative content.

I mean can we all agree that at this point Sydney Sweeney is basically just a porn star without the stigma? https://t.co/JGNEDUlfoY pic.twitter.com/GhV8uvjaC5

— Tebow (@MinEffortLive) September 9, 2026

“Selling your body to a gambling company. There will be a new book in the bible about this one day,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“I mean can we all agree that at this point Sydney Sweeney is basically just a porn star without the stigma?” another added.

“Here’s Sydney Sweeney being naked to promote a new gambling app in what could be easily mistaken for an SNL skit,” a third account complained, adding:

“IDK who’s more pathetic: Sydney Sweeney or dudes.”

Meanwhile, others have pointed out that this is no mere endorsement deal, and Sydney is actually an equity partner in Novig.

So even if there’s truth to the reports that Sydney’s lingerie brand is failing, she might still be well on her way to becoming a billionaire.

And while she’ll likely continue to draw criticism from puritanical haters, there’s no denying that Sydney knows how to make her assets work for her.

Sydney Sweeney Goes Fully Nude For Sports Betting App Novig; Controversy Erupts on Social … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Lindsay Clancy Jurors Describe ‘Arrogant’ Lone Holdout: ‘He Just …

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In early September, the Lindsay Clancy trial ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a verdict.

As it turned out, there was one lone holdout preventing an acquittal.

Now, the jurors are speaking out, discussing their experiences — and describing the “arrogant” man who held up deliberations until the trial was over.

According to former members of the jury, he ignored evidence and answers to his questions, leaving the case in limbo.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington, who represents Lindsay Clancy, answers questions from the media. (Photo Credit: Mel Musto/Getty Images)

‘He admitted he had reasonable doubt’

Three jurors spoke to NBC 10 Boston mere days after the Lindsay Clancy case came to a close.

Foreman Roni Carlson, a retired elementary school teacher, said that wrangling during jury deliberations was at times more challenging than managing a classroom full of Fifth Graders.

Speaking of the holdout, it sounds like he had reasonable doubt … giving the other jurors a brief moment of hope before he dashed it.

“He admitted he had reasonable doubt and I started filling out the forms. I was so excited,” she recalled.

Being on a jury is a grueling business, and the obligations of being even a prospective juror begin even before the trial. Everyone was understandably eager to leave the high-profile legal case behind them.

‘She had to have snapped’

“But I’m still not going to say that she’s not guilty by reason of insanity,” she recalled the lone holdout saying.

That sounds like a violation of the instructions that jurors are given. If there is reasonable doubt, acquittal is usually the verdict.

Carlson described how the defense laid out a solid argument, using a series of witnesses to portray Clancy as a loving mother who had suffered a psychotic episode.

“Everything proved she loved her children, from her journals to her mother-in-law, everything proved that she loved her children,” the foreperson summarized.

Carlson reasoned: “So she had to have snapped and not known what she was doing.”

Fascinating. Three jurors on the Lindsay Clancy case spoke with NBC Boston. According to the jurors, 11 jury members wanted to find Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity. The holdout juror “admitted he had reasonable doubt” and then said “but I’m still not going to say she’s not guilty…”

[image or embed]

— Anna Bower (@annabower.bsky.social) September 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM

‘He just completely disregarded the information’

During the interviews, one former juror spoke at length about the evidence from the Lindsay Clancy trial.

This is where the rogue juror earned the description of “arrogant,” for seemingly refusing to listen to the evidence presented at trial.

At one point, the lone holdout asked about medication, at which point jurors in the room — some of whom had expertise in the matter, which they of course disclosed during the voir dire process — answered his question.

“And he just completely disregarded the information that he gave,” the former juror described.

That sounds worrisome. It also sounds incredibly frustrating for the other jurors who were, to be blunt, ready to go home to their families.

Rogue jurors are not unique to this trial

Fortunately, the jury system — despite its many flaws — is designed to operate so that one or two jurors with bad intentions (or simply individuals who struggle to operate as intended) cannot send a guilty person to prison.

After all, it is better for 100 guilty people to go free than for one person to be condemned to our hellish carceral system. Even though the idea of that really sucks.

Many of us can imagine being on a jury where a guilty party is about to go free, and we are the lone holdout. “The demon,” a nickname that OJ Simpson’s defense gave to one juror during his famous murder trial, was apparently one such party — until she surrendered for reasons unknown, voting to acquit.

But the Clancy trial is a case of postpartum psychosis, a known and fortunately rare situation in which a parent who has given birth in recent months has their protective instincts reversed, killing one or more children — sometimes with the belief that this is the only means of “saving” the children.

It is not rational and it does not make sense, because the person is in a psychotic state from which they can recover, never again becoming a danger to anyone.

It is unclear how someone could review the evidence and believe that Clancy belongs in prison. There are countless evil, monstrous parents in the world. This case was a preventable tragedy.

Lindsay Clancy Jurors Describe ‘Arrogant’ Lone Holdout: ‘He Just … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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