Tinnitus Remedies: Natural Options to Try and Avoid

Whooshing, ringing, buzzing, pulsing, humming, beating, roaring. If you hear noises like these when there is no actual sound source, you might be one of the approximately 10 percent of Americans with tinnitus.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c2fa499c-9967-4883-a40f-739a98d9ca0a
What Tinnitus Is What Is Tinnitus? “Although we don’t fully understand tinnitus, we think it’s a brain issue rather than simply an ear problem,” says Elina Kari, MD , a neurotologist and an assistant professor of surgery at UC San Diego Health. (A neurotologist specializes in treating neurological disorders of the ear.) “The hearing pathway starts with the ear and goes up to your brain stem. And the dorsal cochlear nucleus, located on the brain stem, has been implicated in tinnitus.” Not everyone has the same kind of tinnitus. “People with subjective tinnitus hear a constant high-pitched noise, like a whir or crickets,” Dr. Kari says. Subjective tinnitus has no known cause. More than 99 percent of people with tinnitus have this type. “Those with pulsatile tinnitus hear a clicking sound associated with the contraction of muscles or a pulsing like your heartbeat,” Kari says. Pulsatile tinnitus has specific known causes, such as anemia, high blood pressure, or an ear infection. Most people experience tinnitus in both ears, but only one ear is affected in others. The noise can be constant or intermittent. And although tinnitus might feel unbearable, here’s the thing: “While it is extremely common, only a minority of people [find it debilitating],” Kari says. Kari likens the experience of tinnitus to the sensation of clothing against your skin. “You are constantly feeling your clothes, but it doesn’t drive you crazy,” Kari says. “Often, the best solution for tinnitus is to ignore it and learn to live with it.” For those who find that easier said than done, we have three at-home tinnitus remedies that can bring relief — and six that probably won’t.
Remedies That Work Tinnitus Relief: What Works There’s no cure, per se, for tinnitus, but the following strategies can help. 1. Add Background Noise
The fastest and simplest way to help tinnitus go away is by avoiding prolonged periods of silence. Turn on music, the TV, a fan, or a white noise machine to distract you from the ringing in your ears.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293722be2a-d48c-4443-9a61-a06b0ce58ba0 “You can even get earplugs that emit a low level of white noise,” Kari says
2. Try Meditation or Therapy
Mood disorders are commonly associated with tinnitus. One study published in 2023 found that depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly higher in patients with tinnitus than in those without it.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762985faf6fd-ba63-411d-a7a3-b523eb0d1bee “If you are bothered by tinnitus, it can lead to anxiety and depression,” Kari says. “Then it becomes a positive feedback loop: The more tinnitus you have, the more your mood is disordered; the more your mood is disordered, the worse your tinnitus becomes. You have to break that cycle.” Research has found that certain therapeutic approaches, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for tinnitus (MBCT-t), can be helpful in managing tinnitus.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290d645151-b60f-4379-96ef-83b080dfdfe6 Kari is also a fan of 10-minute daily guided meditations, using an app like Calm or Headspace. “Some people think they need to empty their minds to meditate, which can be stressful if you have tinnitus,” Kari says. “But guided meditation helps manage tinnitus — as well as improving your mood and sleep, and promoting a general state of well-being.”
3. Get Enough Sleep
It’s no surprise that tinnitus can affect your ability to rest. After all, it’s hard to snooze if you can’t shut off the whirring in your ears. But it’s worth the effort to get some solid shut-eye. “Sleep loss leads to higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can exacerbate tinnitus,” Kari says. Meditating at bedtime and placing a white noise machine on your bedside table can help you reach dreamland sooner and sleep more soundly.
What Doesn’t Work What Doesn’t Help Tinnitus Research has been mixed on other purported tinnitus solutions. The following have no solid evidence to back them up. 1. Avoiding Certain Foods Although no specific foods or beverages have been scientifically proven to worsen tinnitus, feel free to experiment and see if dietary changes have any effect. Each case of tinnitus is individualized, so the contributing factors may differ from person to person.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629dc4fd1b9-de2d-4fc5-ad03-9d7a6400d5a8 “If you have an anxiety component to your tinnitus, you may want to eliminate caffeine, which is a stimulant and might exacerbate anxiety,” Kari says. “Other people say alcohol makes their tinnitus worse.” 2. Ear Drops When you put drops into your ear canal, the liquid slides in as far as the eardrum, located in front of the middle ear. “But if you have tinnitus, the problem is usually much deeper than the middle ear and often the brain is involved as well,” Kari says. “So ear drops won’t do anything.” 3. Jaw or Neck Exercises People with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction have pain in the joint that attaches the jawbone to the skull. While it’s typically considered an oral issue, severe TMJ can affect your ears, too. “We don’t have a good explanation for why this happens, but some people with TMJ experience pressure, discomfort, and ringing in their ears,” Kari says. “Still, even if your tinnitus is caused by TMJ, jaw or neck exercises aren’t likely to help. 4. Lipo Flavonoid Lipo Flavonoid is a product containing vitamins and extracts that are purported to include antioxidants, which when naturally derived from fruits and veggies are known to be neuroprotective. While there have been claims that some of these compounds can be neurogenerative for the ear, research has largely debunked this.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b06c1f84-6e44-4fe7-91a3-6d0b6f63521c “When people ask about Lipo Flavonoid, I usually shrug,” she says. “Are you getting anything better out of this supplement than out of drinking a naturally derived smoothie or eating a bunch of leafy greens?” (In other words, you’re better off reaching for an apple or choosing a salad for lunch than purchasing an iffy and expensive supplement.) 5. Vitamins Vitamins D, B1, B2 (aka riboflavin), and B12 are often hailed as tinnitus cures. More research is needed, but a small study found that 51 percent of people with tinnitus had a vitamin D deficiency , compared with 22 percent in a control group.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f8bfb120-9f6c-40c2-8cd4-db8c7f411ea9 There may be no correlation, however. “I have never seen vitamin deficiency as a contributing factor for tinnitus,” Kari says. “You can check with your primary care doctor to see if you have any deficiencies, but I would not self-treat with vitamins, because they can lead to toxicity and have negative side effects.” 6. Vicks VapoRub According to Kari, there is a myth that Vick’s VapoRub alleviates tinnitus, but she says that there is no evidence that it works, and, in fact, it can be dangerous. “I have not heard this to be effective, and I would be careful because applying it in your ears can lead to toxic effects,” Kari says.
When to Call a Doctor When to See a Doctor for Tinnitus If you have pulsatile tinnitus or if your tinnitus is in only one ear, get evaluated by your doctor. It could be indicative of an underlying condition, including impacted earwax.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a5b15b47-370e-45a8-a05f-49c0240483f6 Pulsatile tinnitus might also reflect hearing loss. “The brain is used to getting a certain amount of noise input,” Kari says. “When that input decreases due to hearing loss, the brain makes up its own sensations.” In that case, hearing aids (or cochlear implants if you are severely hearing impaired) will often help. If you have subjective tinnitus, you can ask your provider about new treatment protocols, such as a brain retraining therapy called neuromonics. It involves wearing a sound machine programmed to match the rhythm of your tinnitus.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629393c6b9f-9ddd-4c9c-89ba-df23af188a2e “This multimodality treatment teaches your brain not to care about the ringing by habituating it to the sound,” Kari says. “Although it works, it is pretty intensive. It’s also not covered by insurance and very few hearing centers offer it.” Either way, if you’re concerned, it’s worth calling up your doctor if only for peace of mind. “The most effective treatment for tinnitus is reassurance,” Kari says. Finally, if you’ve gotten your tinnitus under control and then it comes back, this is normal. “Rehab from tinnitus isn’t linear — you’ll have good and bad days,” Kari says. “If you go through a period where you are stressed and not sleeping well, you might notice it flares. Once you are feeling better, the tinnitus should improve.” If tinnitus comes on suddenly, accompanied by dizziness or vertigo, it’s best to seek immediate medical treatment.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629fb1e62fe-4278-4c2d-99ae-3d7d1bfc809a
The Takeaway Tinnitus is a neurological problem that causes you to hear whirring, ringing, or other sounds that are not coming from external sources. In some cases, it is associated with hearing loss. Strategies to reduce tinnitus symptoms include a noise machine, music, meditation, and making sure to get a good night’s sleep. Though many things have been touted as helpful for tinnitus, such as supplements and certain foods, the evidence on these is mixed or nonexistent. If you are finding tinnitus bothersome or having additional symptoms (such as hearing loss), talk to your doctor.

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Made in Tarrant: Former teacher spins ceramic business in Grand Prairie

by McKinnon Rice, Fort Worth Report
January 11, 2026

Editor’s note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series on small businesses started in Tarrant County. Submit your business here.

Partain Pottery owner Tanner Partain’s college major was not what one might expect from a craftsman who makes the majority of his living selling ceramics.

The Dallas Baptist University graduate pursued biblical studies and camp leadership, but he finds the latter applies to the business side of his work peddling mugs, incense holders and garlic graters.

“There’s a lot of business management and logistics. We spent an entire week one time learning about sewage treatment options at different camps,” Partain said. “As silly as it is, that probably did me more good than anything else in my major, was just getting to do all of the things that you wouldn’t think of, but you need to think of in order to do a business.”

The 30-year-old Grand Prairie resident previously worked as a teacher and as an inventory specialist at a medical technology company before starting his business in October 2024.

The further he takes his business, the more confident he has become that he is on the right path.

“The more I do and the more I’m consistent in pursuing pottery and pursuing the business, the more I feel like it’s where I belong,” Partain said.

He spoke with reporter McKinnon Rice about molding his business.

The interview has been edited for clarity and space.

Contact information:

Website: partainpottery.com

Instagram: @partainpottery

Etsy: etsy.com/shop/PartainPottery

Email: PartainPottery@gmail.com

McKinnon Rice: Tell me about your business and how it got started.

Tanner Partain: I started October of 2024, so a little bit over a year now. I’d been doing pottery as a hobby for a long time, but it just felt like I was getting good enough that I wanted to dive in and see what I could do with it. I like doing things all the way, and I got to a point where I was so interested in pottery and so obsessed with getting better at it that I was like, well, I just have to do this for a job. That’s kind of where the business side of it started. I started doing markets about then, like farmers markets and craft markets and things like that. I’ve expanded to have an online presence since then as well.

Rice: What are some of the markets you sell at in Tarrant County?

Partain: I really like the Pretty Little Things Market. I also do the Arlington Farmers Market. I did the Funky Finds one at the Will Rogers Center this year. This next year, I’m planning on doing ArtsGoggle. I didn’t get a chance to do it this year, though.

Rice: How old were you when you first started doing pottery?

Partain: I started in high school. I started when I was 16. I had a class that I took, and I just kind of fell in love with it. I took the class, I did a little bit of pottery here and there, and then, because of housing situations — it requires some equipment that did not fit in an apartment with seven other dudes — I had to take a break for a little bit.

Rice: Is your pottery business your only job?

Partain: This is my most-of-the-time job. I do odd jobs here and there. I have a friend who does florals, and so I help her with those sometimes. But in general, I’m working to make it feasible to have this be my all-the-time job. I just still have to do other things in the meantime right now.

Rice: What is your favorite part about your business?

Partain: In pottery as a business, I do so many different things. Because I’m doing my own business, I’m my own admin, I am also an artist. I’m also a craftsman, which is different in pottery, because you have to have the craft to be able to do a good mug that is dishwasher safe and microwave safe and all those things on top of the art side of it, making it look pretty.

I like balancing all the different parts. I really love getting the things that I make to people who really love them and enjoy them. Overall, that’s probably my favorite part. But I also like the borderline-hectic bouncing around between different things that have to get done.

Herb strippers in multiple colors made by Tanner Partain for his business Partain Pottery. (Courtesy image | Tanner Partain)

Rice: What are some of the challenges that come with a business like yours?

Partain: There’s the business side, and there’s the art side. In the business side, of course, you have to think about all of the legal things and taxes and all the things that you have to get to get started. There’s a lot of up-front investment in pottery. Equipment is pretty expensive. A normal kiln and wheel is probably $3,000 to $4,000 just on its own. I was operating on a wheel that was not professional quality for a while. Just those little things of jumping into it and the obstacles at the beginning that you run into in any business.

I think the other side of it is separating out the artistic side, where I’m constantly criticizing my own work because in my head, it’s better, it’s always better. It’s always better, and no matter how good I get, it’s always going to be better in my head than what actually comes out. And so trying to show grace to myself, while also saying, this is a good product. Objectively, I did a good job on this. I am happy that somebody is going to enjoy this. But battling that interior voice that’s telling me that it’s not good enough.

Rice: When you think toward the future of your business, what do you hope for?

Partain: This year, I’m trying to expand my online presence. I have an Etsy, I have my own website, but I’m trying to expand into a couple of other spheres that I’ll be excited to hopefully get into as far as online sales go. I also want to do more art-related markets because historically, I’ve done mostly craft and farmers markets, and so doing more markets that are focused on a clientele that is looking for a product that is beautiful and brings them joy in their own ways I think is my near future goals.

I’d love to expand my studio and be able to offer classes. My goal is to be able to offer classes by the summer, so I can do summer break classes for students. That’s more of, I used to be a teacher and I miss students more so than a business side decision. I want to be able to teach and help people grow more so I’m hoping that that’ll be a big source of income.

Rice: Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve made over the years?

Partain: I feel like that’s a constant moving target. I think my favorite piece from last year on the art side was, I had an incense holder that was a little guy in a boat, and the incense, as it burned, fell on top of him like rain, and he was in a little rain jacket. Personally, I really liked that one. I have a couple others that are in that same collection where I have one hiding under a leaf and one under a mushroom that are all hiding out from the ash falling on their heads.

Outside of that, I really like the lamps that I’ve started making this past year. I have some good ones that are a metallic-chrome color that reflect the light really well when they are being used as lamps.

McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.

The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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Motional puts AI at center of robotaxi reboot as it targets 2026 for driverless service | TechCrunch

Nearly two years ago, Motional was at an autonomous vehicle crossroads.

The company, born from a $4 billion joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, had already missed a deadline to launch a driverless robotaxi service with partner Lyft. It had lost Aptiv as one of its financial backers, prompting Hyundai to step up with another $1 billion investment to keep it going. Several layoffs, including a 40% restructuring cut in May 2024, had whittled the company from its peak of about 1,400 employees to less than 600. Meanwhile, advancements in AI were changing how engineers were developing the technology.

Motional was going to have to evolve or die. It paused everything and picked option No. 1.

Motional told TechCrunch it has rebooted its robotaxi plans with an AI-first approach to its self-driving system and a promise to launch a commercial driverless service in Las Vegas by the end of 2026. The company has already opened up a robotaxi service — with a human safety operator behind the wheel — to its employees. It plans to offer that service to the public with an unnamed ride-hailing partner later this year. (Motional has existing relationships with Lyft and Uber.) By the end of the year, the human safety operator will be pulled from the robotaxis and a true commercial driverless service will begin, the company said.

“We saw that there was tremendous potential with all the advancements that were happening within AI; and we also saw that while we had a safe, driverless system, there was a gap to getting to an affordable solution that could generalize and scale globally,” Motional president and CEO Laura Major said during a presentation at the company’s Las Vegas facilities. “And so we made the very hard decision to pause our commercial activities, to slow down in the near term so that we could speed up.”

This meant shifting away from its classic robotics approach to an AI foundation model-based one. Motional was never devoid of AI. Motional’s self-driving system used individual machine learning models to handle perception, tracking, and semantic reasoning. But it also used more rules-based programs for other operations within the software stack. And the individual ML models made it a complex web of software, Major said.

Meanwhile, AI models originally built for language began to be applied in robots and other physical AI systems, including the development of autonomous driving. That transformer architecture made it possible to build large and complex AI models, ultimately leading to the emergence, and skyrocketing use, of ChatGPT.

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Motional searched for ways to combine these smaller models and integrate them into a single backbone, allowing for an end-to-end architecture. It has also maintained the smaller models for developers, which Major explained gives Motional the best of both worlds.

“This is really critical for two things; One is for generalizing more easily to new cities, new environments, new scenarios,” she said. “And the other is to do this in a cost optimized way. So for example, the traffic lights might be different in the next city you go to, but you don’t have to redevelop or re-analyze those. You just collect some data, train the model, and it’s capable of operating safely in that new city.”

TechCrunch got a first-hand look at Motional’s new approach during a 30-minute autonomous drive around Las Vegas. One demo can’t provide an accurate assessment of a self-driving system. It can, however, pinpoint weaknesses and differences from previous iterations, and gauge progress.

Progress is what I saw as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 I rode in autonomously navigated its way off Las Vegas Boulevard and into the pickup and drop-off area of the Aria Hotel. These bustling areas are notorious in La Vegas and my experience was no different as the autonomous vehicle slowly nudged its way around a stopped taxi and unloading passengers, changed lanes, then back again, passing dozens of people, giant flower pots, and cars along the way.

Motional previously operated a ride-hailing service in Las Vegas with partner Lyft using vehicles that would autonomously handle portions of a ride. Parking lots and hotel valet and app ride pickup areas were never part of those operations. A human safety operator, always behind the wheel, would take over to navigate parking lots or the busy pickup and drop-off points of hotel lobbies.

There is still more progress to be made. The graphics displayed to riders within the vehicle are still under development. And while there was never a disengagement during my demo ride — which means the human safety operator takes over — the vehicle did take its time to nudge itself around a double parked Amazon delivery van.

Still, Major argues Motional is on the right path to deploy safely and cost effectively. And its majority owner Hyundai is in it for the long haul, she said.

“I think the real long-term vision, you know, for all of this, is putting Level 4 on people’s personal cars,” Major said, referring to a term that mean the system handles all driving with no expectation of human intervention. “Robotaxis, that’s stop number one, and huge impact. But ultimately, I think any OEM would love to also integrate that into their cars.”

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Bob on Business: Sales of $1M+ homes set record in 2025

by Bob Francis, Fort Worth Report
January 11, 2026

A record-setting number of Texas homes sold for $1 million or more from November 2024 to October 2025, according to the 2025 Texas Sales of Million-Dollar Homes Report released by the Texas Realtors association.

The 14,418 homes sold represent a 12% increase over the previous year. The $24.5 billion collective sales value of those homes is also a new record.

More homes in the $1 million+ price range were available in 2025, with 32,793 new listings, compared to 28,325 new listings in the previous year.

While 4.3% of all homes sold in Texas were $1 million+ homes, those properties made up 17.2% of all residential sales dollar volume in the state, an increase from 15.7% the previous year.

All four of the state’s largest metros had increases in $1 million+ home sales of at least 10%. The Houston area had the largest increase at 18%. The Dallas-Fort Worth area showed a 10% increase from November 2024 to the end of October 2025.

Almost 90% of the $1 million+ homes sold in Texas last year were in one of the four largest metro areas. At 38%, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the largest share, with 5,485 homes worth a combined $9.7 billion.

The average price per square foot of $1 million+ homes increased to $423 from $418 last year and was more than double the $188 average price per square foot of all Texas homes.

The median closing price for $1 million+ homes statewide was $1.37 million. Of the largest metro areas, the Dallas-Fort Worth area had the highest median closing price at $1.42 million.

A recent noteworthy sale was a home once owned by the co-owner of the Texas Rangers. The home, a seven-bedroom estate located at 9553 Bella Terra Drive in Fort Worth’s upscale Montserrat neighborhood, sold for $6.8 million at auction.

The home was previously listed for sale at $11.75 million. It went on the auction block on Dec. 3 with bidding ended Dec. 18.

Horned Frog bobblehead

The TCU Horned Frog bobblehead. (Courtesy photo | National Bobblehead Museum)

Texas Christian University’s football season may be over with a last-minute nailbiting 30-27 victory over the University of Southern California in the Alamo Bowl, but the team’s bobbleheads live on.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has just released an officially licensed statuette of the Horned Frog mascot.

Each of the 2,025 bobbleheads being manufactured is individually numbered and costs $35 plus an $8 shipping charge.

According to TCU, the Horned Frog mascot began life as “Addie the All-American Frog” in 1949 and became SuperFrog in 1979. In 1999, the mascot underwent a more radical transformation into the current look modeled by the bobblehead.

Tandy gets handy

Tandy Leather has opened its flagship store in Fort Worth’s West 7th corridor at 2973 Crockett St.

The grand opening will be Jan. 24 for the store, which looks to pair Tandy’s century-old heritage with a modern, interactive store experience.

The company, which dates its history to 1919 and was part of Charles Tandy’s Tandy Corp. empire, last year announced the sale of its headquarters, including a store located at 1900 SE Loop 820, to food packaging company Colonna Brothers.

Fort Worth firm secures capital

Fort Worth-based Equify Financial has closed a $100 million preapproved credit arrangement with JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The funds will be used to support Equify’s growing portfolio of commercial loans, with a focus on equipment finance, asset-based lending, and structured solutions for operators in capital-intensive industries.

Fort Worth firm acquired

Atlanta-based White Cap, a distributor of specialty construction supplies and safety products for professional contractors, has acquired VoidForm Products, a manufacturer of products designed to protect concrete structures from damage caused by expansive, corrosive and seismic soil conditions. VoidForm Products has six locations across Texas, Colorado, Mississippi and Canada.

David DiLuccia will continue to lead the VoidForm Products business. VoidForm had previously partnered with Argonaut Private Equity, a Tulsa-based private equity firm.

Fort Worth seeking proposals

The city of Fort Worth is currently seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals with horizontal and vertical public works experience to finalize an exclusive agreement to provide professional services in developing and administering a Small Contractor Development Program.

The SCDP is intended to strengthen the capacity, competitiveness and performance of small, local, new and emerging businesses within Tarrant, Denton, Johnson, Parker and Wise counties. These businesses would help deliver water, transportation and other public works projects for the city.

The Small Contractor Development Program aims to:

Provide training, mentorship and technical assistance.
Support firms in understanding Texas-specific contracting requirements with Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Historically Underutilized Business and Fort Worth’s contracting requirements as well as the new Small Business Development Program.
Identify and make recommendations regarding access to bonding, financing and compliance resources.

Identify additional “best value” subcontracting and prime contracting opportunities on municipal capital improvement projects for SCDP cohort member participation.

Proposals will be accepted through Jan. 29.

Private equity firm makes investments

Fort Worth and San Francisco-based TPG, a private equity firm, has made a series of investments and acquisitions of late.

TPG has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Conservice, a utility management platform for the property management industry. TPG will invest in Conservice through TPG Capital, the firm’s U.S. and European private equity platform, and will join leading global private equity investor Advent International, who will retain a significant stake after first investing in Conservice in 2020.
TPG Real Estate has acquired a majority interest in homebuilder Lennar Corp.’s Quarterra, a developer of multifamily communities. TPG has made an additional $1 billion strategic commitment in connection with the acquisition and expects to raise additional capital to fund future growth and the development of Quarterra’s multifamily pipeline. The partnership will focus on Quarterra’s Emblem communities, which looks to develop attainable rental housing options nationwide.
TPG and Jackson Financial established a long-term strategic investment management partnership with a minimum commitment to manage at least $12 billion in assets for Jackson. TPG will make a $500 million minority investment in Jackson while Jackson will receive $150 million in TPG shares.

Do you have something for the Bob on Business column? Email Bob Francis, business editor for the Fort Worth Report, at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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Tim Dillon: “These are not well-trained law enforcement people in ICE right now. … This is people in their third grade report card the teacher wrote that has violent tendencies.”

TIM DILLON (HOST): Renee Nicole Good. You know, again, this is a unfortunate, horrific situation. I don’t think — Listen. If you disagree with ICE, as many people do, blocking federal agents — and I’m not saying this woman was doing this, by the way — but I do think that she was part of a group of people that was trying to interfere with what they were doing. I do think — and that’s just she’s on those groups, message groups, and things like that. I do think that when you do stuff like that, federal agents are going to respond how federal agents respond. You you cannot obstruct law enforcement, physically use violence, try to intimidate law enforcement.

Now the extent to which she was doing that obviously is what everybody’s debating. I don’t believe the cop was justified in shooting her three times in the face. By the way, I’ve always believed this, and this is something that I’ve caught heat for, but I’ve literally believed it since I’m a kid. I don’t believe you should ever shoot someone in the face more than once. I’ve — No, seriously. I just think it’s ridiculous. So that they did that and they, you know, the guy —

These are not well-trained law enforcement people in ICE right now. We are taking people that did backyard wrestling. I mean, we are — The people that are in ICE right now are, I mean, this is your cousin who, like was in backyard wrestling. Like, this is tough. This is not the cream of the crop. Do you know the guys that kidnap Maduro, like Delta Force, Navy Seals? This is not them. This is not the Delta Force Navy Seal people. This is people that like had — This is people in their third grade report card the teacher wrote that has violent tendencies. You know? I mean, this is not — It just is what it is.

I’m not saying you don’t need law enforcement to deal with people. Certainly, people that have committed crimes. People that are in the country illegally, there has to be a process. There has to be some accountability. I understand that, and most sane people understand it. The thing about Minnesota where you go, no one’s illegal on stolen land and stuff. This is also silly and and ridiculous. All land is stolen. That doesn’t mean you don’t have laws in a country, dummy. These these people are not like serious people.

But the same people that are saying she deserved three shots to the face are also not serious. The country desperately needs serious people. They desperately need people that are serious people, that are not like completely off the chain.

That’s why I showed the video to a 6-year-old at the Cheesecake Factory to get some perspective.

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Google co-founders may be leaving California | TechCrunch

Sergey Brin and Larry Page appear to be reducing their presence in the state where they co-founded Google.

The New York Times reports that in December, 15 limited liability companies overseeing Brin’s investments and interests were terminated or converted into Nevada entities. Those include LLCs that manage one of his superyachts and his interest in a private terminal at the San Jose International Airport.

Similarly, 45 LLCs associated with Page have recently become inactive or moved out of state, and a trust associated with Page bought a $71.9 million mansion in Miami this week, according to the NYT.

Clearly, moving is not a simple, black-and-white thing for the ultra-rich, and Brin and Page both still own homes in the state, the NYT says. Still, these moves suggest that at least two of California’s billionaires are indeed hoping to dodge a prospective ballot measure that would impose a one-time, 5% tax on individuals worth more than $1 billion.

If the measure makes it onto the ballot in November and actually passes, it would retroactively apply to anyone who lived in the state as of January 1 of this year.

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Former New Jersey acting governor Richard Codey dies at 79

TRENTON, N.J. – Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state’s history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey’s family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey’s official page.

“Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather — and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him,” the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

___

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

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‘He Stole It’: Trump Turns Cold as Ivana’s Reported ‘Best Friend’ Is Pushed Back by Secret Service After Mar-a-Lago Claims

Donald Trump has audiences buzzing over the new Netflix series “Members Only: Palm Beach.” The drama-filled program puts five of the beach towns’ socialites in the spotlight, along with Mar-a-Lago.

Although the president and the interior of the members-only club are not shown on-screen, they are both hot topics among the series cast. Hence, in the most recent episode, entrepreneur Gale Brophy made a bold claim about her ties to the real estate developer.

‘I Love Your Husband’: Before Melania, There Was Marla Maples, Donald Trump’s Second Wife Who Ended His First Marriage with Four Shocking Words

During a row with Hilary Musser, Brophy bragged about being in a bidding war with Trump for the palatial estate. He eventually purchased the property as his home in 1985 for a reported $10 million. It was transformed into a private club a decade later.

Brophy claimed, “He stole it,” from her. She said she was “given a free membership in the beginning because Ivana was one of my best friends.”

Trump was married to Ivana Trump, his first wife, for 13 years when they divorced in 1990. They share three children: sons, Don Jr., Eric, and daughter, Ivanka Trump. The 73-year-old former model passed away in 2022 after falling down the stairs inside her Manhattan apartment.

But according to cast member Taja Abitbol, Brophy may have exaggerated her relationship with the Trump family.

“Look, I’m not 100 percent sure about her story. All I know is that Gale almost got escorted out by the Secret Service because we saw Trump walking by, and she went over to him and said, ‘Hi, do you remember me?” said Abitbol in a confessional scene.

She added, “The Secret Service was like, ‘I told you to stay in your seat,’ and she didn’t listen at all. And he obviously, clearly did not remember her even though she claims that she was bidding against him for Mar-a-Lago.”

Abitbol told Newsweek the scene unfolded during a birthday party for cast member Rosalyn Yellin. She said, “The Secret Service had to push her [Brophy] away, and it was very embarrassing. Just unbelievable. Unreal.”

As the clip circulated on social media, so did theories about the president’s reaction. “Probably has some beans to spill; better be careful Donnie. We all know Ivana didn’t just ‘fall’ down the stairs,” said one viewer.

A second person suggested, “No Trump had her removed because she was going to spill the on his activities with Epstein and Maxwell… so he needs to get rid of her.”

Others were turned off from tuning in. A critic shared, “When I heard alot of references to Trump I stopped watching!” A fourth person quipped, “’He stole it’ lmao. that’s very on brand for Donald.”

Resurfaced photos at least prove that Trump and Brophy have been in the same social circle for years. In a 2015 Facebook post, Brophy shared a photo of the pair seated together while serving as chairwoman and honorary chairman at an American Red Cross polo luncheon.

She shared another post of them at a gala in 2018. In the caption, Brophy wrote, “I’m so proud to say that president Donald Trump has been my closest friend for over 30 years.” Another post revealed a letter from the businessman endorsing Brophy for an unspecified opportunity as a “personal friend.”

He allegedly wrote, “I have known and worked with Gayle Brophy for over twenty years. Her integrity both personally and professionally is of the highest order. Her diversity is one of her strengths, and the fact that she is achieves the finest results is something I admire about her.”

The “Queen of Palm Beach” does not have photo with Trump on her Instagram despite showcasing snapshots taken at Mar-a-Lago.

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Allegiant to acquire Sun Country in deal valued at $1.5 billion | Fortune

Allegiant to acquire Sun Country in deal valued at .5 billion | Fortune

Allegiant Travel Co. will acquire Sun Country Airlines Holdings Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $1.5 billion including Sun Country’s debt, the two carriers said in a joint statement on Sunday.

Sun Country’s shareholders will receive 0.1557 shares of Allegiant common stock and $4.10 in cash per Sun Country share, the companies said. The offer represents a premium of 19.8% over Sun Country’s closing share price on Friday, according to the statement.

The combined entity will provide more than 650 routes, including 18 international destinations in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Central America, the companies said.

“Together, our complementary networks will expand our reach to more vacation destinations including international locations,” said Allegiant Chief Executive Officer Gregory C. Anderson in a statement.

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Williams scores 20 as No. 12 LSU hands No. 2 Texas its first loss, 70-65

BATON ROUGE, La. – Mikaylah Williams scored 20 points, capped by her 3 as the shot clock expired with 1:20 to go in the game, and No. 12 LSU handed second-ranked Texas its first loss this season, 70-65 on Sunday.

After Williams’ late 3 made it 66-59, she jogged back toward the defensive end with both arms triumphantly held high as an announced sellout crowd in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center erupted. The Tigers (16-2, 2-2 SEC) never let Texas (18-1, 3-1) get closer than five points after that.

Madison Booker scored 24 points, 14 after committing her fourth foul just 11 seconds into the fourth quarter. Kyla Oldacre had 16 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. Jordan Lee added 12 points for the Longhorns.

Flau’jae Johnson, Milaysia Fulwiley, ZaKiyah Johnson and Jada Richard each scored 10 points for LSU, which led the entire second half and by as many as 13. The Tigers have now won two straight since falling out of the top 10 in the AP Top 25 with consecutive losses to Kentucky and Vanderbilt to open SEC play.

Both teams scored far below their per game averages in a game defined by ramped-up and physical defensive play.

LSU came in averaging 101.8 points per game and Texas 91.9.

Texas committed 17 turnovers, with Booker losing the ball six times and Oldacre five.

Johnson, who’d scored 25 in a victory at Georgia on Thursday, didn’t hit the 10-point mark against Texas until her driving scoop in transition as she was fouled hard and knocked to the floor by Oldacre. She converted the 3-point play to give LSU a 55-47 lead.

Texas led briefly in the first half but never by more than four points.

LSU took its first double-digit lead when Grace Knox hit consecutive layups to make it 43-32 after half way through the third period. The lead was still 11 when ZaKiyah Johnson and Fulwiley each hit layups to make it 50-39 after three quarters.

Williams had 11 points and three steals during the first half. Her third steal, from Lee, sent Richard breaking the other way for a pull-up jumper at the halftime horn that made it 30-25.

Up next

Texas is at No. 3 South Carolina on Thursday.

LSU is at No. 5 Oklahoma on Sunday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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