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Ben Ashford, US Senior Reporter

Ben Ashford is a veteran news journalist who has written for leading newspapers and websites on both sides of the Atlantic. In his ten years as a roving exclusives reporter at Daily Mail, he's chronicled Johnny Depp's legal battles, exposed Ghislaine Maxwell's cushy prison life and uncovered Hunter Biden's secret lovechild. Based out of Florida, he focuses on crime, celebrity scandals and anything weird, wacky and newsworthy.

Coverage: News

MOST RECENT ARTICLES FROM BEN ASHFORD

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Florida dad-to-be shot dead in Bahamas after alleged 'clash with cop'

24/03/26 02:15

Lineman Cody Castillo, 31, from Huntsville, Texas, was working in the Bahamas for energy firm Pike Electric, when he was shot dead at a beach bar....read

Florida dad-to-be, 31, shot dead in Bahamas after 'bar fight with off-duty cop'...while wife is pregnant with first child
23/03/26 09:26
Lineman Cody Castillo, 31, from Huntsville, Texas, was working in the Bahamas for energy firm Pike Electric, when he was shot dead at a beach bar.
- 189 comments
- 28 shares
Eric Swalwell keeps spot on California governor ballot after judge dismisses lawsuit claiming Democrat lied about living in state
20/03/26 05:55
Swalwell's bid to succeed Gavin Newsom was thrown into doubt when MAGA activist Joel Gilbert filed a lawsuit claiming the congressman doesn't officially live in California.
- 133 comments
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Inside Ghislaine Maxwell's 'female empowerment' prison classes
12/03/26 01:45
Jeffrey Epstein's notorious madam, 64, has her own classroom in the education department at Federal Prison Camp Bryan -where she insists on being called 'Miss Maxwell,' the Daily Mail has learned.
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Inside Ghislaine Maxwell's steamy new 'female empowerment' prison classes… and the creepy name she insists inmates call her
11/03/26 11:00
Jeffrey Epstein's notorious madam, 64, has her own classroom in the education department at Federal Prison Camp Bryan -where she insists on being called 'Miss Maxwell,' the Daily Mail has learned.
- 43 comments
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Tyreek Hill lands rare victory in bitter court battle against OnlyFans model suing NFL star over her broken leg
04/03/26 03:37
Plus-sized influencer Sophie Hall, 36, alleges that the free-agent wide receiver, 31, shoved her to the ground in a 'fit of anger' after she 'embarrassed' him during a football drill.
Pro-Iran Texas gunman was accused of being 'cruel' and abusive to realtor ex-wife and kids years before fatal shooting spree at Austin bar
02/03/26 10:04
Court filings obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail reveal gunman Ndiaga Diagne had a history of violent behavior towards his wife and children aged 10 and 13.
Read Austin terrorist's secret online manifesto: Disturbing messages Islamist sent Ivanka Trump... and his deep ties to Iran
02/03/26 06:35
Senegalese immigrant Ndiaga Diagne, 53, murdered two people and wounded 14 more when he sprayed bullets at partygoers at a bar in Austin early Sunday.
Report: Unsettling questions Bill Clinton is dreading
27/02/26 06:45
Lawmakers won't be short of questions for the 42nd President of the United States - whose ties to Epstein stretch back decades.
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Unsettling questions Bill Clinton is dreading in closed-door drilling of his relationship with Epstein and knowledge about pedophile's sordid web of sex crimes
27/02/26 04:22
Lawmakers won't be short of questions for the 42nd President of the United States - whose ties to Epstein stretch back decades.
Alysa Liu's father tells the real story of how brush with Chinese spies came close to derailing daughter's Olympic skating dream
25/02/26 07:18
Chinese spies targeted Alysa Liu's family - nearly driving the 2026 Olympic gold medalist to quit skating.
Report: Dark family secrets of Mar-a-Lago gunman
23/02/26 03:13
Austin Tucker Martin, 21, was the youngest of three siblings living with their parents in a $1.1 million home in North Carolina. He was neutralized when he breached the Mar-a-Lago gates on Sunday.
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Dark family secrets of gunman shot dead at Mar-a-Lago: Austin Tucker Martin's criminal past and tragedy that haunted him
22/02/26 08:05
Austin Tucker Martin, 21, was the youngest of three siblings living with their parents in a $1.1 million home in North Carolina. He was neutralized when he breached the Mar-a-Lago gates on Sunday.
Read wannabe California Governor Eric Swalwell's secret kinky poems: 'We groaned simultaneously'
16/02/26 05:34
He is desperate to be taken seriously in the race to succeed California governor Gavin Newsom. But now, Swalwell's eyebrow-raising past is laid bare in writings shared with the Daily Mail.
- 276 comments
- 13 shares
Report: Secret new life of Charlie Kirk suspect's lover
11/02/26 07:18
The Daily Mail can reveal how the pasty loner is rebuilding his life hundreds of miles away after reconciling with his strict Mormon family and relocating with them.
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Teen stepbrother of Anna Kepner arrives at court to face multiple charges in alleged murder of cheerleader found stuffed under a bed on Carnival cruise ship
06/02/26 05:09
Anna Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother is seen arriving in federal court today where he faces multiple charges in her mystery cruise ship death.
The Alexander brothers' glittering real estate empire and untouchable playboy status hangs in the balance as sex trafficking trial begins
20/01/26 01:10
From elite dealmakers to defendants, the Alexander brothers' lavish world now hangs in the balance as their trial creeps closer.
Eric Swalwell residency scandal rocks California Governor race
19/01/26 12:00
A lawsuit filed by conservative activist and filmmaker Joel Gilbert claims the 'home address' listed on Eric Swalwell's election paperwork is actually a lawyers' office,
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California governor race thrown into chaos as Democrat candidate Eric Swalwell is accused of lying about living in state
18/01/26 04:53
A lawsuit filed by conservative activist and filmmaker Joel Gilbert claims the 'home address' listed on Eric Swalwell's election paperwork is actually a lawyers' office,
Lurid life of married bodyguard accused of steamy affair with senator Kyrsten Sinema is revealed in new allegations of sex, drugs and choking
16/01/26 08:43
The bodyguard-turned-alleged lover of former Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema has faced shocking accusations of violence and psychedelic drug abuse, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.
- 91 comments
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Hundreds of masked anti-ICE protesters besiege Minneapolis hotel as whistles and horns drown out streets after ICE shooting
10/01/26 04:44
Masked demonstrators, drowning the streets with their whistles and bells, stormed the Canopy Hotel, with hundreds massed outside to vent their rage over Good's death on January 7.
Gun-toting feds in ski masks swarm the ICE agent shooter's home to retrieve belongings as the house sits empty amid claims he has gone into hiding
09/01/26 07:03
The Daily Mail witnessed armed federal agents swarming the empty home of ICE shooter Jonathan Ross to retrieve his belongings, with some agents confronting reporters on the scene.
Revealed: ICE shooter has an IMMIGRANT Filipina wife and is an Iraq veteran as father comes to his defense
09/01/26 02:53
Jonathan E. Ross, 43, is an Enforcement and Removal Operations agent and Iraq veteran, who is married to a woman with Filipino parents.
A squad of ICE agents hunting down illegal migrants. A mother who went to protest against them after dropping her young son at school. A pop-pop-pop of bullets - then blood in the snow... the ELEVEN SECONDS tearing Trump's America apart
09/01/26 12:15
But it ended just seconds later in an unprecedented tragedy on a snowy residential street - one that now threatens to tear the country apart.
Report: ICE agent involved in deadly shooting identified
08/01/26 08:46
Multiple videos show the agent, identified as Ross, opening fire on Good and hitting her in the face while she was behind the wheel.
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ICE agent involved in deadly shooting of Renee Nicole Good identified as Jonathan Ross
08/01/26 07:30
Multiple videos show the agent, identified as Ross, opening fire on Good and hitting her in the face while she was behind the wheel.
Trump's top female diplomat dumps husband for Lebanese banking tycoon
07/01/26 11:30
Morgan Ortagus, a top Trump diplomat, quietly ended her marriage last November and has begun a high-profile romance with Lebanese banker Antoun Sehnaoui, accused of ties to Hezbollah.
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Trump's most trusted female diplomat dumps Jewish husband for billionaire Lebanese banker
06/01/26 08:28
Morgan Ortagus, a top Trump diplomat, quietly ended her marriage last November and has begun a high-profile romance with Lebanese banker Antoun Sehnaoui, accused of ties to Hezbollah.
- 87 comments
- 1 share
Jeffrey Epstein's 'key lieutenant' is awarded a massage table and bizarre keepsakes in $600,000 divorce from ex-NASCAR driver
30/12/25 08:50
Ghislaine Maxwell's former aide Sarah Kellen is walking away from her divorce and life of luxury with just $600,000... and a strange collection of keepsakes from a sword to rare artifacts.
- 74 comments
- shares
Reiner family rush to 'traumatized' daughter Romy's side
26/12/25 04:13
It's an unforeseen role that nothing could have prepared him for. But Jake Reiner has become the 'glue' keeping his shellshocked family together, an insider tells the Daily Mail.
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Reiner family rush to 'traumatized' daughter Romy's side: Insiders reveal how brave eldest son Jake is 'glue' holding shattered clan together
24/12/25 11:21
It's an unforeseen role that nothing could have prepared him for. But Jake Reiner has become the 'glue' keeping his shellshocked family together, an insider tells the Daily Mail.
- 651 comments
- 109 shares
Stepbrothers are charged with rape after 'tricking' woman by switching places during sex encounter on Carnival cruise ship
23/12/25 01:35
Investigators believe Sayjuan Readous, 26,made an excuse to leave the darkened room before his stepbrother, Antoine Flowers Jr., 28 - both from Detroit - slipped inside to take his place.
- 90 comments
- 1 share
Baby-faced stepbrother considered a 'suspect' in Anna Kepner's cruise ship murder breaks cover as FBI weighs charges
17/12/25 07:24
The 16-year-old has been laying low at a relative's Florida home as federal authorities weigh charges in Anna Kepner's alleged November 7 asphyxiation aboard the Carnival Horizon.
Tyreek Hill needs court-ordered psych exam to probe 'violent' treatment of women, claims OnlyFans model suing Dolphin over broken leg
11/12/25 07:02
OnlyFans model Sophie Hall, 36, is demanding the judge overseeing her lawsuit against NFL star Tyreek Hill order a psych exam to evaluate his 'violent' treatment against women.
Report: Somali insiders and docs shine light on Omar marriage claim
11/12/25 01:00
Ilhan Omar calls Trump a bigot with a 'creepy obsession with Somalis but his claim she married her brother has long been rumored and an insider told the Daily Mail it is true.
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Damning truth about Ilhan Omar marrying her BROTHER... as Somali insiders and web of documents shine light on Trump's bombshell claim
10/12/25 08:59
Ilhan Omar calls Trump a bigot with a 'creepy obsession with Somalis but his claim she married her brother has long been rumored and an insider told the Daily Mail it is true.
Trump cozying up to Maxwell in resurfaced photo raises questions
10/12/25 06:27
A 2000 Halloween photo shows Trump cozying up to a dressed-up Ghislaine Maxwell, sparking fresh questions about his Epstein ties and claims that he showed favoritism towards the jailed madam.
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Unearthed photo of Trump cozying up to Ghislaine Maxwell at Heidi Klum's bash reignites questions about his links to Epstein and favoritism toward the jailed madam
10/12/25 06:15
A 2000 Halloween photo shows Trump cozying up to a dressed-up Ghislaine Maxwell, sparking fresh questions about his Epstein ties and claims that he showed favoritism towards the jailed madam.
Granny held in Bahamas prison after arrest on Royal Caribbean cruise
09/12/25 03:24
An Oklahoma grandma with a 'touch of dementia' is jailed in a rat and maggot infested Bahamas prison after accidentally bringing a tiny pistol on a cruise with her adopted son.
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Pistol-packing granny busted on a Royal Caribbean trip with 12-year-old adopted son ends up in Bahamas prison 'not fit for humanity'
08/12/25 06:24
An Oklahoma grandma with a 'touch of dementia' is jailed in a rat and maggot infested Bahamas prison after accidentally bringing a tiny pistol on a cruise with her adopted son.
- 166 comments
- 2 shares
FBI considering whether to prosecute Anna Kepner's stepbrother, court hears
05/12/25 08:32
Stepmom Shauntel Hudson's lawyer admitted in an emergency custody hearing Friday that her son is likely to be charged in the death of Anna Kepner aboard a cruise ship.
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Anna Kepner's stepmother admits in bitter custody hearing her son is likely facing charges in Carnival cruise death
05/12/25 07:24
Stepmom Shauntel Hudson's lawyer admitted in an emergency custody hearing Friday that her son is likely to be charged in the death of Anna Kepner aboard a cruise ship.
Report: Secret war tearing Miss Universe apart
03/12/25 01:23
A disgusted Miss Universe contestant has delivered a blistering inside account of the 'absolutely diabolical' chaos behind the scenes.
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Secret war tearing Miss Universe apart: Backstage scandal, girls feeling 'unsafe' and two arrest warrants... as disgusted insiders blow the whistle
02/12/25 08:04
A disgusted Miss Universe contestant has delivered a blistering inside account of the 'absolutely diabolical' chaos behind the scenes.
Report: 'Murder for hire' housewife begs Bahamas judge to remove ankle tag
01/12/25 02:13
Lindsay Shiver, who allegedly conspired with her barman lover to off her wealthy husband, is begging the Bahamas judge to ditch the ankle monitor she's had to wear for two years.
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'Murder for hire' housewife begs Bahamas judge to free her from GPS shackles… so she can start a shocking new career
01/12/25 01:53
Lindsay Shiver, who allegedly conspired with her barman lover to off her wealthy husband, is begging the Bahamas judge to ditch the ankle monitor she's had to wear for two years.
New details emerge in case of cheerleader who died on cruise ship
29/11/25 02:00
The bubbly cheerleader, 18, was on a six-day Caribbean cruise when she was found stuffed under her bed and allegedly wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests.
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Gisele Bündchen buys fourth Miami home, spending $14.5 million
27/11/25 12:00
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, 45, has cashed in $14.5million on her fourth Florida home right next to the one she lives in with her Costa Rican jiu-jitsu boyfriend, Joaquim Valente.
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Cuckolded ex of writer who 'had affair' with RFK Jr rebounds with lookalike feminist... who hates men but fetches his coffee
26/11/25 08:17
Olivia Nuzzi's ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza, has moved on with an abortion-rights activist following his widely publicized split from the Vanity Fair reporter following reports linking her to RFK Jr.
- 97 comments
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Gisele Bündchen splashes $14.5M on fourth Miami dream home next door to her current pad shared with jiu-jitsu hunk
26/11/25 07:51
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, 45, has cashed in $14.5million on her fourth Florida home right next to the one she lives in with her Costa Rican jiu-jitsu boyfriend, Joaquim Valente.
- 150 comments
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Shocking reason brother of Anna Kepner 'murder' suspect jumped out of moving car before Carnival cruise death horror
26/11/25 12:17
The bubbly cheerleader, 18, was on a six-day Caribbean cruise when she was found stuffed under her bed and allegedly wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests.
Ex claims stepbrother 'climbed on' Anna Kepner months before death
21/11/25 11:20
Tragic teen Anna Kepner's ex-boyfriend has claimed her 16-year-old stepbrother tried to climb on top of her against her will months before she died on a cruise. .
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Anna Kepner's ex-boyfriend claims stepbrother 'climbed on top of her' months before cheerleader was found dead on cruise
21/11/25 12:30
Tragic teen Anna Kepner's ex-boyfriend has claimed her 16-year-old stepbrother tried to climb on top of her against her will months before she died on a cruise. .
Florida cheerleader final moments on cruise before found under bed
20/11/25 12:10
More to follow.
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Surveillance footage sheds light on cheerleader Anna Kepner's final hours before cruise ship death
19/11/25 10:04
CCTV footage captured doomed Anna Kepner's final steps as she headed back to her room aboard the Carnival Horizon on the evening of November 6 after complaining during dinner that she felt unwell.
- 121 comments
- 1 share
Report: Parents admit stepbrother, 16, is a suspect in Anna Kepner's death
19/11/25 05:22
Court documents have revealed that bubbly Anna Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother is a 'suspect' in her mysterious death on board a packed Carnival cruise ship.
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Parents admit stepbrother, 16, is suspect in Anna Kepner's death on board Carnival cruise as boy's father bids for custody of younger sister
19/11/25 04:03
Court documents have revealed that bubbly Anna Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother is a 'suspect' in her mysterious death on board a packed Carnival cruise ship.
Report: Twist in cheerleader's cruise ship death as FBI eyes shock suspect
19/11/25 01:00
An emergency court motion obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail gives the strongest hint yet that FBI agents may suspect foul pay in 18-year-old Anna Kepner's mysterious death.
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Twist in cheerleader's mystery cruise ship death as FBI eyes shock suspect in criminal investigation
18/11/25 08:39
An emergency court motion obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail gives the strongest hint yet that FBI agents may suspect foul pay in 18-year-old Anna Kepner's mysterious death.
- 33 comments
- 51 shares
Bezos transforms $90M 'Billionaire Bunker' into real-life Amazon
18/11/25 01:29
Jeff Bezos transforms $90m Florida love nest to please Lauren Sanchez
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How body of cheerleader was found stuffed under bed on Carnival cruise
18/11/25 12:20
The death of 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner has taken an unsettling turn, as sources tell the Daily Mail how her body was found aboard a Carnival Cruise ship.
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Jeff Bezos transforms $90m Florida love nest to please Lauren Sanchez: Bulging sculptures, exotic features... and bespoke space to get steamy
17/11/25 11:51
Jeff Bezos' sprawling bunker-style estate is in its final stages of transformation, with the waterfront grounds now flourishing into a lush, Amazon-like oasis.
Shocking details of how popular cheerleader, 18, was found dead, stuffed under a bed on Carnival cruise ship
17/11/25 10:15
The death of 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner has taken an unsettling turn, as sources tell the Daily Mail how her body was found aboard a Carnival Cruise ship.
Father of cheerleader who died on Carnival cruise speaks out
13/11/25 12:55
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Anna Kepner's father Christopher, 41, opened up about the investigation into his daughter's mysterious death.
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Father of cheerleader who mysteriously died on Carnival cruise speaks out on investigation... and reveals the horrific theories he's heard
12/11/25 10:00
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Anna Kepner's father Christopher, 41, opened up about the investigation into his daughter's mysterious death.
- 125 comments
- 8 shares
Sordid truth about night seven ladyboys 'beat up' Luigi Mangione after visit to Thai sex bar: Texts and photos revealed in tell-all
08/11/25 05:45
New details about Mangione's bizarre encounter in Bangkok are laid bare in Last Known Contact, by an anonymous author who claims to have been traveling with the accused killer.
- 166 comments
- 97 shares
Nancy Mace concocted rape story and hacked fiancé's phone in bid to seize two multi-million-dollar homes, bombshell new lawsuit claims
06/11/25 09:32
In the escalating legal saga, Mace's ex-fiancé strikes back, insisting her claims were nothing more than a scheme to tarnish his name and take over their $6 million homes
Mar-a-Lago's new no-fly zone comes at a deafening price for locals
03/11/25 07:30
Furious locals say the Secret Service's new flight ban over Mar-a-Lago has turned their once-tranquil streets into a noisy jet corridor, rattling windows and disturbing their sleep.
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The deafening price of presidential security: How Trump's new Mar-a-Lago no-fly zone is rattling Palm Beach's quiet streets robbing locals of sleep
03/11/25 06:45
Furious locals say the Secret Service's new flight ban over Mar-a-Lago has turned their once-tranquil streets into a noisy jet corridor, rattling windows and disturbing their sleep.
Director of Disney's private Caribbean island, 65, charged with raping American woman, 29, on the beach
30/10/25 07:31
Gursel Sahibas, 65, is accused of indecently assaulting the 29-year-old victim when they went for a swim at shipwreck-themed resort Castaway Cay in the Bahamas.
- 171 comments
- 38 shares
NBA star Terry Rozier's secret past explodes into public after gambling bust - and it's far more sordid than anyone imagined
24/10/25 02:55
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier's gambling scandal has rocked the NBA world... but his messy history's resurgence in the wake of the scandal is further dredging his status.
Delivery driver who 'sparked Palisades inferno' is seen in shocking bodycam rant about DoorDash
23/10/25 08:27
Jonathan Rindeknect, 29, who's accused of sparking the deadly Palisades inferno was seen in police cam footage from a traffic stop arguing with the cop about his speeding and a stash of pills.
Diddy's friend details rapper's brush with death in cell
22/10/25 04:09
Diddy's friend Charlucci Finney has been losing sleep over his safety after the rap mogul woke to a knife at his throat from a shiv-wielding inmate who snuck into his cell.
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Diddy was 'seconds from death' when shiv-wielding inmate snuck into his cell and pressed knife to his throat
22/10/25 03:33
Diddy's friend Charlucci Finney has been losing sleep over his safety after the rap mogul woke to a knife at his throat from a shiv-wielding inmate who snuck into his cell.
- 98 comments
- 221 shares
Revealed: Police patrol Laura Loomer's Florida home after anti-Israel hate monger is arrested for vowing to slaughter Trump allies
21/10/25 08:44
An anti-Israel troll's online reign of terror against conservative personalities like Laura Lommer, who he accused of being a Mossad agent, has come to an end after his arrest.
- 87 comments
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Black Florida mom in viral arrest with white cop has 20-year rap sheet and history of clashes with police
17/10/25 02:57
Florida mom Erika McGriff, 39, has a history of fiery altercations and run-ins with the police. Footage of her begging for help and during her violent arrest on October 7 ignited social media outrage.
Conservative podcaster Steven Crowder is SUED over Nancy Mace rape bombshell that rocked Washington
15/10/25 02:08
Podcaster Steven Crowder has found himself in hot water after interviewing Rep. Nancy Mace, who discussed the rape and voyeurism allegations she leveled against four men.
Boy, 12, who saved family from house fire, is left fatherless in bomb factory blast that killed 16
13/10/25 06:40
The devastating explosion at a Tennessee bomb factory blast has taken the life of a father-of-seven whose son Tristan, then 9, bravely saved his family from an electrical fire that engulfed their home.
Tennessee bomb factory worker who saved dozens of lives with garden hose was FIRED... as latest tragedy at plant kills 16
12/10/25 02:36
Greg McRee, 44, was hailed a hero in 2020 after dousing flames shooting from an industrial chimney at Accurate Energetic Systems.
Alleged Palisades arsonist claims neighbor forced him to watch disgusting videos, smoked crack and groped him in bizarre lawsuit
12/10/25 12:33
Alleged Palisades Firestarter Jonathan Rinderknecht's murky history involves a bizarre lawsuit against his neighbor who he accused of trying to assault him.

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