02/26/25 - The News

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Blake Lively mourns 'Gossip Girl' co-star Michelle Trachtenberg: 'She was electricity'

February 26, 2025 0

 

Blake Lively is remembering the "fiercely loyal" Michelle Trachtenberg.

Lively, who co-starred with Trachtenberg on "Gossip Girl"paid tribute to the actress in an emotional post on her Instagram Story Wednesday. Trachtenberg died Wednesday morning in New York City. She was 39.

"This was the first day I met Michelle," wrote Lively alongside a throwback photo of the two. "She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%."

Trachtenberg played fan-favorite villain Georgina Sparks opposite Lively's Serena van der Woodsen from 2008-2012.

"She laughed the fullest at someone's joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes," Lively continued. "She was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself."

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Lively also fondly remembered Trachtenberg's trademark caramel-scented lip gloss, which she said the actress always wore because "she liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lip gloss because she cared about the sweet details."

Trachtenberg was found dead Wednesday at 8 a.m., a spokesperson for the New York Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY. Upon arriving at a luxury apartment building, officers found her unconscious and unresponsive. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Jessica Szohr, from left, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Eric Daman, Michelle Trachtenberg, Ed Westwick and Sebastian Stan attend the "You Know You Want It" publication celebration at Henri Bendel in New York City on Jan. 12, 2010.

Lively remembered Trachtenberg as a "kind person, through and through."

"The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle," she wrote. "May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire."

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Trump introduces a green card for the rich: the gold card

February 26, 2025 0

 

President Trump speaks to reporters as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick looks on in the Oval Office on Feb. 25, 2025.

President Trump speaks to reporters as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick looks on in the Oval Office on Feb. 25, 2025.

Alex Wong/Getty Images North America

President Trump said he is planning to introduce a new visa to attract rich foreigners to America — something he is calling a "gold card."

For $5 million, people will be able to apply to become lawful permanent residents. Trump said the program would be rolled out in two weeks, would bring in "very high-level people," and said the proceeds from the program could help pay down the deficit.

"It's going to be a route to citizenship, and wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card. They'll be wealthy, and they'll be successful, and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes," Trump told reporters at an unrelated event in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

Trump's Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called it the "Trump Gold Card" and said it would effectively replace the current EB-5 immigrant investor visa. That program gives residency to foreigners who invest at least $1.05 million in a new business that creates jobs — or $800,000 if the business isLutnick told reporters the EB-5 program was "full of nonsense, make-believe and fraud." He emphasized that applicants for the "gold card" would be vetted.

Asked by a reporter whether Russian oligarchs could apply for "gold cards," Trump said — seemingly tongue-in-cheek — "Yeah, possibly. Hey, I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people."

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Mary Kate Cornett trending on X amid Ole Miss scandal and viral meme coin controversy

February 26, 2025 0

 University of Mississippi student Mary Kate Cornett trends after allegations of an affair spark controversy.


Pop Culture & ArtFebruary 26, 2025

University of Mississippi student Mary Kate Cornett became a trending topic on X, formerly Twitter, on February 26 after allegations surfaced that she was involved in an affair with her boyfriend’s father. The controversy has gained significant traction online, with social media users widely discussing the claims and even creating a meme coin inspired by the situation.

According to a viral post shared by X user @MAGAgeddon, Cornett allegedly became intimate with her boyfriend Evan’s father, identified as Private Banker Erik Solis. The post referenced a screenshot of a Snapchat message claiming that Cornett had returned home early after completing her exams. She reportedly took Evan’s younger sister to a basketball game, accompanied by Evan’s father. Later that evening, Cornett and Solis allegedly went out for drinks, which led to the start of their alleged affair.

Further claims in the viral post suggested that Solis reassured Cornett about his history of infidelity, stating he had cheated on his wife multiple times. Speculation also indicated that Evan eventually discovered the affair, but he and Cornett later reconciled. Meanwhile, Solis’ wife was reportedly aware of the situation but was considering divorce for unrelated reasons.As the scandal gained momentum, X user @DuragRebel shared screenshots suggesting the creation of a cryptocurrency meme coin based on Cornett’s name. The screenshots also included allegations reinforcing the claims against Cornett and Solis.Additionally, X user @Baginpocket posted an alleged screenshot of Cornett’s Instagram profile before it was made private. Other social media users shared unverified claims suggesting she had engaged in similar behavior previously, with one screenshot appearing to show a $150 Venmo transaction allegedly made to keep someone from revealing details.

At the time of writing, none of the parties involved had publicly addressed the allegation

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