Country legend Dolly Parton broke her silence on Thursday following the heartbreaking news on March 3 of the death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean. He was 82. “This is a love note to family, friends, and fans,” a post on Instagram from the 79-year-old country singer and actress began. “Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl,” she added. “I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me.” “He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you,” Parton continued, a likely reference to one of her biggest hits from 1973 titled, “I Will Always Love You.” Dolly Parton breaks her silence after husband Carl Dean’s death: ‘I will always love you’ https://t.co/UfM8BuDBTi pic.twitter.com/LBXiYxtQia — New York Post (@nypost) March 6, 2025 The post comes days after a statement was posted on her social media account that Dean had passed away in Nashville and will be laid to rest in a private ceremony. “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” the country singer shared in a statement. “Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.” A cause of death has not been announced. The Tennessee businessman and Parton met the day she moved to Nashville; she was 18, and he was 21. It was outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat, the Associated Press reported. “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” Parton described of their meeting. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.” Two years later, the two tied the knot at a small wedding in Ringgold, Georgia, on Memorial Day, May 30, 1966. While Parton’s career took off, Dean remained mostly out of the spotlight, supporting her behind the scenes, even being the inspiration to one of her biggest hits ever, “Jolene,” per NPR. “She got this terrible crush on my husband,” Parton said of a bank teller who seemed interested in Dean. “And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention.” “It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money,’” she added. “So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.” Related: Dolly Parton Shares Secret To Her 56-Year Marriage: ‘It Was Meant To Be’

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MSNBC doled out some characteristically fractured wisdom on Wednesday’s The 11th Hour. Marc Dunkelman of Brown University’s Watson Institute blamed progressives for bringing the second Trump administration on themselves, claiming they had tied their own hands by impeding government power through no other means than, ironically enough, exercising government power. A revisionist history that got gooey praise from host Stephanie Ruhle. Ruhle predictably opened up, lamenting that “Most Americans do not think that government is capable of solving big problems anymore, and a lot of people don't trust the government at all. All of this led, in part, to the reelection of Donald Trump.” She then introduced Dunkelman, who outlined his political philosophy and praised the public works of big government: Well, we got to a point where we had built all these tremendous things- the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Social Security Administration, the highway system, you name it. And then… we saw that the people… who had made these big decisions, had also made a series of bad decisions… There were all these… terrible things that had happened. And Progressives… for the most part, switched to being more fearful of government than they were excited about deploying it to fix problems. And so for 50 years, we've had the… remarkable run of putting guardrails around public authority to the point that public authority no longer works. Dunkelman seemed completely oblivious to the obvious- that “putting guardrails around public authority” was itself nothing but an exercise of public authority. It was also an exercise in revisionist history; suggesting they wanted to restrain government rather than restrain free markets and capitalism. The irony was apparently just as lost on Ruhle, and, bringing in what had seemingly become MSNBC’s favorite subject in the world, she asked, “did that lead us to DOGE?”     Dunkelman responded: Well, look, we Democrats are the party of government. And the general impression is that government doesn't work...The reason that voters… accept all the disgusting things about Donald Trump, is that they believe that he is going to be their agent to break through this system that doesn't work. We need… to be thinking about, how do we rebalance our priorities so that not only are we protecting people from the scourge of government… but that we are empowering government to make expeditious decisions that work in the public interest. Still ignoring the laughable circularity of the whole argument, Ruhle asked how that could be done, to which Dunkelman all but argued that they need to become the party of small government: [W]e have a series of tradeoffs we're going to have to make… At the moment, progressives have created this long litany, this gauntlet, of protections… so everyone has, essentially, a veto, over the system that they don't like. And what we need to do is find some balance, so that everybody has a voice… but they don't have a veto over it. But he still couldn’t shake the urge for governmental control. “And then we need to empower public officials to come and make big decisions…[G]overnment officials are elected to office, or appointed to office, to make decisions on our behalf. We need to trust them,” he proclaimed. So, according to Dunkelman, the government had to expand its regulatory ability to protect itself from its habit of impeding its regulatory ability by expanding its regulatory ability, and so on apparently ad infinitum. As though Dunkelman had shed light on a real problem, rather than spewing incoherent foolishness, Ruhle enthused, “Mark, I will vote for all of those things. Just let us know when and how to get that done.” To read the full transcript, click "expand" to read: MSNBC’s The 11th Hour 03/05/2025 11:38 PM [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: NEW BOOK EXPLORES WHY GOVT. PROGRESS IS AT STANDSTILL] STEPHANIE RUHLE: I am very excited to have this conversation. Most Americans do not think that government is capable of solving big problems anymore, and a lot of people don't trust the government at all. All of this led, in part, to the reelection of Donald Trump.  My next guest, Marc Dunkelman, argues: If Progressives put making government work, not on the periphery of the movement's agenda, but at its center, voters might be less vulnerable to the sirens of the populist right. Here to discuss, Marc Daunkelman himself, fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and author of the new book Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress and How to Bring It Back. I'm so glad you're here. We built this country. We did huge things. What happened? MARC DUNKELMAN: Well, we got to a point where we had built all these tremendous things- the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Social Security Administration, the highway system, you name it.  And then in- sort of- this [sic]- late 60s, early 70s, we saw that the people- the men, largely- who had made these big decisions, had also made a series of bad decisions. They'd gotten us into the war, they'd done urban renewal- which was slum clearance- which turned out to be a disaster destroying urban neighborhoods, they put pesticides on our crops that had driven- you know- birth defects. There were all these, sort of- terrible things that had happened.  And Progressives, on- for the most part, switched to being more fearful of government than they were excited about deploying it to fix problems. And so for 50 years, we've had the sort of remarkable run of putting guardrails around public authority to the point that public authority no longer works. RUHLE: Did that lead us to DOGE?  Because there are a lot of people out there that are rationalizing these cuts. Listen, you could always- you could always- find waste. You can find some fraud. And we are a hyper-regulated country. DUNKELMAN: Well, look, we Democrats are the party of government.  And the general impression is that government doesn't work. And that's a lousy political position to be in, right? If you're selling refrigerators and the refrigerators don't get to keep- keep your groceries cold- like- that's- that's a lousy advertising scheme. There's no way to- there's no way to talk around that.  The reason that voters, I think, in the end, accept all the disgusting things about Donald Trump, is that they believe that he is going to be their agent to break through this system that doesn't work.  We need, as progressives, to be thinking about, how do we rebalance our priorities so that not only are we protecting people from the scourge of government, which is the way we've thought about it for most of the last 30, 40 years, but that we are empowering government to make expeditious decisions that work in the public interest. RUHLE: But how do you do that?  Because the mindset of Democrats has become, they want to be inclusive of absolutely everyone, and they want to be careful not to hurt anyone. But in that careful motion, stuff doesn't get done.  So how do you- how do you change a complete mindset? DUNKELMAN: Well, that's exactly right.  The trick here is that we have a series of tradeoffs we're going to have to make. Somebody needs to choose where the bridge is going to be built. And depending on where you build the bridge, someone's house is going to have to be taken, someone's going to have to move. Where is the transmission line going to go? Some piece of forest is going to have to be chopped down so that we can get clean energy from where it's generated to where it's used. And those are hard tradeoffs, like- those are tough decisions.  At the moment, progressives have created this long litany, this gauntlet, of protections for all the people- so everyone has, essentially, a veto, over the system that they don't like.  And what we need to do is find some balance, so that everybody has a voice when it comes to a big decision that will affect their life personally, but they don't have a veto over it. And then we need to empower public officials to come and make big decisions expeditiously, that can't then be forever litigated in the courts- that aren't subject to an endless number of community meetings and- opportunities for people to express their frustration.  People- the- government officials are elected to office, or appointed to office, to make decisions on our behalf. We need to trust them. RUHLE: Mark, I will vote for all of those things. Just let us know when and how to get that done. DUNKELMAN: I- that- there's no simple answer, except that we progressives need to understand that the solution in each case is not to put another check on government. That's our, sort of, reflexive impulse.  We need to get rid of that and say, in some cases, we need to allow people to make tough decisions. Someone needs to be able to ratify a tough tradeoff that doesn't work to any- everyone's benefit, but works to everyone's. RUHLE: Mark, thank you so much for joining us. (...)

A New Hampshire police officer — allegedly known as "Officer Sexy" — is facing child porn charges, according to reports. John Giarrusso — a 48-year-old officer with the Seabrook Police Department — was arrested by cops with the Haverhill Police Department on Monday in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Giarrusco allegedly claimed he was known as 'Officer Sexy' to the 'girls in town.'Giarusso was charged with felony counts of possession of child pornography, distributing material of a child in the nude, and disseminating obscene matter to a minor, according to court records reviewed by Boston.com.Giarrusso was reportedly released after posting $100,000 cash bail.Giarusso purportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Monday.The Seabrook Police Department placed Giarusso on administrative leave. The Seabrook Police Department said in a statement, "While the Seabrook Police Department adheres to the principle that those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty, given the nature of the accused crimes, the Department immediately placed Ofc. Giarrusso on administrative leave.""The Seabrook Police Department strives to uphold the highest standards of conduct in our staff both on and off duty," the police department stated. "Allegations of criminal conduct against a law enforcement officer are taken seriously and will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately. We will continue to cooperate with Haverhill Police investigators and monitor this case as it moves forward."The Seabrook Police Department declined to offer more details on the case. WCVB-TV reported that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip regarding a potential crime. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reportedly determined that the IP address and social media accounts were linked to Giarrusso. Citing the criminal complaint, WCVB-TV reported that Giarusso allegedly uploaded "several videos to the messaging app Kik that show children being molested and raped by adults."The news outlet added that Giarusso's "IP address and social media accounts linked to his name and date of birth were used in sending and receiving graphic messages about having sex with children as young as 6, according to the ICAC's investigation outlined in a criminal complaint."WCVB-TV also alleged that Giarrusso "engaged in graphic conversations with other Kik users about arranging to have sex with their wives, young daughters, and stepdaughters," ICAC said.ICAC said its investigation revealed that during his role as a police officer, Giarrusso participated in fundraising for “child-focused facilities that help abused children heal by coordinating the investigation and treatment of child sexual abuse.” Citing the Seabrook Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, People magazine reported that Giarrusco allegedly claimed he was known as “Officer Sexy” to the “girls in town."Giarrusso's wife reportedly declined to give a comment on the situation. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

According to the propagandists, the “white supremacists” won the 2024 election. What now? As people think about the next four years and beyond, some are fearful that Trump and his administration will strain race relations even farther. However, others believe that Trump’s victory marks a turning point for facing racial problems in our system today. On “Zero Hour,” Jeremy Carl, political commentator, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, and author of the new book "The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart," sat down with James Poulos to discuss racism, the new Trump administration, and the systemic problems that America faces today. — (@) On the subject of race in America today, Carl addressed the elephant in the room: DEI policies and discriminatory practices have pushed white people away from many of our institutions. Carl said, "If I want to go to an Ivy League school and I am a white guy without connections, it's pretty much impossible. That is unfortunately the system we're in today." However, he expressed optimism that the consensus of the 2024 election showed signs that real change could be coming soon: “In some ways, the particularly multiethnic element of this coalition that Trump has put together gives him a unique platform where this multiethnic coalition is saying, ‘No, we’re not going to treat people this way [discriminate on the basis of race].'" Far from white supremacy, Carl thinks that this “multiethnic coalition” for Trump is a sign that people of other races condemn the mistreatment of whites and want things to change. They gathered in support of Trump, who “was just himself. In the same way that he’s still wearing the suit when he goes to McDonald’s, he didn’t try to put on the work overalls or gold chains like a rapper. He didn’t apologize for being a white Boomer, but he’s like, ‘Hey, I love America, you love America, we can both do our thing here.'” He added that Trump acted as a lesson for all white people in America today: “He never apologized for who he was.” To hear more about what Jeremy Carl had to say about racism, the civil rights movement, and the new Trump administration, watch the full episode of “Zero Hour” with James Poulos.

Democrats love to wave their “party of the people” banner, but their behavior during President Trump’s speech on Tuesday night proved to the nation that they are actually against the American people. When President Trump broached the subject of lowering taxes, which are currently crushing taxpaying citizens, many of whom are struggling to keep food on the table, the Democrats donned deadpan faces and refused to stand or clap. “The tax situation in this country has to change, because it is flat-out immoral and wrong and … just government theft,” says Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed.” However, when President Trump brought up solutions, including eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security, all of which would help American populations struggling the most to make ends meet, the Democrats, who claim to champion the least of us, sat in stony silence. Pat can’t understand how they can be opposed to eliminating something like taxes on Social Security when it’s a double tax. “If you tax Social Security, that itself was a tax that we already paid! So when you get just a tiny little portion of it back, you gotta be taxed on that again!” he exclaims. The good news is that the nation got to see firsthand what these “pro-working-class” Democrats really value. It’s not the American people. To hear Pat and the “Unleashed” panel’s humorous commentary on America’s egregious tax situation, watch the clip above. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Federal authorities in California have arrested and charged alleged leaders of a criminal organization said to have smuggled more than 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the U.S. over five years — including seven who died in a car crash in 2023.The U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement said in a recent statement, "An illegal alien from Guatemala was arrested on a four-count indictment alleging he led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States."'The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations.'U.S. officials said the huge human trafficking ring "smuggled approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to destinations nationwide over a five-year span." U.S. federal authorities estimated that illegal immigrants paid the human smuggling ring "between $15,000 and $18,000 for each illegal immigrant smuggled into the United States."The human smuggling ring allegedly smuggled illegal aliens into Arizona, "where they were held in stash houses and eventually picked up by Renoj-Matul’s lieutenants." Illegal aliens were reportedly offered to be transported to Los Angeles for an additional fee. ICE noted that the illegal immigrants who did not pay the fees were "held hostage in a stash house in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles.""The defendant held some victims in stash houses as hostages and is responsible for the deaths of seven illegal immigrants — including a 4-year-old child — who were killed in a November 2023 car accident in Oklahoma," the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement.Federal officials said that 51-year-old Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul – also known as "Turko" – was arrested in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 28. Authorities also noted that Renoj-Matul's "right-hand man" – 49-year-old Cristobal Mejia-Chaj – was also arrested on the same day. In all, four suspects in significant roles in the human smuggling ring were reportedly arrested. All the suspects are purportedly Guatemalan nationals who are or were illegally living in the U.S. at the time of the alleged offenses.U.S. officials said they also arrested 41-year-old Helmer Obispo-Hernandez — a lieutenant in the criminal organization. ICE also allegedly nabbed 44-year-old Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj — a driver for the smuggling organization who is incarcerated in Oklahoma.In a separate federal criminal complaint filed on March 2, Obispo-Hernandez is accused of threatening to cut off the heads of an ICE task force officer and members of his family on Feb. 28. The feds said all four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, transporting aliens in the United States, and harboring aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.“These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life and their conduct kills,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement. We must vigorously enforce our immigration laws so that these organizations cannot operate. The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations. This work saves lives, and the members of the organization will now face significant consequences.” ICE Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco said, "These arrests illuminate the dangers and victimization associated with aliens attempting to unlawfully enter our country. Every day, similar human smuggling organizations put profits ahead of safety in these reckless and illegal endeavors. ICE Los Angeles and our partners are committed to continue identifying and dismantling these organizations so no further lives are lost and our borders are secure.”The U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement noted that if the defendants are convicted of all charges, they would face a statutory maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!