The Daily Moth 2-27-2025
It is Thursday, February 27, 2025. Here are today’s top stories.
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Actor Gene Hackman, wife, dog found dead in home
Actor Gene Hackman was found dead in his home in New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon along with his deceased wife and a deceased dog.
Hackman was 95 and is an Oscar winner and considered one of the greatest actors of his generation. His wife, Betsy Arkawa, was 63.
Police initially said they did not suspect foul play, but ABC News reported that a search warrant affidavit said the deaths were suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.
I will share some distressing details.
Hackman was found on the floor in the mud room and it looked like he fell suddenly. Arakawa was found lying on her side in the bathroom. There was a space heater near her body and on the bathroom counter there was an opened prescription bottle with pills scattered. Around 10 feet away from her, there was a deceased German shepherd dog, but there were two other dogs found alive, one indoors and one outdoors.
Authorities said they found no signs of a possible carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.
So, clearly a distressing situation for the Hackman family to have their lives end in this way. It will take time to understand what happened.
Hackman played many different kinds of roles, as villains, heroes, or in comedies or action films. He won two Oscars and was nominated five times in total. He retired from acting about 20 years ago and lived in a Santa Fe home.
https://apnews.com/article/gene-ha%C3%A5ckman-found-dead-f6c106e92987aeaaab7b35c1b956a5c8
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Andrew Tate and brother return to Florida
Andrew Tate, a controversial internet personality who is facing serious charges of human trafficking and rape in Romania, was able to fly to Florida today on a private jet after Romanian authorities lifted travel restrictions.
Tate traveled to Florida with his brother, Tristan. They hold dual U.S. and UK citizenship. They have denied wrongdoing.
News reports said it is possible that U.S. officials and the Trump administration applied pressure on Romania to let them travel. The Tate brothers have been vocal supporters of Donald Trump. There is speculation that the Tates may have gotten the sympathy of the Trump administration after they were targeted by authorities.
Florida Gov. DeSantis said the Tates are not welcome in Florida and learned that they are in the state through media reports and said his office had no direct involvement.
The Tates’ stay may be temporary because they are required to return to Romania to face ongoing legal proceedings. There is also a warrant against the Tates from the U.K. on allegations of rape and human trafficking.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/andrew-tristan-tate-travel-restrictions-lifted-romanian-officials/story?id=119243973
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Transgender troops to be removed from U.S. military
The Washington Post reported that the U.S. military said in a memo that openly transgender service members will be disqualified from serving and will soon be removed from the military.
It is a huge change in policy from a previous policy, which prohibited discrimination based on gender identity.
The change in policy comes after President Trump’s executive order saying the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria were inconsistent with the high standards of U.S. troops.
Defense Sec. Hegseth previously said people with a history of gender dysphoria wouldn’t be able to join the military but this memo goes further by removing them.
There is an ongoing lawsuit from seven transgender troops and one person hoping to enlist that is challenging the legality of Trump’s order. Separately, a transgender troops rights group, SPARTA Pride, said there are thousands of transgender military members who are fully qualified for their positions and that no policy will ever erase their contributions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/27/transgender-ban-us-service-members-military-pentagon/
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Suspect caught with incendiary devices at Tesla dealership
Police in Loveland, Colorado said they caught a 40-year-old woman with explosives at a Tesla dealership. Her name is Lucy Nelson. Police said prior to the arrest, there was a series of vandalizations with incendiary devices at the Tesla dealership in Loveland. Some vehicles had a red “X” spray-painted on them. On Monday evening, they caught her when she was returning to the dealership with additional incendiary devices and other materials attributed to vandalism. She was charged with at least two felonies and is being held on a $100,000 cash bond. Tesla has become a controversial brand due to its CEO Elon Musk’s work with the Trump administration and police believe it may be the reason why the suspect vandalized the vehicles.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-caught-plant-explosive-devices-tesla-dealership/story
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3 American women die while on vacation in Belize
Three American women from Massachusetts tragically died while on vacation in Belize last week. They were 23-year-old Kaoutar Naqqad, 24-year-old Imane Mallah, and 26-year-old Wafe El-Arar.
CBS News said they were found unconscious in their hotel room last week. Police in Belize said they had a “build-up of fluids in their lungs” and are still awaiting final test results to see what caused it. They said they may have overdosed. Their room had alcohol and gummies in it.
Belize police said they would send human toxicology samples to U.S. authorities and they will coordinate to see if there was a presence of drugs.
The Belize government said they are working to transport the bodies of the women back to the U.S. and said there is no reason to stop any travel to Belize.
The U.S. Department of State said Americans should use increased caution while traveling in Belize.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/revere-women-found-dead-belize-cause-of-death/
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Katy Perry and Gayle King to go to space
Musician Katy Perry and TV host Gayle King are scheduled to go onboard on the next launch of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. They will be joined by Lauren Sanchez, who is Bezos’ fiance. The launch will happen sometime this spring.
There will be another three women on the crew to make it an all-XZXZ woman crew. The rocket trip will only last 10 minutes and go about 65 miles above Earth past the “Karman line,” which is considered the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/katy-perry-lauren-sanchez-set-travel-space-blue/story?id=119251145
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That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.