A tragic accident resulted in a Mississippi man being “buried under hot asphalt” after his truck malfunctioned.
The incident occurred on Monday when 41-year-old Darrell Sheriff was working on a hydraulic line underneath a dump truck at AJ Materials in Jackson, per the New York Post.
As he was doing the work, the tailgate suddenly opened, releasing a heavy load of smoldering asphalt onto him.
When used for paving, asphalt is combined with aggregates like gravel, sand, and stone to create “asphalt concrete” or “blacktop”.
This mixture is heated to high temperatures, making it pourable and malleable enough to spread smoothly across surfaces.
Officers from the Jackson Police Department arrived at the scene around 10:30AM and found Sheriff buried beneath the hot asphalt, Police Chief Joseph Wade confirmed in a press conference.
“There were some individuals on scene that tried to help him,” Wade reported. “They said he tried to fight to make it through those injuries, but they were just too enormous for him to survive.”
Chief Wade described the incident as “horrific” and “tragic,” adding: “It’s something that you do not want to see.”
The police department has launched a thorough investigation into the fatality, though the incident is currently being treated as an accident.
“It appeared to be some type of malfunction with his dump truck,” Wade explained.
Several family members of Sheriff were present at the scene and were left devastated by the loss, remembering him as a “good, hard-working family man,” Wade shared.
With the holiday season approaching, the family’s grief is especially profound.
“With the holidays coming up, to lose this gentleman, who was out here just trying to make a living,” Wade said. “They’re really hurt, but we’re going to be here to support them and uplift them in prayer.”
Tributes have already flooded in via social media, with many friends and relatives paying their respects.
“R.I.P to Darrell Sheriff man we been boys since high school. Shame damn life doesn’t come with any guarantees,” one friend posted.
“GOD BOUGHT MY COUSIN HOME TODAY!! A VERY HUMBLE MAN IMMA MISS YOU COUSIN Darrell Sheriff IM LOST FOR WORDS,” a second person said.
A third added: “My deepest sympathy and Prayers to the Sheriff family! RIP classmate. You will definitely be missed.”
Our thoughts are with Sheriff’s loved ones during this difficult time.
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Joe Rogan reveals surprising presidential endorsement
By stefan armitage
Joe Rogan has shared a surprising twist on the eve of the US Election Day, sharing a presidential endorsement.
The host of the wildly popular The Joe Rogan Experience podcast threw his support behind Donald Trump for president in a tweet promoting the latest episode of his podcast – which also featured Elon Musk.
Known for his straightforward and often controversial opinions, Rogan’s endorsement came after a compelling discussion with Musk, who previously endorsed Trump following an assassination attempt in July.
Rogan, who has a massive following of approximately 14.5 million on Spotify, made his stance clear on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “If it wasn’t for him we’d be f**ked,” referring to Musk’s discussion on Trump.
He added: “He makes what I think is the most compelling case for Trump you’ll hear, and I agree with him every step of the way.”
This endorsement is a significant shift for Rogan, who in 2022 openly stated he was not a Trump supporter. However, his tune changed less than 24 hours before Election Day, as he declared: “For the record, yes, that’s an endorsement of Trump.”
This pivot reflects Rogan’s disillusionment with the Democratic alternatives, particularly Vice President Kamala Harris – who failed to appear on his podcast, despite the host actively campaigning for her as a guest.
Discussing Trump’s candidacy, Rogan acknowledged: “He’s not a perfect person,” yet emphasized that perfection is an unrealistic standard for any candidate.
“[Democrats] have done such a job of painting Trump as a monster, you know, they’ve taken the worst things that he’s ever said and [amplified them] and he’s not a perfect person,” Rogan said to Musk. “But guess what? No one’s perfect. They don’t exist.”
Trump – speaking at a rally in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania – reveled in Rogan’s endorsement, announcing it to his supporters as a significant win given Rogan’s influential platform and reach. He also noted that Rogan’s endorsement comes as a surprise as “he’s never done this before”.
“And his name is Joe Rogan and he’s never done this before. And it just came over the wires that Joe Rogan just endorsed me,” Trump shared with the delighted crowd, per the New York Post.
“That’s so nice,” Trump added. “And he doesn’t do that. He’s not a person that does endorsements, but he did an endorsement. So I just want to say Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and Megyn [Kelly], thank you very much.”
What’s more, Rogan’s announcement was flooded with praise from his followers on X, with one person writing: “Thank you for endorsing Trump! Let’s save America. Could have been sooner but this is good enough.”
Rogan’s endorsement of Trump comes as quite a surprise, given the podcast host’s previous comments about the former (and possibly future) POTUS.
Back in 2022, Rogan revealed on the Lex Fridman Podcast: “I am not a Trump supporter in any way shape or form.”
He then revealed that Trump’s team had previously reached out to Rogan for an interview, to which, Rogan said: “I’ve had the opportunity to have him on my show more than once, I’ve said ‘no’ every time.
“I don’t want to help him. I’m not interested in helping him.”
Additionally, back in 2020, Rogan voiced support for Bernie Sanders, per The Post.
And earlier this year amid the election cycle, Rogan expressed admiration for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. prior to his withdrawal.
With high-profile guests like Trump and Musk, Rogan’s podcast continues to top Spotify’s charts, mainly appealing to an overwhelmingly male audience, with his interview with Trump amassing over 45 million views on YouTube.
And in less than 12 hours, Rogan’s interview with Musk has already achieved more than 5.5 million views.
Featured image credit: YouTube/PowerfulJRE
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US president’s yearly salary has left people baffled: ‘It makes no sense’
By stefan armitage
As Americans hit the polls to decide whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris will take the reins from Joe Biden, it’s not just the title of ‘leader of the free world’ that’s up for grabs.
The role of the President of the United States also comes with a neat package of perks and a decent salary — though, arguably, not as decent as some people might expect for such a high-stakes job.
With Election Day taking place on Tuesday (November 5), the stakes have never felt higher.
On one side, former US President Donald Trump. On the other, current US Vice President Kamala Harris. After months of swipes, debates, rallies, and even assassination attempts – it’s safe to say that the world will be watching who will hold the fate of the US for the next four years (at least).
But as well as the big question of, “Who will be the next President of the United States?” The next big question some people may have is, “How much does the role pay?”
Well, per USA Today, the current salary for the POTUS – set by Congress back in 2001 – stands at $400,000 annually.
This current rate was a jump from the $200,000 established in 1969, which would now equate to about $1.66 million today, (adjusting for inflation). The salary increase was deemed necessary in part as a symbol of respect for what is one of “the most difficult, demanding and important jobs on the face of the Earth”.
Alongside the base salary, the president receives a $50,000 expense allowance annually, which reverts to the Treasury if unspent.
Beyond the paycheck, the presidential role is bundled with benefits that extend far beyond the average job perks.
Living in the White House comes with no rent, complimentary gourmet meals, global travel, and round-the-clock personal security — all on the (White) house. Once out of office, the perks continue with a generous federal pension; for example, Donald Trump pockets about $230,000 annually in pension contributions following his presidency.
But that’s not all—the presidential package includes a $100,000 allowance for White House redecorations upon moving in, a $19,000 entertainment budget, per CNBC, and an additional $100,000 for travel expenses.
And let’s not forget the iconic Air Force One as a personal airliner and top-notch healthcare benefits.
Despite these luxuries, some argue that the president’s salary doesn’t quite match the job’s demands, especially when compared to the multimillion-dollar earnings of top CEOs.
Critics on social platforms like X (formerly Twitter) argue that the salary, though substantial, pales in comparison to what top executives earn.
“Fire the lowest performing half of government. Double everyone’s salaries,” one person wrote.
“Politicians’ salaries should be voted on each election. We as citizens should decide if they deserve a raise or pay decrease each election cycle,” one X user suggested.
“It makes no sense that the top CEOs make $24 million on average per year but the US president gets $400k, which is 60 times less.” another added.
However, many point out that the real jackpot often comes post-presidency, with lucrative speaking gigs and book deals that can make their time in office look like mere pocket change. Just look at the Obamas.
As the election day drama unfolds, one thing remains clear: While the salary might not make one rich by billionaire standards, the role of the U.S. president remains one of the most uniquely compensated positions in the world, both in prestige and perks.
We’ll just have to see who will be receiving the check.
Featured image credit: Mario Tama / Getty
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Diddy’s birthday prison meal revealed as he turns 55 behind bars
By stefan armitage
Sean “Diddy” Combs – who has made headlines for his infamous parties – is marking his 55th birthday in a significantly less glamorous fashion this year.
Monday (November 4) marks the 55th birthday of the now-disgraced rapper and music mogul.
The music mogul, usually found surrounded by champagne and caviar at the swankiest venues, will instead be spending his “double nickel” birthday in federal lockup at MDC Brooklyn, where he has been since his arrest on September 16.
Diddy, the founder of Bad Boy Records, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations at a New York City hotel.
Per BBC News, Diddy – real name Sean Combs – is currently facing federal criminal charges in an alleged sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
The rapper has been denied bail multiple times, awaiting his trial scheduled for May 5, 2025.
Additionally, as well as his arrest, more than two dozen lawsuits have been brought against Diddy over the last few months – detailing allegations of rape, underage assaults, intimidation, sexual extortion, and more.
Diddy vehemently denies any allegations against him and has pleaded not guilty. His reps have said that the rapper and his legal team “have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process”.
The New York Post has exclusively learned that Diddy’s birthday menu starts with a simple breakfast of biscuits and gravy, “oven-browned potatoes”, oatmeal, and bread, as well as spreads like jelly and margarine, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ national menu.
Coffee is only served on the weekend.
Lunch brings a small upgrade with cheese pizza, Italian pasta salad, and green beans on the tray. PEOPLE reports that inmates also have access to several sides with the mains, such as green beans, rice, salsa, or coleslaw.
On some days, lunch comes with dessert. Monday is not one of those days.
Dinner offers a choice of turkey roast, rice, green peas, gravy, whole wheat bread and chicken or tofu fried rice, black beans, and carrots.
There is no dessert served with dinner.
PEOPLE adds that Combs could treat himself to a snack like Nutella, Snickers, macaroni and cheese, and hot chocolate if he has enough in his commissary account.
A far cry from his usual birthday meals, one has to believe.
While it’s a far cry from his usual star-studded bash, it’s a day marked by better food than usual in the mess hall of MDC Brooklyn.
If found guilty of racketeering, the rapper could face life in prison.
Prosecutors claim the rapper forced his alleged victims – some of whom were allegedly drugged and/or threatened with firearms – to participate in so-called “Freak Offs”, described as: “Elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded.”
Diddy is then accused of using this footage as “collateral” for blackmail, per The Post.
Per Reuters, one of the may lawsuits recently filed against Diddy claims he assaulted a child who was just 10 years old at the time back in 2005.
Combs has received support from his children, who have collectively labeled the allegations “conspiracy theories” and declared: “We stand united.”
Featured image credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty
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Story of the horrifiying discovery made by engineers after completely shutting down water flow at Niagara Falls
By Asiya Ali
It has been widely claimed that in 1969, a group of engineers made a disturbing discovery after completely shutting down the water flow at Niagara Falls.
While the waterfall, which is located in both the US and Canada, was indeed drained by the Army Corps of Engineers, there is very little information known about this reported incident.
Snopes, a website that regularly fact-checks myths on social media, confirmed that the engineers did drain the water from the American Falls side to the Canadian side for several months to examine erosion.
They also revealed that the group recovered two unidentified dead bodies from the bottom of the falls.
This discovery made headlines on June 13, 1969, in The Vancouver Sun. The article reportedly read: “The bodies of an unidentified man and woman have been found here in a grisly beginning to a major engineering feat that has all but halted flow of the Niagara River over the American Falls.”
“Police said today the decomposed body of the woman was discovered Wednesday while they searched for the man, who was seen leaping over the precipice. His body was found Thursday,” it continued.
“The water was shunted to the channel flowing over the Horseshoe Falls so engineers can study the face of the American Falls in an attempt to halt erosion,” they added.
It has not been disclosed whether the two individuals were ever identified or when, how, or where the bodies ended up in the water.
In addition to this, the engineers also found something else when Niagara Falls was dewatered: millions of coins, per a report by Wired.com.
“When crews shut down the falls in 1969, they found two bodies and millions of coins, most of which were removed. (As were the human remains, of course.),” the publication penned.
They added that as tourism at Falls has grown wildly in the last 50 years, many more items have been recovered including “cell phones, cameras, baby strollers, errant drones, and whatever else could be thrown or dropped by careless, thoughtless, or mischievous visitors”.
“There is, of course, the possibility of human remains being discovered again — though there are no individuals known to have jumped or fallen in who haven’t been recovered,” they concluded.
In other news, police confirmed last week that a 33-year-old mom Chianti Means “intentionally” jumped from Niagara Falls with her two children: nine-year-old Roman Rossman and five-month-old Mecca Means.
Featured image credit: Jonathan Lagace / FOAP / Getty
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New York City school will allow ‘distressed’ students to stay home following Election Day
By stefan armitage
With the US presidential election just around the corner, one school has caused a stir on social media for allowing “distressed” students to take the day off amid the fallout.
In a rather unconventional move, the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City has decided that students can skip classes the day after the presidential election if they’re feeling too “emotionally distressed” by the results, per NBC15.
This decision was revealed through an email sent to families, as reported by The New York Times.
The school recognizes that the election period may be a highly charged emotional time, allowing students from pre-K through twelfth grade who feel unable to “fully engage” in classwork to take the day off without penalty.
To further support its students, the school will not assign homework on Election Day and plans to have psychologists available for counseling.
Addressing the mental health of students around such a contentious event, the school aims to provide a supportive environment, regardless of the election’s outcome, as stated by principal Stacey Bobo.
The initiative also includes educational resources on discussing the election with children and managing election-related anxiety.
This sentiment is echoed in a recent poll by the American Psychological Association, which found that nearly 70% of adults consider the election a significant source of stress.
Arthur Evans Jr., APA CEO, highlighted the need for hope and unity in these divisive times.
“Stress surrounding the upcoming election seems overwhelming,” Evans Jr. said. “But despite concerns about a nation divided across cultural identities and political parties, it’s encouraging that hope could be the catalyst, where people can come together and have a stake in deciding their future.”
However, not everybody has looked at the school’s decision favorably.
A trending social media post sharing the news amassed thousands of comments from critics, with many people criticizing the younger generation.
“Y’all all creating the weakest generation since the dawn of men,” one person commented on the post.
“Teaching kids to be hella soft,” a second person added. “Keep moving and bettering your life no matter who wins. Control what you can control.”
A third bluntly typed: “Soft a** generation”.
Meanwhile, a fourth harshly wrote: “Enabling students to melt down and cry when they don’t get their way makes weak gutless adults.”
As the debate over the best way to handle election stress in schools continues, Fieldston’s policy stands as a testament to the growing recognition of mental health needs in educational settings.
But what are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments.