Latest news with #Meeks
The Hill
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
House Democrat: We should be let into ICE facilities
Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) condemned new policies requiring pre-screening for lawmakers' visits to immigration detention facilities on Friday after a series of incidents where members of Congress seeking to conduct oversight were denied entry. 'This administration has continuously tried to go around Congress and block Congress from doing its constitutionally responsible duties,' Meek said during a Friday appearance on MSNBC. 'We are and have oversight and should be let into these facilities without notice,' he added. Meeks said when provided advanced notice Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials can misrepresent conditions. His comments come after DHS issued new guidance requesting 72-hour notice before members of Congress visit facilities. Several lawmakers in New Jersey, California, Illinois and New York have been barred from entering facilities to conduct legal oversight. Meeks said DHS' new policy is 'problematic.' 'The way that you find out what actually is taking place, and we've done this under several administrations, Democrat and Republican previously, you're able to walk in and make an assessment of what is and what is not taking place,' Meeks told MSNBC. 'When you are prevented from doing your job and prevented from, you know, doing what the Constitution says you should be doing, then it makes you feel that there is something going on that should not be going on.' Multiple detainees have complained of overcrowding and a lack of due process amid national protests regarding the Trump administration's new immigration policies. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) also said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is seeking to block lawmakers from visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field offices, even during advance visits. DHS did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment on the allegations. 'No matter how much she and Trump want to force us to live under their authoritarian rule, ICE is not above oversight and the Department must follow the law. This unlawful policy is a smokescreen to deny Member visits to ICE offices across the country, which are holding migrants – and sometimes even U.S. citizens – for days at a time,' Thompson, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement. 'They are therefore detention facilities and are subject to oversight and inspection at any time. DHS pretending otherwise is simply their latest lie. There is no valid or legal reason for denying Member access to ICE facilities and DHS's ever-changing justifications prove this,' he added.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Where Is 'Hot Felon' Jeremy Meeks Now? All About His Life 11 Years After His Mugshot Went Viral
Jeremy Meeks' life has changed drastically since his mugshot went viral 11 years ago. On June 18, 2014, he was arrested on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, per CBS News. The Stockton Police Department then posted a photo of Meeks' mugshot, which immediately went viral. Buzzfeed even picked up the image and labeled the moment as a meme. Meeks came to be known as 'the hot felon" and awaited his trial and sentencing. Prior to going viral, Meeks spent over 10 years in juvenile detention and prison for various crimes. He also grew up surrounded by drugs and violence. "Both of my parents were heroin addicts. I was a heroin baby ... My childhood was very dark. My dad committed a murder when I was nine months old and killed my mum's best friend," he claimed on the What's Your Water podcast in 2021. In 2024, Meeks released an autobiography about his journey. Reflecting on his life after prison, he told BuzzFeed in 2020, 'It's been a wild, wild ride, but I'm so grateful. I'm not taking anything for granted.' But what happened to Meeks after being labeled the "hot felon?" Here is everything to know about Jeremy Meeks' life now. Jeremy Ray Meeks is a model, actor and internet personality who rose to fame in 2014 after his mugshot went viral. In addition to appearing in films such as Trigger, Secret Society and True to the Game 2 and 3, Meeks has walked the runways for top fashion designers, including Philipp Plein, Tommy Hilfiger and more. Meeks is best known for his viral mugshot, which earned him the nickname 'hot felon' in 2014. The BBC reported that the photo garnered more than 95,000 comments and 20,000 likes after being posted on the Stockton Police Department Facebook page. The close-up picture, which showcased Meeks' piercing blue eyes, endeared him to many despite his criminal past. A spokesperson for the department told the Associated Press that the response to Meeks' mugshot was unusual. 'I have not seen that many likes for a photo before,' he said. Meeks parlayed his newfound fame into a career, signing modeling contracts, booking films and inking book deals. 'While I was still incarcerated, I received, I believe 45 contracts,' he told BuzzFeed in 2020. According to the Los Angeles Times, Meeks was arrested after police found a semi-automatic handgun and two extended magazines in the trunk of his car during a stop. He was charged with five firearm charges and gang membership, per NBC affiliate KCRA 3. In February 2015, Meeks was convicted of felony firearm possession and was sentenced to 27 months in prison, according to KCRA3. ABC reported that Meeks had been to prison several times before. In 2002, he was charged with grand theft. According to the outlet, he served two years in prison for the incident. FOX40 reported that Meeks was convicted of charges of identity theft in 2005 and forgery in 2007, for which he also served time. According to the Los Angeles Times, Meeks also served two years in prison for grand theft auto. Meeks spent 13 months in jail after his 2014 arrest. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Feb. 5, 2015, per CBS, though the Los Angeles Times reported that Meeks was released early on March 8, 2016. Meeks shared an Instagram post expressing gratitude for his freedom on March 9, writing, 'I want to thank my family and everybody for all your love, support and prayers. I'm overwhelmed and grateful for what lies ahead. I'm ready.' Meeks was signed to White Cross Management company prior to reporting for prison. "I'm in a place where I will be able to provide for my family and really change my life," he told ABC at the time. After being released from prison, Meeks became a model, fashion designer and actor. 'If anyone would've told me 10 years ago that I was gonna be traveling the world, walking [in] fashion shows, acting in movies? I don't know what I would've done,' he said in a 2020 BuzzFeed video. In 2019, WWD reported that Meeks had inked a $15 million deal with Fashion Concept GmbH to develop a clothing line. He debuted his luxury collection for the fall/winter 2020 season, per Frow. He has since continued to design: Meeks launched his second collection for Canon Mitchell in January 2024, which the brand shared on their Instagram page. The model has also starred in a handful of films. 'I shot five movies in 10 months,' he told BuzzFeed, beginning with 2020's Trigger. His autobiography, Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks, was released in February 2024. 'I'm in a place in my life where I am extremely vulnerable and want to tell my story, the whole story, and hope that people can connect to it and understand how I came to be in the place that I'm at in my life,' he told PEOPLE. As Meeks told Forbes in 2017, he's not stopping there, either. 'I can't limit myself to one thing,' he said. "I'm not a model. I do modeling, but also do acting and I'm about to start recording music.' Meeks was previously married to Melissa Meeks. The pair officially divorced after nearly 10 years together in June 2018. A year prior, Jeremy was spotted kissing Topshop heiress Chloe Green. That same month, the fashion mogul posted a now-deleted Instagram photo of herself with the internet star that seemingly confirmed their budding relationship. 'Just the Beginning ... We appreciate all the love and the hate,' she wrote at the time. Jeremy reportedly filed for a separation from Melissa on July 13, 2017. Two days later, he and Green were photographed holding hands. Melissa, who claimed she was not aware that Jeremy wanted to split up prior to photos of him and Green being published online, opened up about their subsequent split in October 2017. 'He was an amazing husband, honestly ... It was very, very heartbreaking for me,' she told This Morning, Meeks told PEOPLE in April 2024 that he was single after ending his two-year-long relationship with Green in 2019. 'I am single. I'm trying to focus on myself,' he said. Meeks is the father of two boys. The actor first became a dad when he and Melissa welcomed their son Jeremy Jr. Meeks welcomed a second son, Jayden, with Green on May 29, 2018. 'We are pleased to announce the birth of our beautiful baby boy Jayden Meeks-Green,' the then-couple wrote in matching Instagram posts. Meeks also considers some of his former step-children members of his family. In 2020, the model discussed his relationship with both Melissa and Green, telling Extra, 'I have an incredible relationship with Chloe ... And now I have a relationship with the mother of my oldest son.' He added, "We're all co-parenting. They are incredible mothers." Read the original article on People
Economic Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Pentagon's Pizza Index has accurately predicted 21 crises: Is WWIII next?
WWIII News: A quirky Cold War-era theory has resurfaced online: the 'Pentagon Pizza Index.' It links spikes in pizza orders near the Pentagon with looming global crises. Social media users, pointing to past conflicts and recent Middle East tensions, believe delivery surges signal government urgency. Analysts now use open-source tools like Google Maps to monitor pizzeria traffic near U.S. defence hubs. While not definitive, the pattern has been oddly consistent — leaving many wondering if America's next big move is hiding in plain sight, in a pizza box. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Cold war roots of the pizza theory Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads WWIII warning: What is the Pentagon Pizza Index today? The April 2024 pizza spike Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Inside the logic: Why pizza? World War III: Pizza as a proxy for preparedness Official silence, public curiosity As tensions rise in the Middle East, a curious, crowd-driven theory known as the ' Pentagon Pizza Index' has caught fire online. On June 12 and 13, users on X (formerly Twitter) reported a sudden spike in pizza deliveries near the Pentagon and Department of Defense in Washington, D.C., sparking speculation that the United States may be quietly entering crisis mode behind closed timing? Just hours before Israel reportedly struck targets in Iran in response to Tehran's earlier drone and missile attacks. And once again, pizza orders were began as a Soviet spy trick is now a digital-age memeThe idea isn't new. During the Cold War, Soviet operatives observed pizza delivery activity in Washington, believing it signalled crisis preparation inside U.S. intelligence circles. They coined it 'Pizzint' — short for pizza tactic entered public lore on 1 August 1990, when Frank Meeks, a Domino's franchisee in Washington, noticed a sudden surge in deliveries to CIA buildings. The next day, Iraq invaded Kuwait. Meeks later told the Los Angeles Times he saw a similar pattern in December 1998 during the impeachment hearings of President Bill former CNN Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer once joked in 1990, 'Bottom line for journalists: Always monitor the pizzas.'A meme, an OSINT tool, or a symptom of digital-age paranoia?The modern Pentagon Pizza Index is tracked through open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools. These include Google Maps, which shows real-time restaurant activity, and social media observations. Pages like @PenPizzaReport on X have dedicated themselves to watching for abnormal 1 June 2025, the account posted, 'With less than an hour to go before closing time, the Domino's closest to the Pentagon is experiencing unusually high footfall.'A few hours later, reports emerged of a fresh escalation between Israel and Iran. For believers in the theory, it was yet another sign that something bigger was underway.A recent example that reignited interestThe most notable recent instance occurred on 13 April 2024, the night Iran launched a massive drone and missile strike against Israel. That same evening, screenshots from delivery platforms showed pizzerias around the Pentagon, White House, and Department of Defense tagged as 'busier than usual.'Multiple Papa John's and Domino's branches reported increased orders. The correlation prompted viral memes and renewed interest in the to Euro News, a user on X posted on 13 June 2025, 'The Pentagon Pizza Index is hiking.'Food, fatigue and national securityThe concept is deceptively simple. When military staff face a national emergency, they work longer shifts and can't leave their posts. They need quick, filling food — and pizza fits the in behavioural psychology show that under stress, people prefer calorie-dense, familiar comfort foods. During high-alert operations, officials may work 16–20 hour days. That creates a visible consumption spike that outsiders can because platforms like Google and Uber Eats share real-time data on restaurant activity, amateur analysts can monitor these patterns — no hacking not perfect, but it's consistentThe Pentagon Pizza Index isn't a foolproof system. It could easily be triggered by something mundane: a long staff meeting, a software glitch, or a nearby college football why modern OSINT analysts often cross-reference pizza spikes with other indicators — like unusual aircraft movements, ride-hailing activity, or power usage near government buildings. When multiple signs align, it suggests more than a senior analyst put it: 'You can't bank a war call on a pizza. But if the Pentagon's burning the midnight oil and feeding everyone, it's worth a second look.'What the US government says — and doesn't sayDespite the chatter online, the US government has made no mention of pizza deliveries as indicators of to speculation about American involvement in Israel's airstrikes on Iran, Republican Senator Marco Rubio said:'We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence.'Still, the Pentagon's silence on the pizza theory hasn't stopped internet users from meets anxiety in the age of digital vigilanceIn an age where open-source tools let ordinary people track the movement of jets, ships, and even pizzas, the Pentagon Pizza Index sits at the bizarre intersection of humour and fear. It turns snack food into a warning also a reminder: not all intelligence requires a badge. Sometimes, the clue might be just down the road — in a Domino's you see it as absurd or insightful, one thing is clear: when the pizzas fly, people pay attention.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Pentagon's Pizza Index has accurately predicted 21 crises: Is WWIII next?
As tensions rise in the Middle East, a curious, crowd-driven theory known as the 'Pentagon Pizza Index' has caught fire online. On June 12 and 13, users on X (formerly Twitter) reported a sudden spike in pizza deliveries near the Pentagon and Department of Defense in Washington, D.C., sparking speculation that the United States may be quietly entering crisis mode behind closed doors. The timing? Just hours before Israel reportedly struck targets in Iran in response to Tehran's earlier drone and missile attacks. And once again, pizza orders were booming. Cold war roots of the pizza theory What began as a Soviet spy trick is now a digital-age meme by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Get Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro at a low price Medvi Get Offer The idea isn't new. During the Cold War, Soviet operatives observed pizza delivery activity in Washington, believing it signalled crisis preparation inside U.S. intelligence circles. They coined it 'Pizzint' — short for pizza intelligence. This tactic entered public lore on 1 August 1990, when Frank Meeks, a Domino's franchisee in Washington, noticed a sudden surge in deliveries to CIA buildings. The next day, Iraq invaded Kuwait. Meeks later told the Los Angeles Times he saw a similar pattern in December 1998 during the impeachment hearings of President Bill Clinton. Live Events As former CNN Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer once joked in 1990, 'Bottom line for journalists: Always monitor the pizzas.' WWIII warning: What is the Pentagon Pizza Index today? A meme, an OSINT tool, or a symptom of digital-age paranoia? The modern Pentagon Pizza Index is tracked through open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools. These include Google Maps, which shows real-time restaurant activity, and social media observations. Pages like @PenPizzaReport on X have dedicated themselves to watching for abnormal patterns. On 1 June 2025, the account posted, 'With less than an hour to go before closing time, the Domino's closest to the Pentagon is experiencing unusually high footfall.' A few hours later, reports emerged of a fresh escalation between Israel and Iran. For believers in the theory, it was yet another sign that something bigger was underway. The April 2024 pizza spike A recent example that reignited interest The most notable recent instance occurred on 13 April 2024, the night Iran launched a massive drone and missile strike against Israel. That same evening, screenshots from delivery platforms showed pizzerias around the Pentagon, White House, and Department of Defense tagged as 'busier than usual.' Multiple Papa John's and Domino's branches reported increased orders. The correlation prompted viral memes and renewed interest in the theory. According to Euro News, a user on X posted on 13 June 2025, 'The Pentagon Pizza Index is hiking.' Inside the logic: Why pizza? Food, fatigue and national security The concept is deceptively simple. When military staff face a national emergency, they work longer shifts and can't leave their posts. They need quick, filling food — and pizza fits the bill. Studies in behavioural psychology show that under stress, people prefer calorie-dense, familiar comfort foods. During high-alert operations, officials may work 16–20 hour days. That creates a visible consumption spike that outsiders can track. And because platforms like Google and Uber Eats share real-time data on restaurant activity, amateur analysts can monitor these patterns — no hacking required. World War III: Pizza as a proxy for preparedness It's not perfect, but it's consistent The Pentagon Pizza Index isn't a foolproof system. It could easily be triggered by something mundane: a long staff meeting, a software glitch, or a nearby college football game. That's why modern OSINT analysts often cross-reference pizza spikes with other indicators — like unusual aircraft movements, ride-hailing activity, or power usage near government buildings. When multiple signs align, it suggests more than coincidence. As a senior analyst put it: 'You can't bank a war call on a pizza. But if the Pentagon's burning the midnight oil and feeding everyone, it's worth a second look.' Official silence, public curiosity What the US government says — and doesn't say Despite the chatter online, the US government has made no mention of pizza deliveries as indicators of crisis. Responding to speculation about American involvement in Israel's airstrikes on Iran, Republican Senator Marco Rubio said: 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence.' Still, the Pentagon's silence on the pizza theory hasn't stopped internet users from speculating. Humour meets anxiety in the age of digital vigilance In an age where open-source tools let ordinary people track the movement of jets, ships, and even pizzas, the Pentagon Pizza Index sits at the bizarre intersection of humour and fear. It turns snack food into a warning system. It's also a reminder: not all intelligence requires a badge. Sometimes, the clue might be just down the road — in a Domino's queue. Whether you see it as absurd or insightful, one thing is clear: when the pizzas fly, people pay attention.
Euronews
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
What is the Pentagon Pizza theory?
What if ordering a pizza near the Pentagon heralded geopolitical doom? That's the core of the persistent Pentagon Pizza theory – or 'Pentagon Pizza Meter'. Made popular by the website The Takeout, this far-fetched but enticing thesis is making a comeback after going viral last year. The theory? If the teams at the Pentagon or the Department of Defense are particularly busy, they can't leave their desks. Therefore, it must mean that serious things are afoot. Regardless, the teams need sustenance, so they'll end up ordering food. And what could be quicker than a pizza? Ergo: If pizza deliveries go up in Washinton D.C., it could signal an imminent crisis. This all goes back to the Cold War. At the time, Soviet intelligence services monitored excessive pizza deliveries by couriers to gauge alertness to potential crises. Then, on 1 August 1990, Frank Meeks, a well-established Domino's franchisee in Washington, noticed a sudden surge in deliveries to CIA buildings... all on the eve of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, which kicked off the Gulf War. What he thought was a coincidence at the time has become a pattern over the years. Meeks told the Los Angeles Times that a similar surge in pizza deliveries happened in December 1998 during the impeachment hearings of former President Bill Clinton. In the age of social media, the theory has led online sleuths to scan the area around the Pentagon for pizza order spikes. And wouldn't you know it, on 13 April 2024, there were unusually high pizza orders from not only the Pentagon but also the White House and the Department of Defense. That date marked Iran launching drones into Israeli territory. The theory quickly became a meme, with X users posting screenshots from Google Maps showing real-time activity at pizza outlets - particularly at a Papa John's in Washington D.C. On X, the @PenPizzaReport account has set itself the daunting task of monitoring the activity of pizzerias near the Pentagon in real time. And this week, on 1 June 2025, the account published: 'With less than an hour to go before closing time, the Domino's closest to the Pentagon is experiencing unusually high footfall.' A few hours later, tensions escalated between Israel and Iran. So, can pizzas predict war or be used to assess US involvement in global crises? It's hardly a reliable geopolitical indictor and no definitive correlation has been established. However, it remains a tasty predictor if so. As CNN's then-Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer reported in 1990: 'Bottom line for journalists: Always monitor the pizzas.' A joke, maybe. But maybe the Pentagon needs to diversify their food orders...
