The Department of Justice’s attempt to force a group of Minnesota federal judges off Department of Homeland Security cases threatens to disrupt dozens of immigration proceedings, a PunchUp investigation has found. The probe by the Daily Beast’s sister Substack uncovered the scale of the DOJ’s attempt to remove seven Minnesota judges from cases involving the Department of Homeland Security after they spoke to The New York Times about Trump’s immigration crackdown. The DOJ lodged a judicial misconduct complaint on September 30, demanding their recusal from DHS-related matters. PunchUp examined federal court records and identified at least 50 pending cases involving six of the judges, including challenges to ICE detentions and attempts to prevent deportations. The seventh judge has not been publicly identified. The demand could also affect cases in which judges have already ruled against immigration authorities. Stacey Young, executive director of Justice Connection, accused the department of trying to intimidate the judiciary. “DOJ leaders aren’t interested in an independent judiciary, and they’re willing to bully and intimidate judges until they get what they want,” she told PunchUp. The misconduct complaint has not automatically removed the judges from their cases. The DOJ did not respond to PunchUp’s questions about how many proceedings could be affected.

Tom Latchem exposes the secrets, scandals, and stories that powerful people and institutions want to keep under wraps. Follow all of his reporting at PunchUp on Substack.

A fisherman who was killed by an alligator while standing on a Florida shoreline was showing off his catch just moments before the attack. Steven Hamilton, 71, was mauled by the animal while he stood on the banks of Lake Apopka at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, just outside of Orlando, on Friday. It has now emerged that Hamilton asked for a photo of him holding a bass and gleefully posed for it just seconds before the alligator attacked him. “He held it up for whoever it was to take a picture of him, and the gator came up and grabbed him by the leg and pulled him in,” eyewitness Beatrice Soto said. An autopsy of the 71-year-old also showed he suffered “blunt force” leg injuries as he was being dragged into the water by the nearly 12-foot-long alligator before being submerged, as well as suspected teeth marks in his left leg. Hamilton’s tragic death was ruled accidental. The alligator was later captured and killed by Florida Wildlife Commission trappers. The incident was the second fatal alligator attack in Florida this year, following the death of a woman in Seminole County in June.

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When it comes to cookware, few brands have earned as much credibility among professional chefs as Made In. Designed in collaboration with some of the world’s top culinary talent, the premium cookware company has become a staple in restaurant kitchens and home kitchens alike thanks to its professional-grade performance and heirloom-worthy construction. Whether it’s the brand’s award-winning Stainless Clad collection, its naturally seasoned Carbon Steel pans, or its convenient ceramic nonstick options, there’s a reason the brand has built a devoted following—for cooks and seasoned chefs alike.

If you’re looking to invest in new, non-toxic cookware staples before Thanksgiving and the holiday hosting season on the horizon, now’s the perfect time. Made In’s Clean Cooking collection is packed with clean cookware essentials that don’t leach chemicals into your food or stick to your dinner. The lineup brings the brand’s PFAS-tested, non-toxic cookware into one place, making it easy to upgrade your kitchen without sifting through products, reading every spec, and hoping for the best.

Made In Clean Cookware Collection

Shop Now Made In Cookware

According to the brand, it’s the largest collection of independently tested clean cookware available, spanning everything from PTFE-free CeramiClad cookware and naturally seasoned carbon steel to stainless clad, cast iron, and enameled cast iron pieces. Each collection has undergone third-party testing for PFAS, lead, cadmium, BPA, and other common contaminants.

Plus, unlike many “clean” cookware options that prioritize safety at the expense of performance, Made In’s pieces are still engineered with serious cooking in mind. You can expect restaurant-quality heat distribution, durable materials built to last for years (if not decades), and thoughtful, chef-approved designs that make everyday cooking feel a little more elevated. Thanks to Made In, you no longer have to choose between avoiding toxic chemicals and a perfectly roasted bird. After all, you don’t need sides sticking to the pan while your turkey bakes and hungry guests wait. The holidays leave no time for cooking mistakes, and your pans’ performance is key to preventing catastrophes.

A passenger plane erupted into flames moments before takeoff at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Callao, near Lima, Peru, on Monday. Fire engulfed parts of the aircraft’s wing and landing gear after a blowtorch-like blast flared from the left engine of the LATAM Airlines aircraft. Videos show thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Footage from inside the Boeing 767 shows the blaze raging against the windows as passengers sat inside. Flight LA2302 was scheduled to fly to Piura in northern Peru. Firefighters raced to extinguish the fire as people remained trapped on board. Once they stopped the blaze, crews evacuated passengers. No one was injured, and the cause of the fire remains unknown. LATAM called the emergency an “unexpected technical event.” The incident comes days after another LATAM Airlines flight departing from Jorge Chávez International Airport experienced an in-flight technical issue that caused the aircraft to rapidly plunge 10,000 feet. The Brazil-bound plane safely returned to Lima after the sharp descent caused the oxygen masks to drop.

A 65-year-old woman was killed by a shark off the coast of South Africa on Tuesday. The woman was swimming at Orient Beach, a popular spot near KuGompo City, when she was attacked. “We all realized she’d been bitten by a shark, and she was in a very bad way,” a witness told the local public broadcaster SABC. “The bites were very severe, but there were only two, one on her thigh and one on her upper arm.” The woman was brought to shore and declared dead on the beach, Reuters reported. The area has been closed until further notice, and local authorities warned beachgoers to “exercise extreme caution” in a Facebook post. South Africa has a history of deadly shark attacks. Last year, the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File recorded one unprovoked, fatal attack. In 2022, there were two fatal maulings in South Africa, including a 39-year-old woman on vacation at a popular beach.

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Whether you’re working, browsing, or gaming, if you’re spending a lot of time at a computer, you need a comfortable, supportive chair. In fact, a high-quality chair can offset many of the health issues associated with sitting for long periods of time.

The X-Tech Executive Chair is designed with six adjustable points to custom-fit your chair to your body for total support. Plus, it can recline or lock in place. Sitting in it, I could feel myself sitting with better posture, with my arms, neck, and back supported. Sitting down is accompanied by a whoosh of air as the seat adjusts automatically to best support your derrière.

X-Chair X-Tech Executive Chair

See At X-Chair

The chair is also surprisingly stylish. Desk chairs can tend to look medical rather than aesthetic, but the X-Tech Executive Chair comes in many colors and finishes (seriously, check out all the customizations) to fit your space as well as it fits your rear end. You can even add optional heating and massage.

Assembly is easy, and the shipping includes a blissfully small amount of packaging. I was able to put this together myself with the included tools and instructions in under 15 minutes. If you’re ready to get your desk set up to snuff, check out the X-Tech Executive Chair here.

A Canadian tourist who stole a flamingo from a Las Vegas hotel casino after a marathon drinking session has been convicted of animal abuse and faces nearly five years in prison. Mitchell Fairbarn, 34, took the Chilean flamingo, Peachy, from the Flamingo Las Vegas wildlife habitat in March and carried the bird to his hotel room by its neck. Footage shown at trial captured him smiling as he transported the animal in an elevator. Fairbarn testified he had consumed 30 to 40 beers and thought taking the bird would be “funny”. His lawyer, Josh Tomsheck, argued the incident was a misguided prank fuelled by alcohol, admitting Fairbarn had made “bad decisions”. Animal experts told the court Peachy suffered torn feathers and blood loss. A state veterinarian said the bird has largely recovered but is now more anxious around people. After hearing from 14 witnesses and reviewing more than 112 pieces of evidence, jurors reached their verdict after about five hours. Fairbarn remains under house arrest in Las Vegas and cannot leave the U.S. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December.

Mariah Carey has come out the winner in her brother’s $20 million lawsuit against her, after he claimed she defamed him in her memoir. The long-running case was dismissed by a New York state court on Monday. Morgan Carey, 66, claimed his music superstar sister, 57, portrayed him as violent and accused him of trafficking cocaine in her bestselling 2020 memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey. In Monday’s ruling, Justice Leslie A. Stroth found that Morgan Carey failed to establish that his sister acted with “actual malice” when making the statements he challenged, Rolling Stone reported. The pair are reported to have not spoken since 1994. The “All I Want for Christmas Is You” singer referred to Morgan as her “ex-brother” in her memoir. Mariah Carey’s lawyer John Rosenberg said she “is gratified that the court recognized that her memoir addresses significant issues of public interest and dismissed her brother’s defamation claims in their entirety.” Morgan Carey’s lawyer, Richard Altman, told Rolling Stone they “respectfully disagree” with the ruling, adding, “We intend to appeal it very soon.”

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A U.S. expedition hoping to solve the mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance has left a remote Pacific island empty-handed. The explorers found suspected wreckage of her plane, which turned out to be a clump of washed-up trees, the Guardian reported. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find that smoking gun,” said Steve Schultz of Purdue University, which partly sponsored the trip. The 17-person team spent four days on Nikumaroro in the Pacific Island of Kiribati, chasing an elongated white object seen in 2020 satellite images and an apparent metallic glint in aerial video. Purdue said the shine came from a carbonate coating, not metal. The team also found other items coated in the same shiny crust of coral sand. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished in 1937 while attempting to fly around the globe at the equator, prompting one of the largest air and sea searches in human history. It isn’t the first time the remote atoll has dangled hope before those searching for Earhart. During past expeditions, they found a woman’s shoe from the 1930s, glass from a cosmetics jar of freckle cream, and signs of a castaway’s camp.

A 9-year-old beluga whale rescued from a shuttered Canadian theme park has died unexpectedly at SeaWorld San Diego, less than two months after being given a new home. The whale, named Cyprus, was one of three males transferred from Marineland Canada to SeaWorld on Aug. 22. Although staff reported that he had been adjusting well to his new surroundings, Cyprus suddenly stopped eating two days before his death, prompting veterinarians to work through the night to stabilize him. An ultrasound showed that his intestinal tract wasn’t functioning properly. While SeaWorld hasn’t yet determined the underlying cause of his symptoms, it will conduct a full necropsy and share the findings with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We understood each animal would be navigating a significant transition and that their complete health picture, including conditions that may have developed over time, could only become clearer through ongoing assessment and care,” SeaWorld said in a statement. The park added that Cyprus’ companions, Xavier and Jasper, are in stable condition but remain “under close monitoring.” Beluga whales typically live 35 to 50 years, with some reaching 80, although those in captivity often die before age 30.

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Just in time for cuffing season, cult-favorite blanket brand Lola Blankets is giving its trademark “life-changing softness” a LoveShackFancy makeover. The new drop contains two limited-edition blankets in exclusive LoveShackFancy-inspired designs, “Petal Pink” and “Rosy Bows.” Each blanket also comes with an exclusive Lola Blankets x LoveShackFancy branded tote bag, making the collection even more giftable—and romantic.

Lola Blankets x LoveShackFancy Rosy Bows Blanket

Shop Now Lola Blanket$125

Lola Blankets x LoveShackFancy Petal Pink Blanket

Shop Now Lola Blanket$125

If you’re not familiar with Lola’s durable yet super-soft faux fur blankets, consider this your sign to add one to your lineup ASAP. Dubbed the “softest blanket ever,” the brand’s premium faux-fur throws have amassed more than 30,000 five-star reviews, making them among the most beloved blankets online. Each blanket features OEKO-TEX Standard 100-certified faux fur, therapeutic four-way stretch that makes sharing with pets (or partners) easier, and reinforced double-hemmed edges for added durability. Plus, they’re stain-resistant and machine-washable (a rarity in the faux fur blanket category!). The Lola Blankets x LoveShackFancy drop is available in three sizes: Baby ($125), Medium ($275), Large ($325), and XL ($425). Shop the limited-edition capsule at LolaBlankets.com, LoveShackFancy.com, and select retail locations.

Richard Riehle, the veteran character actor who turned a terrible business idea into one of Office Space’s most memorable jokes, has died at 78. The Wisconsin native worked in regional theater before making his screen debut in an uncredited role alongside John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn in 1975’s Rooster Cogburn. Riehle appeared in more than 400 projects during his five-decade-long Hollywood career, including hit films like Free Willy, Wedding Crashers, Bridesmaids, and the Air Bud movies. He also won a 2014 BTVA People’s Choice Voice Acting Award as part of the voice ensemble in The Legend of Korra. His Office Space character became a cult favorite: an anxious employee who dreams up the infamous ‘Jump to Conclusions’ mat before getting laid off, surviving a car accident, and collecting a massive settlement. Riehle died of natural causes at his Los Angeles home, according to friends cited in local media.

A betting giant advised by Donald Trump Jr. has mysteriously deleted a post claiming his father’s nemesis Tucker Carlson had an 87 percent chance of facing federal criminal charges this year. Kalshi made the extraordinary claim on X on Friday, alongside a photograph of the former Fox News star and a graph suggesting his odds had suddenly rocketed, the Daily Beast’s sister Substack, PunchUp, reports. “JUST IN: 87% chance Tucker Carlson is charged with a federal crime this year,” the post declared. But the actual betting market told a very different story. According to historical figures reviewed by PunchUp, Carlson’s odds had hovered around eight percent for months, peaking at approximately 27 percent in March. By Monday, they stood at just seven percent.

The March spike followed Carlson’s claim that the CIA was preparing to refer him to the Justice Department over his communications with Iranian contacts. The former Fox News host, who has bitterly opposed Trump’s war with Iran, denied wrongdoing. Kalshi’s post vanished after PunchUp alerted Carlson to it on Friday. Neither Carlson nor Kalshi responded to requests for comment. Trump Jr. joined Kalshi as an adviser in January 2025, receiving equity then valued at approximately $300,000. His investment firm, 1789 Capital, has also committed roughly $500 million to rival Polymarket.

Tom Latchem exposes the secrets, scandals, and stories that powerful people and institutions want to keep under wraps. Follow all of his reporting at PunchUp on Substack.