KITCHEN KALAMITY – June 20, 2025 – The Food Network star, 55, was “discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills,” The New York Times reported Friday, June 20, citing an internal New York Police Department document viewed by the outlet. Burrell was found dead in her Brooklyn, N.Y., home on Tuesday, June 17. A spokesperson for the NYPD later told PEOPLE the Worst Cooks in America host was found “unconscious and unresponsive” at the scene. EMS “responded and pronounced her deceased on scene,” police said. According to a 911 call report provided to PEOPLE…
Author: Leonard Buschel
VIDEO – TOO CHEEKY – June 20, 2025 – Pouches are far different than smoking or vaping, but is their use just as potentially dangerous? It’s a nicotine addiction that probably doesn’t register on many parents’ radar. The popularity of tiny, little nicotine pouches that sit between the lip and gums is soaring, especially among teenagers. These discreet pouches are the latest stop along Haleigh Trickett’s path with nicotine. “I probably go through about a can a day, which is like 15 pouches,” she said. Her nicotine addiction began when the 33-year-old musician was just 14. “I smoked for five…
“Never pass up a chance to have sex or appear on television.” ― Gore Vidal, b. 1925 West Point, NY – d. 2012 Hollywood Hills, CA
BBC Documentary – SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM – June 15, 2025 – Semina Halliwell was just 12-years-old when she swallowed her mother’s prescription medication. She died three days after, in hospital. At the height of the Covid lockdown, an older boy began messaging her on Snapchat. Just a few months later, Semina told her mother, Rachel Halliwell, that she had been sexually assaulted by the same boy. Halliwell said the incident “destroyed” her daughter, who had been self-harming in the year before her death. The BBC spoke to Semina’s mother and investigated what role social media apps like Snapchat played…
VIDEO – MUSIC IS LOVE – June 12, 2025 – Sibling rivalry took a musical twist with identical twins, Michael and Stephen Kline, of Memphis. “When we were like 10 or 11, we would always write songs just for each other,” said Stephen, a keyboardist. “We’d try to outdo each other and taught ourselves piano; we played trumpet and stuff.” Guitarist Michael shared, “We have hundreds of tapes of old songs; we were just trying to outdo each other, and we would be in bands and stuff, but we never liked playing live.” The Kline brothers, now 46, have spent hours…
HE’S THE MANE – June 2025 – In an interview on The Zane Lowe Show, the 57-year-old singer shared that for years, he lived with a voice inside him saying a final choice was coming. “All through the years of drinking and doing drugs… I always had this very specific voice inside of me that goes, ‘One day, you’re gonna come to a crossroads,’” Urban said. “There won’t be a next time. And you’ll know when it comes.” That moment came in 2006, just four months after he married actress Nicole Kidman. She staged an intervention, and Urban knew it…
HIS OWN WAY – June 21, 2025 – Princess Diana declared Duran Duran her favourite band. She later said she often played them in the car for Harry and William. By 1984, the band was breaking in America and sold out Madison Square Gardens. John flew his beloved mother Jean over for the show. It was her 1st flight. Photo: With his wife Gela Nash… CONTINUE@IRISH
VIDEO – RARE INTERVIEW – June 16, 2025 First candid interview in years. The son of famed couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz was interviewed for the book “Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television.” CONTINUE@NBCBayArea
THE SOBER GOAL – “The greatest gift you have given our children is the gift of your sobriety -the ability to experience life through a cleaner, more grounded perspective. You have always been present for them, and now, even more so,” she wrote. “They are truly fortunate to call you ‘Dad’ and to learn from the thoughtful tools and wisdom you’ve gained along your journey. I am deeply proud of the strength, dedication, and growth you’ve shown as you continue becoming the best version of yourself – for their sake, and for the family we’ve built together.” CONTINUE@Sportskeeda
THEY HELPFUL – June 16, 2025 – During the Season 2 finale of Canada’s Drag Race, Brooke Lynn Hytes asked Kendall Gender about her journey to that point. In her emotional response, Gender gave the world a glimpse into her past struggle with substances. “For me, drugs and alcohol stole so many years of my life and so many opportunities that I feel like I could’ve had. The thing that turned my light back on was drag.” When the season premiered in 2021, Gender was in her sixth year of sobriety. This year, she will celebrate a decade – and…
CAFFEINE QUEEN – June 17, 2025 – Emma Chamberlain is embracing this stage of life she’s in. Chamberlain tells PEOPLE that she’s been on her “sober journey” for “a long time now” and would rather a coffee shop as her preferred late-night hang. “If I petition for this, then I need to start doing it at the Chamberlain Coffee coffee shops — and I think the team will hate me, but I wish coffee shops were open at 11:00 p.m.,” she says. “I don’t want to go get a glass of wine. I want to go get an espresso at…
NO SIDE EFFECTS – June 16, 2025 – Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, might just revolutionize how depression and anxiety are treated in cancer patients. In a groundbreaking trial, a single dose combined with therapy significantly reduced emotional suffering, and these effects often lasted over two years. A single dose of psilocybin, paired with therapy, brought long-lasting relief from depression and anxiety to cancer patients—effects that persisted even after two years. Ongoing trials are exploring whether more doses could boost results further. People with cancer often struggle with depression. In this phase 2 trial, 28 patients with cancer…
WHOOPS – June 13, 2025 – Addiction recovery firm Bradford Health Services has been hit with a federal class action lawsuit over an 18-month-old cybersecurity breach which patients were first notified about last month. The 95-page suit, filed June 11 is on behalf of F.B., identified as a Birmingham resident who received treatment from Bradford in 2021, The lawsuit, alleges negligence, breach of contract and violation of the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and seeks damages. The well-known Bradford center owns 28 facilities across six states including Alabama. Attempts to reach Bradford for comment were not immediately successful. On May…
PRISON DOCTOR NOW – June 13, 2025 – Dr. Ndubuisi Joseph Okafor was convicted in March on 24 counts of conspiracy and unlawful distribution of oxycodone. Prosecutors said he used a network of trusted customers and false IDs to prescribe more than 200,000 pills of controlled substances between March and November 2022 across 37 states. When he learned one of his patients had died of an oxycodone overdose, prosecutors said he falsified records to try to obstruct a D.C. Board of Medicine investigation into his practice, Okafor Medical Associates. “The defendant’s conduct was intentional and depraved,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith…
INSIGHT AND HINDSIGHT – June 13, 2025 – I wasn’t sure I really wanted another box of my dad’s things. That’s not true. I knew I didn’t want them. His friends and family, historically, tend to give me what once belonged to him. His memories. His jokes. His artwork. They think I want these because I’m his son. I’ve always resented that. I saw it differently – more of a one-way transaction of a burden. “Take these off my hands,” they seemed to say. “Let me let this go.” These feelings swelled, like clockwork, the closer I got every year…
NOT HIGH NOW – June 17, 2025 – Cannabis use may double the risk of dying from heart disease and increase the risk of stroke by 20%. While previous studies have linked cannabis use to cardiovascular problems, the scale of the risk has until now not been clear … Cannabis should be treated like tobacco: not criminalised, but discouraged, with protection of bystanders from secondhand exposure. To strengthen the evidence base, they searched databases looking for large observational studies, published between 2016 and 2023, which explored cannabis use and cardiovascular outcomes. Twenty-four studies, involving about 200 million people, were included…
BAD HIRE – June 16, 2025 – The 33-year-old, who worked at the facility from November 2021 to July 2024, is accused of harvesting sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, birthdates, and home addresses, and selling it on the dark web. Stolen identities were used by criminals to buy vehicles, apply for credit cards, and purchase cryptocurrency. The case comes amid broader scrutiny of Evoke Wellness, which was sued by the Federal Trade Commission in January 2025 for running deceptive Google search ads to lure people seeking help for substance abuse. According to the FTC, Evoke used misleading keywords that…
ONE DUI IS TOO MANY – Feb. 11, 2025 – Drunk driving is responsible for about 1 in 3 traffic fatalities in the United States, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.. The frequency of alcohol-impaired driving accidents varies depending on driver’s age, location and the time of year. The annual number of fatal traffic accidents involving drunk driving increased by 31% between 2012 and 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Fatalities increased from about 10,336 to 13,524 per year. DUI-related crashes were connected to about 30% of all road deaths during that…
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – 4.6M views in 4 years ago – “Sultry” is the best adjective to the vocals and the vocalist. The musical accompaniment is tense and precise. Great job, Junkies. It just keeps getting better and better each time I listen to it. A present for my ears. CONTINUE@YouTube
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – 33M views In 4 years ago – Relive this hauntingly beautiful performance of “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, recorded live at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in 1994. This show captures the dreamlike essence of 90s alternative rock, featuring Hope Sandoval’s ethereal vocals and the band’s signature melancholic sound that defined a generation. CONTINUE@YouTube
99 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL… – June 18, 2025 – The U.S. government is expected to eliminate guidelines about long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day in what could be a major win for an industry threatened by heightened scrutiny of alcohol’s health effects. Guidelines do exist in countries like United Kingdom and Canada. Even moderate drinking is linked to some health risks, such as a higher risk of breast cancer, though some studies have also found an association with possible health benefits, such as a lower risk of stroke. The…
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – June 24, 2025 – Mary Beth O’Connor has been sober since 1994. She wrote From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction. She speaks, trains, and writes about substance use, trauma, mental health, and recovery. She is a Director for She Recovers Foundation and LifeRing Secular Recovery. She is a retired federal Administrative Law Judge. Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date?A. Methamphetamine for 15 years; sobriety date is 1/13/94.Q. What do you like most about 12-step meetings?A. 12-step programs weren’t…
VIDEO – AMENDS AMEN – June 18, 2025 – “Nobody should ever have to deal with the way I acted,” the 45-year-old—who shares 4-year-old son Cruz with Brittany—continued. “Nobody should ever have to deal with, you know, verbal abuse from anybody. I’m really sorry that people had to see all that.” “Very sorry to Brittany,” he admitted. “It was a very, very, very tough year for both of us.” However, Jax is now focusing on the future and even marked his 201st day of sobriety on WWHL. He even proved just how committed he is to cleaning up his act…
GOD GRANT US… – June 11, 2025 – “Serenity” is not a word many would use to describe the world right now. Perhaps that is why this four-line version of a prayer continues to be uttered as often as it has been since it was first penned. It was conceived in a little stone cottage in Massachusetts, by theologian and professor Reinhold Niebuhr around 1932. It was soon printed on cards and distributed to American military personnel in conflict and circulated by the National Council of Churches. It became even better known after being adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous in 1941,…
NO, NOT CANNABIS – June 15, 2025 – A surprising new study has found that some common medication used to make people feel better might also be effective in the fight against cancer. In lab tests using both mouse and human tumor models — spanning melanoma, breast, prostate, colon and bladder cancers — SSRIs shrunk tumors by over 50%. While serotonin is primarily known for regulating mood, it also plays a crucial role in managing sleep, gut health, appetite, libido and blood clotting. Now, it’s being given its proper due in combatting this devastating disease. The research, which was published…
By Bruce Buschel – “Praying for Joe Biden and his family to defeat the cancer.”—California Congressman Ro Khanna June 19, 2025 – Joe Biden will not defeat the cancer. Nor will the cancer defeat Joe Biden. Prostate cancer is not an opponent and there is no scorecard. The notion of “defeating cancer” is a lesion in our language and our national psyche that does damage to both the inflicted and their loved ones. There is no war when it comes to cancer—no winners, no losers, no ties. There is just reality. One surrenders to the emperor of all maladies and the…
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE – June 16, 2025 – Several studies find that people who regularly eat spicy food have better overall health and fewer diseases. A diet rich in spicy peppers was associated with less obesity, heart disease, and diabetes risk. People who had lots of spicy peppers were 25% less likely to die sooner than expected, compared to those who rarely or never ate them. The review’s senior author, cardiologist Dr. Bo Xu at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, believes these differences are due to capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers so hot. Capsaicin switches on…
PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION – June 17, 2025 – It starts subtly, in the choices that seem small: putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own, skipping the parts of your life that once brought joy, silencing your intuition because being agreeable feels safer than being real. … For me, the unraveling was loud. After years of striving to be “the best”—from straight A’s to national records in swimming—I became fluent in the language of perfection. My awakening didn’t begin the day I stopped drinking. It began the day I stopped abandoning myself. It began when I chose to stay present…
MAGIC GARDEN? – June 13, 2025 – WINDY CITY REHAB star Alison Victoria believes if she hadn’t quit drinking, she may have lost the love of her life. “I don’t need alcohol to be fun, I am still the one dancing on the tables, I’m still the same,” she said in her podcast this week. Victoria has stayed sober for eight months … She recalled the last night she drank. She was in Amman, Jordan, attending a film festival for Anderson’s directorial debut, THE STRANGER’S CASE. Victoria was getting her makeup done and had multiple margaritas. Before heading to the…
Carl Sagan Said It Best – JUNE 20, 2025 – Cybernews researchers have recently discovered 30 exposed datasets that each contain a vast amount of login information — amounting to a total of 16 billion compromised credentials. That includes user passwords for a range of popular platforms including Google, Facebook and Apple. Sixteen billion is roughly double the amount of people on Earth today, signaling that impacted consumers may have had credentials for more than one account leaked. Cybernews notes that there are most certainly duplicates in the data and so “it’s impossible to tell how many people or accounts…