Why Jenna Bush Hager Thinks the White House Is Haunted: "I Honestly Had Chills"

Why Jenna Bush Hager Thinks the White House Is Haunted: "I Honestly Had Chills"

Jenna Bush Hageris standing her (possibly haunted) ground. The former first daughter turnedTODAYco-host isn't backing off her longstanding belief that the White House is haunted. Hager's admission that she believes ghosts roam the White House halls has captured curiosity ever since she shared a chilling yet charming anecdote about a musical spirit haunting 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during an October 2020 virtualappearanceonThe Kelly Clarkson Show. AfterKelly Clarksonasked Hager a series of true or false questions, the host was taken aback after Hager confirmed that she believes rumors of the White House being haunted are true. And hertwin sister Barbara Pierce Bushwas happy to verify the story. RELATED:Jenna Bush Hager's Husband Had a Spicy Reaction to Her New Bob: "Damn, That's..." "Barbara and I were going to sleep — our rooms were right next to each other, and it was in college when people would call late," Hager shared. "So the phone rang and I woke up and all of a sudden we heard like, 1920s piano music coming out of our fireplace." While Hager was happy to dish some of the details of her paranormal experience with Clarkson, she and her sister Barbara provided a more detailed timeline of spooky events during a joint March 2025 interview withPeople. "Barbara didn't believe me the first time. I was sleeping in my room — this was in college — and I woke up and heard opera coming out of the fireplace. And I could feel it! I honestly had chills," Hager said, recalling that she flocked to Barbara's adjacent bedroom in fear. "I'm like 'Barbara, Barbara!' I woke her up. 'I heard something. I think there's a ghost.' I got in bed with her, and we went back to sleep. Two days later she came to sleep in [my bedroom] and she was like, 'There's no ghost.'" While Barbara had been initially hesitant to think her sister experienced something paranormal, one night changed those beliefs. "Two days later, I was sleeping in her room. We were dozing off, and then we heard olden-times jazz music coming out of the fireplace again," Barbara recalled. "We were so scared. We wanted to get in bed with our parents, but we were 22 and it felt inappropriate. And so then we calmed ourselves down and we thought, 'Well, surely that was the cat. [The cat] Willard was playing the olden jazz music on the piano.'" Whatever it takes to sleep at night, right? However, once Hager woke up early the next morning to head to her internship, she discovered the top of the piano was on, covering the keys and obliterating the sisters' theory that the cat was the piano-playing culprit. So, who was playing music? "There [are] ghosts," Barbara concluded. "There's a lot of people that have lived in the White House, and I think there's some unfinished business with someone that likes music." Hager isn't the only one catching otherworldly energies at the White House. During a May 2021episodeofTODAY with Hoda & Jenna, Hager revealed that the twins' sleepless night inspired her to bring up the incident to a White House employee, who echoed their suspicions. "There's an incredible man — Buddy — who still works at the White House, we adored him. And [that morning] I said, 'Buddy, you wouldn't believe what Barbara and I heard last night,'" Hager recalled. "And he goes, "Oh Jenna, you wouldn't believe what I've seen in these walls." But noteveryone in the Bush familyis convinced. Former First Lady Laura Bush, whoappearedonThe Kelly Clarkson Showin May 2021, was keen to brush off her daughter's ghost story, assuring Clarkson it was "probably just the Secret Service talking down the hall in another room that they heard." AfterHoda Kotbpresented Laura's stance, Hager seemed humorously miffed at her mom. Despite Laura's refusal to think the White House is haunted, Hager cited Buddy and Barbara as being firmly Team Jenna on the matter, offering to call up her sister and put her on speakerphone if anyone doubted her. "Shall we do some research?" Hager teased. "Can the Secret Service play 1920s piano music?" It wouldn't be the first horror film to feature a skeptical parent raising their eyebrows, but it might be the first to take place inside the White House. WatchTODAYweekdays at 7 a.m. ET onNBC.

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July 01, 2025

Why Jenna Bush Hager Thinks the White House Is Haunted: "I Honestly Had Chills"

Why Jenna Bush Hager Thinks the White House Is Haunted: "I Honestly Had Chills" Jenna Bush Hageris standing her (possibly haunted)...

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Michael Imperioli Joins Fox Drama Series ‘Memory of a Killer’ Opposite Patrick Dempsey

Michael Imperioli Joins Fox Drama Series 'Memory of a Killer' Opposite Patrick Dempsey

Michael Imperioli is the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming Fox series "Memory of a Killer." Imperioli will star in the series alongsidepreviously announced leadPatrick Dempsey. The new series is said to be inspired by the Belgian film "De Zaak Alzheimer," aka "La Memoire Du Tueur." Per the official logline, the show is about "hitman Angelo Ledda (Dempsey) leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret — he has developed early onset Alzheimer's." More from Variety Stand Up Comedian Earthquake to Develop Fox Sitcom Based on His Life, Bill Burr to Produce Fox Biblical Event Series 'The Faithful' to Debut in March 2026, Finale Set for Easter Sunday Johnny Knoxville to Host 'Fear Factor' Reboot on Fox Imperioli will star as Dutch, described as "an accomplished Italian chef who owns a restaurant in the Bronx, a stalwart establishment that is also a front for Dutch's less sociable activities — such as running a criminal enterprise. As ruthless and mercurial as he is affable, Dutch is Angelo's oldest friend, as well as his employer — he gives Angelo the targets for his hits. In a business as dangerous as theirs, Angelo must trust Dutch. But being trustworthy isn't one of Dutch's more dependable qualities." Imperioli is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the seminal HBO drama "The Sopranos." He was nominated for five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes during his time on the series, winning the Emmy for best supporting actor in a drama in 2004. He also wrote five episodes of the series. Recently, he starred in Season 2 of "The White Lotus" at HBO, for which he earned another Emmy nomination. His other recent TV credits include "This Fool" at Hulu and "Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector" at NBC. He is repped by Gersh and Anonymous Content. "Memory of a Killer" is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment. Ed Whitmore and Tracey Malone developed the series for television and executive produce alongside Cathy Schulman of Welle Entertainment. Arthur Sarkissian and Martin Campbell are also executive producers, along with Peter Bouckaert of Eyeworks. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

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July 01, 2025

Michael Imperioli Joins Fox Drama Series ‘Memory of a Killer’ Opposite Patrick Dempsey

Michael Imperioli Joins Fox Drama Series 'Memory of a Killer' Opposite Patrick Dempsey Michael Imperioli is the latest addition to t...

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Jury reaches verdict on 4 of 5 counts in Diddy trial but is told to keep deliberating

Jury reaches verdict on 4 of 5 counts in Diddy trial but is told to keep deliberating

NEW YORK (AP) — The jury inSean "Diddy" Combs'sex trafficking trial said Tuesday that it has reached a verdict on four of five counts against the hip-hop mogul. But the partial decision remained under wraps after jurors were told to keep deliberating because they were stuck on the top charge, racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors, Combs' defense team and Judge Arun Subramanian reasoned that after just two days of deliberations, it was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts. So rather than taking a partial verdict, Subramanian told the jury to continue weighing the remaining charge. Deliberations will continue Wednesday. The developments came late Tuesday afternoon, when the jury sent a note saying it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge because there were jurors with "unpersuadable" views on both sides. But in less than 13 hours of deliberations, the jury did reach a verdict on two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The latter concerns allegations of arranging to fly the women and sex workers across state lines. If there is a conviction, the sex trafficking charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. Transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The outstanding charge, racketeering conspiracy, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. After hearing about the jury note, Combs, 55, appeared morose as his lawyers spoke with him. At one point,the hip-hop mogulsolemnly read a piece of paper that attorney Marc Agnifilo handed to him. After the jury came in for instructions and then exited the room, a subdued Combs sat in his chair for a few minutes. As he stood to leave, he faced his relatives and supporters in the audience, blew a kiss and tapped his heart, as he frequently has done at the start and end of each day. Then he paused before his mother and exchanged a few words, telling her, "Love you" and "I'll be all right." Marshals then led him from the room. Jurors are weighing charges that Combs used his fame, wealth and violence to force two girlfriends into drug-fueledsex marathonswith male sex workers known as "freak-offs" or "hotel nights." He has pleaded not guilty.His lawyers contendprosecutors are trying to criminalize Combs' swinger lifestyle and that, if anything, his conduct amounted to domestic violence, not federal felonies. Racketeering conspiracy is the most complicated charge because it requires the jury to decide not only whether Combs ran a "racketeering enterprise," but also whether he was involved in committing such offenses as some or all of various types of offenses, such as kidnapping and arson. Earlier Tuesday, the jury asked to review critical testimony from one of the prosecution's most important witnesses: the hip-hop mogul's former longtime girlfriendCassie, the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura. The panel of eight men and four womenasked for Cassie's account of Combs beating, kicking and dragging her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 — an assault captured on now-infamoussecurity camera footage. They also asked to see Cassie's testimony about when she said Combs accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off their yacht at the Cannes Film Festival in France in 2013. On their way back to the U.S., she said, he threatened to release explicit videos of her having sex. In addition, the jury asked for Cassie and stripper Daniel Phillip's testimony about her jumping into his lap at a New York City hotel. Phillip testified that "she was terrified," and he suspected Combs had been slapping and slamming her around an adjacent room. Phillip testified that he told her she was in real danger. Cassie, he said, "basically tried to convince me that it was OK: 'It's OK. I'm fine, I'll be OK.'" Tuesday's court session began with the lawyers and judge considering the jury's request late Monday for clarification about what qualifies as drug distribution, an aspect of the racketeering conspiracy charge. Subramanian ultimately reminded jurors of instructions he'd already given on that part of the case. On Monday, barely an hour into deliberations, the foreperson sent a note complaining that there was one juror "who we are concerned cannot follow your Honor's instructions." In response, the judge reminded jurors of their duties to deliberate and follow his instructions on the law. At the trial, Combschose not to testify. His lawyers built their arguments for acquittal mostly through lengthy cross-examinations of dozens of prosecution witnesses.

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July 01, 2025

Jury reaches verdict on 4 of 5 counts in Diddy trial but is told to keep deliberating

Jury reaches verdict on 4 of 5 counts in Diddy trial but is told to keep deliberating NEW YORK (AP) — The jury inSean "Diddy" Comb...

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In Idaho college town where 4 students were killed, relief and anger over Bryan Kohberger plea deal

In Idaho college town where 4 students were killed, relief and anger over Bryan Kohberger plea deal

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Residents expressed a mix of relief and anger Tuesday in the small Idaho college town where four students were stabbed to death in 2022 after news that theman charged in the killingshad agreed to plead guilty to avoid a trial and a possible death penalty. Bryan Kohberger, 30, is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday to charges that he murdered University of Idaho studentsKaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogenat a rental home near the Moscow campus in November 2022. No motive has emerged for the killings, which stunned a community that's still healing — and news of the plea deal elicited mixed reactions from Moscow residents. Telisa Swan had thanked authorities with a message on her tattoo shop's marquee after Kohberger was arrested in early 2023. On Tuesday, Swan said she's disappointed the victims' families may not get full answers ifKohberger's quadruple-murder trial doesn't happen next month. "But at the same time, I'm glad that he's admitting his guilt right now, finally," Swan said, adding that the "death penalty would have been an easy way out for him. He should suffer in prison for a very long time." With word of a plea deal, news crews descended Tuesday on Moscow's main street, where every other storefront boasts the University of Idaho's colors, flags and insignia. The nearby campus was quiet, with summer break in full swing. Bouquets of flowers and candles adorned the names of the victims etched on metal plaques at a campus healing garden and memorial opened in 2024 that honors the four students and others who lost their lives while enrolled at the university. The off-campus home where the killings took place was demolished in 2023, leaving behind an empty lot with dry grass and weathered mementos from a makeshift memorial there. Moscow resident Luke Brunaugh, who said he lives less than a mile from where the killings happened, didn't like that a deal would mean the death penalty option would go away, saying that should be the punishment for murder. "I think it's just unfair to the families," said Brunaugh. "It allows him to hide. He never had to really go to trial. He is answering to his crimes, but not to the fullest extent in my opinion." In Idaho, judges have the optionto reject plea agreements, but that is rare. If Kohberger pleads guilty on Wednesday, he is expected to be sentenced in late July. Kohberger, who was a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University at the time of the killings, was arrested after investigators said they matched his DNA to genetic material recovered from a knife sheath found at the crime scene. Heidi Barnett said she felt trepidation when her son chose the University of Idaho as his college three years ago. Visiting him in Moscow Tuesday, Barnett said a long trial would have been very emotional for the families. "I would think life in prison sometimes would be harder, so I kind of looked at it that way," she said. "I'm not the parent, but I would be happy with that." ___ Golden reported from Seattle.

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July 01, 2025

In Idaho college town where 4 students were killed, relief and anger over Bryan Kohberger plea deal

In Idaho college town where 4 students were killed, relief and anger over Bryan Kohberger plea deal MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Residents expressed...

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20 states sue after the Trump administration releases private Medicaid data to deportation officials

20 states sue after the Trump administration releases private Medicaid data to deportation officials

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration violated federal privacy laws when it turned over Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to deportation officials last month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta alleged on Tuesday, saying he and 19 other states' attorneys general havesuedover the move. Health secretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.'s advisers ordered the release of a dataset that includes the private health information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., to the Department of Homeland Security last month,The Associated Press firstreported last month. All of those states allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars. The unusual data sharing of private health information, including addresses, names, social security numbers, immigration status, and claims data for enrollees in those states, was released to deportation officials as they accelerated enforcement efforts across the country. The data could be used to help the Department of Homeland Security locate migrants in its mass deportation campaign, experts said. Bonta said the Trump administration's data release violates federal health privacy protection laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). "This is about flouting seven decades of federal law policy and practice that have made it clear that personal healthcare data is confidential and can only be shared in certain narrow circumstances that benefit the public's health or the Medicaid program," Bonta said during a news conference on Tuesday. The Trump administration has sought to arm deportation officials with more data onimmigrants. In May, for example,a federal judgerefused to block theInternal Revenue Servicefrom sharing immigrants' tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help agents locate and detain people living without legal status in the U.S. The move to shore up the federal government's data on immigrant Medicaid enrollees appears to have been set in motion in May, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it would be reviewing some states rolls to ensure federal funds have not been used to pay for coverage for people with "unsatisfactory immigration status." As part of the review, CMS asked California, Washington and Illinois to share details about non-U.S. citizens who have enrolled in their state's Medicaid program, according to a June 6 memo signed by Medicaid Deputy Director Sara Vitolo that was obtained by the AP. The memo was written by several CMS officials under Vitolo's supervision, according to sources familiar with the process. CMS officials attempted to fight the data sharing request from Homeland Security, saying that to do so would violate federal laws, including the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974, according to the memo. The legal arguments outlined in the memo were not persuasive to Trump appointees at HHS, which oversees the Medicaid agency. Four days after the memo was sent, on June 10, HHS officials directed the transfer of "the data to DHS by 5:30 ET today," according to email exchanges obtained by AP. HHS is "aggressively cracking down on states that may be misusing federal Medicaid funds," agency spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement. The agency has not provided details on DHS' role in the effort. Nixon also defended the legality of releasing the data to DHS. "HHS acted entirely within its legal authority – and in full compliance with all applicable laws – to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them," he said in the statement. Dozens of Democratic members of Congress — in both the House and Senate —have sent lettersto the involved agencies, demanding that data sharing cease and that Homeland Security destroy the information it has received so far. — Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed.

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July 01, 2025

20 states sue after the Trump administration releases private Medicaid data to deportation officials

20 states sue after the Trump administration releases private Medicaid data to deportation officials WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administrat...

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Justice Department says 2 Chinese nationals charged with spying inside the US for Beijing

Justice Department says 2 Chinese nationals charged with spying inside the US for Beijing

Two Chinese nationals have been charged with spying inside the United States on behalf of Beijing, including by taking photographs of a naval base, coordinating a cash dead-drop and by participating in efforts to recruit members of the military who they thought might be open to working for Chinese intelligence. The case,filed in federal court in San Franciscoand unsealed Monday, is the latest Justice Department prosecution to target what officials say are active efforts by the Chinese government to secretly collect intelligence about American military capabilities —a practice laid bare in startling fashion two years agowith China's launching of a surveillance balloon that US officials ultimately shot down over the coast of South Carolina. "This case underscores the Chinese government's sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement announcing the case. "The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country – we will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security." Officials identified the defendants as Yuance Chen, 38, who arrived in the US on a visa in 2015 and later became a lawful permanent resident, and Liren "Ryan" Lai, 39, who prosecutors say lives in China but came to Texas this past spring as part of an effort to supervise clandestine espionage operations on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security or MSS. The two were arrested on charges of secretly doing China's bidding without registering as foreign agents with the Justice Department, as required by law. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday. According to an FBI affidavit filed in connection with the case, investigators believe Lai had been developing Chen to be a Chinese intelligence asset since at least mid-2021. Their activities, the FBI says, included coordinating on a dead-drop of at least $10,000 in cash to another person operating at the direction of the MSS. They also conducted surveillance of a Navy recruiting station in California and Navy base in Washington state, including through photographs and videos that investigators believe were sent to Chinese intelligence. Authorities say Lai and Chen also discussed recruiting Navy employees to work for China, with Chen obtaining – during a tour of a Navy installation – photographs of names and hometowns of recent recruits. Many listed China as their hometown and investigators believe the information was sent to China, the FBI affidavit says. The case is one in a series of prosecutions concerning Chinese intelligence-gathering, including concerning the military. Last year, for instance,the Justice Department charged five Chinese nationalswith lying and trying to cover their tracks, more than a year after they were confronted in the dark near a remote Michigan military site where thousands of people had gathered for summer drills. And in 2023,two Navy sailors were charged with providing sensitive military information to China, including details on wartime exercises, naval operations and critical technical material. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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July 01, 2025

Justice Department says 2 Chinese nationals charged with spying inside the US for Beijing

Justice Department says 2 Chinese nationals charged with spying inside the US for Beijing Two Chinese nationals have been charged with spyin...

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What we know about Idaho firefighters, sniper who ambushed them

What we know about Idaho firefighters, sniper who ambushed them

An Idaho community is reeling days after a manset a brush fire and ambushed responding firefighters, fatally shooting two and injuring a third. Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison were killed in the attack June 29, authorities said. Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Dave Tysdal was recovering after two surgeries, according to Coeur d'Alene Fire Chief Tom Greif. "This community lost two dedicated public servants," Gabe Eckert, president of the Coeur d'Alene Firefighters' union, said at anews conference. "These men were dedicated firefighters; they were dedicated to their community. These guys were hard workers who loved their families." Authorities identified the suspect, who is also deceased in an apparent suicide, as 20-year-oldWess Roley. Roley's body was discovered after a six-hour manhunt that drew a response of hundreds of law enforcement officials from local, state and federal agencies. Here's what we know: The firefightersresponded to a callat about 1:21 p.m. June 29 that fire had broken out on the east side of Canfield Mountain near Coeur d'Alene, a city of about 57,000 in the northwest part of the state. At 2 p.m., firefighters broadcast that shots had been fired, officials said. Hundreds of law enforcement officers responded, and gunfire was exchanged with the suspect, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. "This was a total ambush," Norris said. "These firefighters did not have a chance." Investigators used cell phone data to locate a signal that hadn't moved since about 3:16 p.m. and discovered the body of the suspect, authorities announced just after 7:40 p.m. As the manhunt unfolded, the brush fire grew unchecked until it was considered safe for firefighters to access, the Idaho Department of Lands said. As of the evening of June 30, the blaze was being held at about 26 acres with no evacuations or structures at risk, the departmentsaidin an update. The suspect, a transient with a history of "minor" run-ins with police, appeared to be living out of his car at the time of the shooting, Norris said. Investigators were still looking into a possible motive and what brought Roley to Coeur d'Alene, he said. Past encounters with law enforcement were mostly about suspicions of trespassing, authorities said. He came from an "arborist family" and appeared to have fired from up a tree, Norris said. The suspect "at one point wanted to be a firefighter," Norris said. "We don't know if there's a nexus between that desire and what happened." Formerclassmates remembered Roleyin interviews with USA TODAY as having "Nazi tendencies" and "obsessed with guns." Read more. The firefighters killed in the attack wereremembered as "selfless public servants." Harwood, 42, had been with the Kootenai agency for 17 years, according to Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way. He was married with two children. "He did an amazing job," Way said. "This loss is felt by so many." Morrison, 52, had been with the Coeur d'Alene department since 1996, said Greif, the city's fire chief. Eckert, of the firefighters' union, shared a recent memory of smoking cigars with Morrison on a backyard patio. "We talked about being better fathers, we talked about being better leaders, and we talked about being better firefighters," Eckert said. "I'm so incredibly grateful that that gets to be my last memory with him." Contributing: John Bacon, Michael Loria, Christopher Cann, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Josh Meyer and Will Carless This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What we know about slain Idaho firefighters, sniper suspect Wess Roley

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July 01, 2025

What we know about Idaho firefighters, sniper who ambushed them

What we know about Idaho firefighters, sniper who ambushed them An Idaho community is reeling days after a manset a brush fire and ambushed ...

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