The CW This article contains a discussion of addiction. Based (very loosely) on Cecily von Ziegesar’s book series, “Gossip Girl” started its run on The CW in 2007 and, in the hands of Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, let us into the exclusive world of a bunch of uber-wealthy Manhattan teenagers, all of whom were played by beautiful twenty-somethings. The whole story begins with the return of the troubled but beautiful socialite Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), who ran away to boarding school in Connecticut after some sort of traumatizing life experience before the show’s narrative began — and when she does come back to New York, she tries to start fresh. Unfortunately for her, that’s not an option thanks to one conniving, unhinged troublemaker: Georgina Sparks, played to perfection by
Author Archives: The Esbec Team
Feb
Sarah Rainsford Europe correspondent in Rome Catholics gathered to pray for the health of the Pope beneath the steps of St Peter’s Basilica for a third night, as his doctors said his condition showed further slight improvement. Nuns dangling rosary beads, tourists and student priests were among those who joined the gentle incantation of the rosary in the Vatican. They were led by a cardinal in a scarlet skull cap who prayed for Pope Francis to be able to resume his duties as soon as possible. The nightly gatherings began on Monday after the 88-year-old’s health took a dramatic dip at the weekend. He was fighting to breathe and needed blood transfusions. But the latest statements suggest the Pope is able to sit in his chair, is eating normally and
Feb
The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily delayed a court-mandated deadline requiring the Trump administration to pay nearly $2 billion to contracted aid organizations for work they already completed. Chief Justice John Roberts, in an order Wednesday night, stayed a lower court order that the administration pay out $1.9 billion by midnight. In his order, Roberts asked the aid groups that sued the Trump administration to provide a response by noon Friday after which the court will decide its next steps. Roberts’ order came after the Trump administration sought emergency intervention by the high court after a panel of federal appeals court judges denied the administration’s earlier request to push the deadline. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris asked the justices to impose an administrative stay — freezing the status quo for a
Feb
Bernd Debusmann Jr BBC News, White House Getty Images Donald Trump held his first cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, turning the occasion into an extended question-and-answer session that lasted for more than an hour. Speaking alongside his cabinet – and billionaire Elon Musk who wore a “tech support” T-shirt – Trump covered a wide range of topics, ranging from Doge’s efforts to cut government spending to immigration, the economy and the war in Ukraine. Here are a five takeaways from his remarks. 1) Trump praises Rubio and Musk Trump was asked by reporters which government department – and, by extension, which cabinet members – were most resistant to his policy changes. “So far, I’m happy with all of those choices,” he said. He added, however, that “some
Feb
In the give-and-take of negotiations, Trump expects Zelensky to do all the giving and Putin and Trump the taking. By DOUGLAS ALTABEF FEBRUARY 27, 2025 03:34 UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT Volodymyr Zelensky speaks with US President Donald Trump by phone, earlier this month. In his first weeks in office, Trump dramatically reversed US policy on Ukraine, even falsely accusing Zelensky of starting the war with Russia, the writer notes. (photo credit: UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/REUTERS) President Donald Trump marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Monday by siding with Moscow and its closest allies on the losing side of two UN General Assembly resolutions concerning Moscow’s unprovoked invasion on February 24, 2022. One condemned the brutal Russian aggression by name, and the other called for an end to the
Feb
NBC By Jaron Pak Feb. 26, 2025 10:00 am EST “The Office” featured a ton of guest appearances along with its core set of recurring characters. Some of these started as guests and moved into full-time roles, like Ed Helm’s Andy Bernard. Others made a brief appearance and were out, like Will Ferrell’s Deangelo Vickers. And then there were those who rode the line for a while, like Rashida Jones’ Karen Filippelli. Karen arrives in season 3 as Jim Halpert’s new love interest. She follows him to Scranton when the Stamford branch closes, and spends the rest of the season becoming a regular fixture of the show. The sweet, sincere nature of Karen’s character helps her get along with the group, both in Stamford and Scranton. As far as audiences are
Feb
“Of course, Hamas will agree. Once again, Israel fails to understand: Hamas has already reaped the internal benefits of these events,” said Eyal Ofer. By PELED ARBELI FEBRUARY 25, 2025 11:25 Eliya Cohen and Omer Shem Tov escorted by Hamas, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025 (photo credit: Ali Hassan/Flash90) Eyal Ofer, an expert on Hamas and Gazan economics, explained the rationale behind why Hamas may cease the hostage release ceremonies—and why, in his view, Israel is missing the bigger picture in an interview with 103FM on Tuesday. A surprising statement from a Hamas spokesperson suggests the group may change its approach to what Israel has called “shows of force” celebrating the release of hostages in Gaza. After repeated delays in prisoner exchanges due to Hamas violations, the
Feb
Japan ’s decision to skip a major nuclear weapon ban summit – despite the efforts of Nobel Prize-winning campaigners – has sparked condemnation from activists, who have said Tokyo is missing a critical chance to advocate for disarmament. The domestic debate over Japan’s position on nuclear weapons intensified after Nihon Hidankyo , or the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organisations, won the Nobel Peace Prize in December for its 68-year campaign against nuclear weapons. The government’s decision not to attend the meeting of signatory states to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in New York from March 3 to 7 is “extremely unfortunate”, according to Hajime Matsukubo, secretary general of the Tokyo-based Citizens’ Nuclear Information Centre. Adopted in 2017, the TPNW is the first legally
Feb
The Ram Ramcharger has a 91.8 kWh battery, but only 69.7 kWh are usable. Ram says this is to provide a consistent driving experience between EV driving and when the truck uses its gas engine. The truck also has a heavy-duty frame and 8-lug wheel hubs to haul more weight compared to its ICE cousin. I know I’ve railed against too-big batteries in trucks in the past, and that includes the all-electric version of this very vehicle. However, when Stellantis previewed the 2026 Ram Ramcharger’s technical details to the media this week, its 91.8 kWh battery felt a little small compared to full EV trucks. Stranger still, Stellantis says that only 69.7 of those kWh are usable, meaning a whopping 22.1 kWh is just in the battery, unable to be
Feb
Bernd Debusmann Jr at the White House, BBC News Watch: Trump and Macron cite ‘progress’ in Ukraine war peace talks French President Emmanuel Macron said any peace deal in Ukraine must come with security guarantees, as he met US President Donald Trump at the White House for talks on the war. “This peace must not be a surrender of Ukraine, it must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees,” he said as the two leaders held a joint news conference following their meeting on Monday. Trump, who did not mention security guarantees himself, said the cost and burden of securing peace in Ukraine must be paid for by European nations and not just the US. Macron responded that Europe understood the need to “more fairly share the security burden”, and added
Feb
The former New York City mayor was found liable for defamation in 2023. February 24, 2025, 10:26 PM Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Monday satisfied the judgment against him that required him to pay two Fulton County election workers a total of $148 million for defamation. A jury found Giuliani liable in 2023 for defaming Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss by falsely accusing them of tampering with the 2020 presidential vote in Georgia. Rudy Giuliani, personal lawyer of President Donald Trump, looks on during an appearance before the Michigan House Oversight Committee in Lansing, Michigan, Dec. 2, 2020. Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images In the process of reaching a settlement in January, he was held in contempt twice, by two different federal judges, for failing to relinquish
Feb
Javed Akhtar became a target of trolls for praising Virat Kohli© AFP | X (Twitter) Virat Kohli’s sensational performance against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy sent the entire Indian cricketing spectrum into euphoria. Celebrations rang all across the country as India thumped Pakistan to seal their fate in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals. Even celebrities took to social media to laud Kohli and the Indian team’s performance on the big occasion. Lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar, however, became a target of trolls on social media as he shared a post celebrating Kohli’s performance in Dubai. Coming into the match on the back of a topsy-turvy run that saw his place in the team being questioned, Kohli slammed his 51st ODI hundred as he decimated Pakistan in the Group A
Feb
Classified information may have been compromised as Elon Musk’s federal workforce cuts create security lapses, putting CIA operatives at risk amid conflicting federal directives. By JERUSALEM POST STAFF FEBRUARY 25, 2025 02:02 The lobby of the CIA Headquarters Building in Langley, Virginia, US (photo credit: LARRY DOWNING/REUTERS) The CIA is conducting an internal formal review to assess any potential damage caused by an unclassified email sent to the White House that discussed possible layoffs, using names and initials that had the potential to expose undercover officers, a source familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday. The email, sent in early February, was part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plan to cut the workforce and spending of the federal government. The Trump administration’s continuous efforts to audit
Feb
Ghana’s economic growth remains heavily dependent on the mining and oil sectors, raising concerns about the country’s slow structural transformation and limited job creation, experts have said. Speaking at the launch of the Productivity, Employment and Growth Report in Accra on February 24, 2025, Government Statistician Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim stressed the need for Ghana to rethink how labour and capital are combined across all sectors. He noted that while productivity has improved over the past three decades, much of the growth has been driven by extractive industries, which contribute significantly to GDP but create few jobs. “The data shows that while productivity has increased, much of this progress is confined to the mining sector, which does not generate enough employment opportunities,” he said. “If Ghana wants to double its
One week after Donald Trump took office again as American President, Kha Van received an email from her school explaining how to deal with U.S. immigration and customs authorities. Like other Vietnamese students and their foreign friends in the U.S., she is now overwhelmed by the feeling of uncertainty, one that has prevented them from doing regular stuff such as finding a part-time job or planning a summer vacation back at home. “My school sent an email to students telling us what to do when encountering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when going to school, what to say and how to behave when ICE enters our school, to defend our rights, as ICE can stomp into our school anytime to arrest someone,” she said. She said many schools in the