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The U.S. embargo against Cuba has been a disaster for both countries, and the answer to the problem is ending the embargo and letting capitalism grow in Cuba, rather than military intervention.

On Thursday afternoon, a reporter asked Donald Trump whether he believed he’s “losing control” of congressional Republicans. “I don’t know,” the president replied. “I really don’t know.”

All things considered, he probably ought to know, given the fact that he’s confronting a problem of his own making. The Wall Street Journal reported last week on an emerging faction on Capitol Hill that has the potential to make a real difference:

While the president has made clear he can make or break the career of any Republican, he is also creating a class of vanquished lawmakers still in office. Republicans and aides on Capitol Hill have begun referring to a new “YOLO caucus” of outgoing senators who have little left to lose in bucking Trump.

The Associated Press published a related report, adding, “The YOLO caucus is in session.” (“YOLO” is slang for “you only live once.”)

The Republicans joining the YOLO caucus are no doubt aware of the fact that they’re poking an erratic bear and inviting furious reactions from the president. The problem for the White House is that these GOP members just don’t seem to care.

Some of them, such as Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, are retiring, so they no longer fear the electoral consequences of standing up to the White House. Others, such as Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, have already lost to Trump-backed challengers, so they’re suddenly unburdened by intraparty pressures.

Others still, such as Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, are running for re-election in highly competitive states and districts, so they actually see some benefit in presidential condemnations, since they help create some distance between themselves and the woefully unpopular Republican in the Oval Office.

To be sure, we’re not talking about a lot of congressional Republicans, most of whom continue to act as if they’re White House employees instead of members of a coequal branch of government, but given the narrow GOP majorities in both chambers, members of the YOLO caucus have a unique opportunity to start influencing legislative outcomes on Capitol Hill, if they choose to take full advantage of the circumstances.

Just last week, we saw some compelling evidence of this, with several Republicans:

• Rejecting the administration’s $1.776 billion compensation fund (widely panned by members of both parties as a “slush fund”)
• Opposing public funds related to the White House ballroom project
• Ignoring Trump’s calls to fire the Senate parliamentarian
• Voting with Democrats on a war powers resolution related to the war in Iran
• Denouncing Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton in Texas’ Senate race
• Rejecting the White House’s call for cuts to federal housing programs.

Although the circumstances were qualitatively different, if we widened the aperture a bit, the president facing intraparty pushback over his negotiations with Iran is arguably part of the same phenomenon.

The conventional wisdom suggests that Trump’s control over congressional Republicans is complete and unrelenting. The president barks orders and GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill obey, motivated by some combination of fear, partisan allegiance, loyalty and ideological agreement.

But with the president’s approval rating sinking to unusually low levels, and YOLO caucus members feeling indifference about the president’s wrath, Trump’s grip appears to be slipping.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

The post Emerging ‘YOLO Caucus’ in Congress has the potential to make a real difference appeared first on MS NOW.

Jonathan Andic is stepping away from the Mango empire … but he says it’s because he’s fighting to clear his name, not because he killed his billionaire dad. The eldest son of late Mango founder Isak Andic announced Tuesday he’s resigning as vice…

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) on Monday said President Trump’s withdrawal from former President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran left the country “weeks from nuclear breakout.” Wasserman-Schultz blasted the reported memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, which would include unfreezing Iranian assets and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. She argued that President Trump leaving…

Albert Wolsky, a two-time Academy Award winning and Tony nominated costume designer whose many high-profile credits include his Oscar-taking work on All That Jazz (1979) and Bugsy (1991), died Saturday, May 23, at his home in Hollywood. He was 95. His death was announced by friends and colleagues on social media and confirmed by Deadline. Born in Paris, France, […]

If there’s one thing Jennifer Lopez knows how to do … it’s serve a look — and she was doing exactly that while soaking up Memorial Day in a bikini! J.Lo dropped a bunch of snaps from Monday’s celebrations … and while she was surrounded…

Pope Leo warns about artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity in the first encyclical letter of his papacy.

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Few artists embody rockstar >Lenny Kravitz. For decades, Kravitz has built a fashion legacy rooted in individuality, sensuality, and an unapologetic embrace of self-expression. Much like his genre-defying music career, his personalsrc=”https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2220933.jpg” alt=”14 Times Lenny Kravitz Inspired Us With His Rockstar Style” width=”400″ height=”364″ />Portrait of Lenny Kravitz (1989)Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect*** SPECIAL RATES APPLY ***Lenny Kravitz, Vooruit, Gent, Belgium, 12 December 1989. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)Lenny Kravitz en concert en avril 1990, France. (Photo by Eric CATARINA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)Portrait of singer Lenny Kravitz at the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois, February 15, 1990. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)Lenny Kravitz, Torhout/Werchter Festival, Torhout, Belgium, 7 July 1990. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)Singer Lenny Kravitz arrives at the the 1991 MTV Movie Awards. This photo appears on page 106 in Frank Trapper’s RED CARPET book. (Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)MALIBU, CA – SEPTEMBER 16 : Leonard Albert Kravitz, known as Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Photographed near his home September 16, 1991 in Malibu , California (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images)Lenny Kravitz during Versace Hosts Rock N’ Rule Benefit for AmFAR at Park Avenue Armory in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)ELMONT, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: Lenny Kravitz attends the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 07, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 11: Lenny Kravitz onstage during The Game Awards 2025 at Peacock Theater on December 11, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/The Game Awards via Getty Images)ELMONT, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: Lenny Kravitz performs on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for MTV)SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – SEPTEMBER 22: Lenny Kravitz performs during the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix on September 22, 2024 in Singapore. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 24: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY – For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Lenny Kravitz attends the Saint Laurent Womenswear Spring-Summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 24, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 01: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Lenny Kravitz attends The BRIT Awards 2025 at Intercontinental Hotel London – The O2 on March 01, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

The post 14 Times Lenny Kravitz Inspired Us With His Rockstar Style appeared first on Essence.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Knox Jolie-Pitt is switching things up — stepping out with a bright new look … orange hair and all! The 17-year-old was spotted leaving Muay Thai class in L.A. on Memorial Day … and yeah, being…

By India Espy-Jones ·Updated May 26, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

“I’m honestly very nervous to make this video,” said makeup artist Ngozi “Esther” Edeme, professionally known as Painted by Esther, in a TikTok video. But, “I don’t like being scared to say things because you know how easy it is for them to ‘angry Black women’ us.”

@paintedbyesther

I’ll only speak about this once.

♬ original sound – Paintedbyesther

Known for her “transition blush,” a dramatic, airbrushed blush technique including the under eyes in blush placement, Edeme has famously popularized the look on Black women with richer skin tones like Olandria, Kelly Rowland, and Doechii. Except, now, makeup artist Patrick Ta is accused of stealing her technique. 

Holding back tears, she begins to explain: “I have had really weird experiences with Patrick,” she said. Citing at least “two or three” prior incidents, “the weirdest one recently was, I was in LA [and] I get a booking request from the other half of Patrick Ta,” she said about the brand’s co-founder, Rima Minasyan. 

@paintedbyesther

My new melted flush blush technique with New Impressionist Multistick from @KosasI build the flush in stages, layering blush into the complexion process so the color looks melted into the skin instead of sitting on top. shop it today at kosas.com, @sephoracanada @sephora+ @kohls #KosasPartner #ad

♬ original sound – Paintedbyesther

After accepting the booking request for a “do-and-go,” which means she would do Minasyan’s makeup then leave, Edeme gets a text from her agent the day of the appointment: “[Minasyan] wants to record you doing the glam.” Immediately, Edeme cancelled. “It’s not a one-to-one lesson, it’s not a teaching lesson, it’s none of that,” she said about the service Minasyan booked. “I found that very strange… If you want me to teach you, then that’s a different service.” 

@patrickta

Transition Blush Tutorial @Patrick Ta Beauty

♬ original sound – patrick ta

Then, just last week, Patrick Ta announced the upcoming launch of his latest product: the Transition Blurring Blush Duo. “The timing of things is very convenient,” Edeme noted. In a tutorial with Kosas, for example, she mentioned a powder puff was the “holy grail” to transition blush, a tool Ta then used in a tutorial for his new product. Then, Edeme said to use the “back of your palm” (instead of the commonly referred verbiage of “back of your hand”) for application, which was a literary mistake Ta repeated in his own tutorial. 

In response to Edeme, Ta said “I do not own this look” and tagged Edeme crediting her for popularizing the look in her work, specifically on Olandria. While Edeme has never claimed to be the originator of transition blush, often referencing legends like Danessa Myricks, Pat McGrath, and most notably, Kevyn Aucoin, she has undoubtedly been responsible for its popularity on Black women in the past few years.

@kevynaucoin

We heard “transition blush” is having quite the moment right now… Long before the term started circulating online, this technique was first published by legendary makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin… and later refined by incredible artists like @PaintedbyestherIn 2018, our Neo-Blush was created with the purpose of honoring Kevyn’s legacy and teachings. We’ve been delivering customizable color, dimension, and glow for almost a decade. Just a little beauty history lesson #transitionblush #kevynaucoin #neoblush #paintedbyesther #patrickta

♬ original sound – | Nikki Rossi |

To the point, Aucoin’s team credited her influence in a response video. “We heard ‘transition blush’ is having quite the moment right now,” read the caption of a video on Aucoin’s official TikTok account. In a history lesson about transition blush: “Long before the term started circulating online, this technique was first published by legendary makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin… and later refined by incredible artists like Painted By Esther.” 

Rising to fame in the 1980s and ‘90s, Aucoin’s blush was seen all over the faces of supermodels like Naomi Campbell, the cover of Vogue, and even as creative director of Revlon’s Ultima II line. In 1997, just five years before his passing, he released a book, Making Faces, which introduced the blush technique which is now known as “transition blush,” his signature airbrushed, gradient technique Edeme references in her work.

@joolieannie

#fyp #paintedbyesther #patricktabeauty

♬ Yuletide Interlude – Joshua Tree National Failure

“In 2018, Kevyn Aucoin’s Neo-Blush was created with the purpose of honoring Kevyn’s legacy and teachings,” the TikTok caption continued. However, Patrick Ta’s new blush duo was also called out for drawing a direct comparison to the Black-founded Juvia’s Place Blushed Duo in both packaging and shades, and priced at $10 dollars more. Meanwhile, his blush duo has less pigment, and although he demonstrated the look on Black women, is much less visible than the iconic Edeme’s. 

@jackieaina

#transitionblush #babypinkblush #patricktabeauty #patricktablush @Patrick Ta Beauty

♬ original sound – Jackie Asamoah

As if the controversy couldn’t get any more layered, Jackie Aina Asamoah posted a review of Patrick Ta’s new blushes in the midst of it all. “It wasn’t until Makeup by Mario went on Patrick Ta’s YouTube channel where he finally showed this technique,” she said. “Ever since then, it is exactly how I’ve done my blush.” 

In the review, she said she’s the “target demographic” for the blush, and while she’s “indifferent” towards the Liquid Transition Brightening Blush, she likes the blush duo. In the comments, however, viewers expected her to address the controversy. “I’m not inserting myself in [Painted by Esther and Patrick Ta’s] situation,” she responded. Instead, she’s simply reviewing a new launch just as any other product. 

@jackieaina

it’s time to wake up why a lot of people still loudly support Juvia’s place but more importantly….why are some of you weaponizing them against me. hold yourself to same standard you hold Jackie Asamoah to, challenge

♬ Gymnopedie No. 1, Slowly, image of wave(1180783) – Dai Hentai Fujishima

But, it wasn’t until commenters kept mentioning Juvia’s Place’s Blushed Duo did Asamaoh make a follow-up video. “I’m never going to support Juvia’s Place,” she said sternly, citing how the brand “can not take constructive criticism” and “disrespected” her during a dispute with founder and CEO Chi-Chi Eburu in 2019. “You will absolutely not call me a sell out, you will absolutely not call me a hypocrite, you will absolutely not say that I pick and choose, while also name-dropping Juvia’s Place in my comment section,” she said.

As for Patrick Ta, “if you guys collectively don’t want to support Patrick as a brand, you absolutely have that right,” she said. “It is not my job to fight his battles and it never will be.” While the controversy with Painted by Esther does not involve Aina, it’s not the first time a Black woman has accused Ta of theft.

@avonnasunshine

Any guesses on who it might be?

♬ original sound – Avonna Sunshine

In 2024, influencer Avonna Sunshine destroyed Patrick Ta products in a viral TikTok video with one million likes. “I’m sick of seeing companies profit off of the Black dollar and they’re not paying Black creators,” she said, exposing Ta for unpaid invoices. “How would you feel if someone stole from you?” He since apologized to Sunshine, but now, less than two years later, he’s under fire for the same reason. 

@shanell.sorrells

This goes out to all my girls like @Paintedbyesther @lex michaela and every blush loving artist who pushed the needle forward with their artistry! Sometimes integrity is more important than capitalizing on a viral moment.#blush #makeupartist #transitionblush #midtoneblushing #baddieglam

♬ original sound – Shanell Sorrells

Additionally, a makeup artist affiliated with Patrick Ta, Shanell Sorrells, said, “it’s important, as a fellow artist, to give artists their credit when they’re literally influencing beauty culture in real time,” questioning why the launch wasn’t a collaboration with Edeme. She then admitted “I’m just a little confused with this launch.” The same was said by Jalana Torres, founder of “The Beauty Of” Substack, who says it’s a look you can achieve without buying an entirely new product. 

“I would hardly call this pushing the category forward,” Torres said about the blush duo, citing that buying a specific product for the under eye and cheek is unnecessary. Instead, she questioned why simply placing a regular blush isn’t enough. Others, like beauty creator Chelle’s World, asked the same question. “Why are we creating products for problems that don’t exist?” 

@jalanagt

The quotes from the Byrdie article are embarrassing and I very much feel this is a rip off of @Paintedbyesther#patrickta #blush #paintedbyesther #patricktabeauty

♬ original sound – jalana

Historically, the beauty rituals of Black women have long been stolen from, whether it’s the beauty controversy Painted By Esther Patrick Ta transition blush

The post ‘Transition Blush’ And The Painted By Esther-Patrick Ta Controversy, Explained appeared first on Essence.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the Iranian government is alone in pushing for itself to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz via a tolling system.  “The Russians are not in favor of a tolling system, the Chinese are not in favor of a tolling system,” Rubio told reporters on board his…

There is a growing expectation Elliot Anderson will leave the City Ground this summer.