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Army says Arlington National Cemetery official was “abruptly pushed aside” during dispute with Trump campaign
An Army spokesperson said Thursday that a female Army National Cemetery official was “abruptly pushed aside” during a dispute with the Trump campaign over political activity and photos on the grounds earlier in the week, but the employee has decided not to press charges.
The Army spokesperson called the incident “unfortunate,” and said it is also “unfortunate” that the cemetery “employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”
The Trump campaign has continued to push back against what the Arlington National Cemetery described as an “incident” Monday when Trump visited the cemetery with Gold Star families whose family members died during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Trump campaign said that they were explicitly granted permission to bring “campaign designated media” to Section 60 of the cemetery by the Gold Star families. Messages reviewed by CBS News confirmed that the campaign was given expressed permission by the families.
However, the rules at Army National Military Cemeteries are dictated by federal law which prohibits any filming for partisan, political or fundraising purposes, according to Arlington National Cemetery media policies, even if there are requests by family members of the fallen.
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
“ANC conducts nearly 3,000 such public ceremonies a year without incident,” the Army spokesperson said. “Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds. An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside. Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption.”
Defense officials previously told CBS News that some staff with the Trump campaign were unprofessional and were aggressive both verbally and physically toward the cemetery official.
The incident was reported to the military police department, but the Arlington Cemetery employee decided not to press charges, so the Army said it considers the matter closed.
“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” the Army spokesperson said. “ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.”
Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung told CBS News earlier this week there was “no physical altercation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made.”
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Anna Sorokin, convicted con artist, appears on “Dancing With the Stars” wearing glittery ankle monitor
Los Angeles — Convicted con artist Anna Sorokin has hit the dancefloor on “Dancing With the Stars” with a featherweight – and very sparkly – ankle monitor.
The so-called “fake heiress,” who was convicted of swindling banks, hotels and friends in 2019 after falsely building a reputation as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, debuted the ballroom-worthy ankle monitor during the premiere of “Dancing With the Stars'” new season Tuesday night.
“It’s actually not a big issue at all. It’s pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad,” she told The Associated Press after the premiere. She and dance pro Ezra Sosa performed a routine set to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”
“It’s the real star of the show, let’s be honest here,” Sosa said of Sorokin’s bedazzled ankle monitor.
“I think it’s kind of funny how people like – it’s not like an ankle weight,” Sosa said. “It’s not like 20 pounds. It’s like literally less than a pound and it’s not a big deal.”
John Carucci / AP
Sorokin acknowledged her debut didn’t go as planned.
“I feel relieved that it’s over,” she said. “I feel like my dance could have been a little bit better, but I’m happy I’ve done this and it was a great experience all over.”
Sorokin said she hopes viewers will be somewhat forgiving despite her criminal history.
“Hopefully people will give me, will give me a chance to show what I can do. And I served my time and I repaid my restitution,” she said.
Early reviews from fans weren’t positive, with the phrase “Anna Delvey’s Lackluster DWTS Debut” among those trending on the social media site X.
While she was released from prison in February 2021, immigration authorities picked her up shortly after she got out, claiming she overstayed her visa and must be returned to her native Germany. The “Inventing Anna” inspiration was in ICE custody for over a year before a judge cleared the way for her to switch to home confinement in October 2022 while she fights deportation.
Her release terms had to be amended to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming.
While on home confinement, Sorokin has also gotten involved with a podcast and reality show.
Tupperware and some of its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the once-iconic food container maker said in a statement late Tuesday.
The company has suffered from dwindling sales following a surprise surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, when legions of people stuck at home tried their hands at cooking, which increased demand for Tupperware’s colorful plastic containers with flexible airtight seals.
A post-pandemic rise in costs of raw materials and shipping, along with higher wages, also hurt Tupperware’s bottom line.
Last year, it warned of “substantial doubt” about its ability to keep operating in light of its poor financial position.
“Over the last several years, the Company’s financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment,” president and CEO Laurie Ann Goldman said in a statement announcing the bankruptcy filing.
“As a result, we explored numerous strategic options and determined this is the best path forward,” Goldman said.
The company said it would seek court approval for a sale process for the business to protect its brand and “further advance Tupperware’s transformation into a digital-first, technology-led company.”
The Orlando, Florida-based firm said it would also seek approval to continue operating during the bankruptcy proceedings and would continue to pay its employees and suppliers.
“We plan to continue serving our valued customers with the high-quality products they love and trust throughout this process,” Goldman said.
The firm’s shares were trading at $0.5099 Monday, well down from $2.55 in December last year.
Tupperware said it had implemented a strategic plan to modernize its operations and drive efficiencies to ignite growth following the appointment of a new management team last year.
“The Company has made significant progress and intends to continue this important transformation work.”
In its filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, Tupperware listed assets of between $500 million and $1 billion and liabilities of between $1 billion and $10 billion.
The filing also said it had between 50,000 and 100,000 creditors.
Tupperware lost popularity with consumers in recent years and an initiative to gain distribution through big-box chain Target failed to reverse its fortunes.
The company’s roots date to 1946, when chemist Earl Tupper “had a spark of inspiration while creating molds at a plastics factory shortly after the Great Depression,” according to Tupperware’s website.
“If he could design an airtight seal for plastic storage containers, like those on a paint can, he could help war-weary families save money on costly food waste.”
Over time, Tupper’s containers became popular that many people referred to any plastic food container as Tupperware. And people even threw “Tupperware parties” in their homes to sell the containers to friends and neighbors.
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