Latest news with #Punisher
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Soldier Pardoned by Trump Shares 'Plandemic' Conspiracy Image
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A soldier pardoned by President Donald Trump shared an image associated with COVID conspiracy theories on his social media when thanking the president for his pardon. Former 1st Lieutenant Mark Bashaw was discharged from the Army in 2023 after being found guilty of refusing to obey orders around COVID-19 prevention in 2022. His official offense was listed as "violation of lawful orders," and although he was convicted, he was not sent to prison. Bashaw has been contacted for comment via email to his cryptocurrency company. 🇺🇸 I just received a Presidential Pardon from President Donald J. Trump. I am humbled, grateful, and ready to continue fighting for truth and justice in this great nation. Thank you, Mr. President @realDonaldTrump and to your incredible team, WRWY🙏 Special shout out to… — Mark Charles Bashaw (@MCBashaw) May 29, 2025 Why It Matters The Trump administration, which oversaw the initial response to COVID-19 in the U.S, including the rapid research and development of vaccines in 2020, has been working to reinstate military members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine, while firing transgender military personnel. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed 1.2 million Americans since 2020 according to the World Health Organization, and approximately 300 Americans are still dying every week from COVID infections due in part to low vaccine rates and difficulties accessing medication. What To Know Main: Lt. Mark Bashaw (right) look on during a ceremony held July 9 at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, APG North Recreation Center, July 9, 2021. Inset: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the... Main: Lt. Mark Bashaw (right) look on during a ceremony held July 9 at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, APG North Recreation Center, July 9, 2021. Inset: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Washington. More Main: Graham Snodgrass, Inset: Evan Vucci, File/Main: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, Inset: AP Photo Bashaw has been pardoned by the president, after becoming the first member of the military to be court-martialed over refusing to comply with COVID protocols. He took to X to thank Trump for the pardon, and shared an image of the Punisher logo accompanied by the phrase "Plandemic Reprimando: COVID-19 Reprimanded Ranks." He said: "Special shoutout to ... ALL the Reprimandos/Patriots who took a stand against tyranny, and most importantly Jesus Christ Almighty! Glory to God." The term plandemic refers to a conspiracy theory that the global COVID pandemic was a human-made plot created by those in power. Bashaw was found by military investigators to have violated several COVID-19 prevention protocols including refusing to wear a mask, failing to send in proof of a negative test before showing up to work, and refusing to telework. These protocols were required of soldiers who were not vaccinated against the virus. His military disciplinary record has now been expunged by the pardon. He was among 19 people granted pardons between May 27 and May 30, 2025. When Trump took office for a second time, one of his many executive orders was to reinstate members of the military who had refused COVID-19 vaccinations. The executive order states: "The military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received. Federal Government redress of any wrongful dismissals is overdue." When the vaccine mandates were announced in 2021, Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle, the U.S. Army Surgeon General said: "This is quite literally a matter of life and death for our Soldiers, their families, and the communities in which we live." Vaccines were considered "a health and readiness priority for the total Army." An Army press release in 2021 said: "While Soldiers who refuse the vaccine will first be counseled by their chain of command and medical providers, continued failure to comply could result in administrative or nonjudicial punishment—to include relief of duties or discharge. "Soldiers have the ability to request an exemption from receiving the vaccine if they have a legitimate medical, religious or administrative reason." Since being discharged from the military, Bashaw has built a cryptocurrency platform called Freedom Financial 1776. What People Are Saying Mark Bashaw on X: "Just received a Presidential Pardon from President Donald J. Trump. I am humbled, grateful, and ready to continue fighting for truth and justice in this great nation. "Thank you, Mr. President[Donald Trump], and to your incredible team, WRWY [We Are With You]." What Happens Next It is unclear at this time whether Bashaw will return to the military.
CNN
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Male escort at the center of Diddy 'freak-offs' speaks out after his testimony
Laura speaks with Sharay "The Punisher" Hayes, an exotic dancer who testified during the criminal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Screen Geek
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Marvel Reportedly Wants Female Villain For 'Punisher' MCU Special
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally circling back to Jon Bernthal's Punisher. The character previously appeared in several Netflix shows including his own Punisher series, before being scrapped in a move by Marvel Studios, and he was later reintroduced with Daredevil: Born Again . Jon Bernthal reprised his role for the reintroduction and he'll be doing so again for an upcoming Disney Plus Punisher special, one that is reportedly casting a female villain. With that said, it's worth noting that Marvel Studios has yet to confirm this news, so it should be taken with a grain of salt at this time. Though the report comes from an insider who has certainly shared some truths in the past. And, if the series wanted to explore Frank Castle's other villains, this could be a good way to do so. Specifically, Daniel Richtman claims that the series is in the midst of casting a 'female crime boss villain.' There are definitely a number of characters that could fit this role, especially within the Punisher mythos, though there is one character that many fans are expecting this could be. Fans believe this female villain could be the comic book character Isabella Carmela Magdalena Gnucci. For short, however, the character is often referred to as 'Ma Gnucci.' She appeared in Garth Ennis' Marvel Knights run and has been a fan-favorite recurring villain for Frank Castle aka The Punisher in the years since. Though that's speculative, and much like the aforementioned report, should be taken with an additional grain of salt. Either way, we should have more concrete information soon, as the new Punisher special is being scheduled for a release next year. The Punisher 'Special Presentation' will be released in 2026 alongside Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. As we approach 2026, more details for these projects should be coming our way, so stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates as we have them.
Gizmodo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Frank Castle's Back and Ready to Kill as the Punisher Once More
After two years off the board, Frank Castle is back with a vengeance in 'The Punisher: Red Band.' Earlier this year, we got Frank Castle back on our TVs, and now it's time for the Punisher to make a return to comics, too. Marvel's gun-toting antihero is coming back to the page in Punisher: Red Band, a five-issue miniseries from Ben Percy (Wolverine) and Julius Ohta (Iron Man). The last time we saw Frank was back in 2023 when he took control of the Hand ninja cult, learned his wife was alive and wanted a divorce, and was later sent to Weirdworld. This new comic sees Frank back in New York without any memories of his past life, but still good at taking lives, so that's what he's gonna do. Much like his TV counterpart, this Frank is gonna get up to some bloody stuff, and his miniseries comes with a 'Red Band' label to signify it's got more explicit content than usual. 'Frank Castle is one of my all-time favorite characters, and Punisher is a series I've been gunning to write for a long, long time,' wrote Percy. 'I'm going to lean in fully and push the very limits of my favorite genre: hairy psychopaths. This is going to be as gritty and bloody as it gets. Street-level mayhem awaits you.' Marvel has often seemed uncertain about what to do with Frank. Some of that was owed to his Netflix series and the timing of a heavily armed vigilante in a show airing weeks or months after mass shootings; other times, it was because of how police had co-opted his symbol and used it to decorate their vehicles. Daredevil: Born Again confronted that latter point during its first season by having Frank kill a bunch of Punisher cops and telling them they suck. We'll see what comics Frank does when Punisher: Red Band begins September 10.
CNET
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Krysten Ritter Returning as Jessica Jones in 'Daredevil: Born Again' Season 2
Krysten Ritter will be returning as superhero Jessica Jones in the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, Disney announced Tuesday during Marvel's section of Disney Upfront 2025. Ritter starred as Jessica Jones during a three-season run of her titular show on Netflix, which ran from 2015-2019. The show moved from Netflix to Disney Plus in 2022 -- and was rebranded as "Marvel's Jessica Jones" -- along with Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Punisher and The Defenders. Daredevil: Born Again launched on Disney Plus in March this year, with CNET senior editor and head of streaming coverage Kourtnee Jackson saying it lives up to the hype of the original Daredevil Netflix series, and its comic book origin. "Daredevil: Born Again retains the same bite, viciousness and brilliance of the original and earns every bit of that TV-MA rating," Jackson wrote in her review. "The show packs in the shocks, drama, graphic, bloody brutality and a dose of introspection." Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again is expected in March 2026.
