Get ready to enjoy an R-rated “graphic” masterpiece that intertwines political discourse and satire by the celebrated but reclusive Julia Verne. Her newest publication, Trump’s Hot Bot, contains sharp wit and vivid illustrations — both of which pack a punch in a nuanced narrative that takes a deep dive into a society obsessed with power, greed, sex, and the quest for control.

In Trump’s Hot Bot, readers are introduced to former president Donald Trump and Petra, an emotionless sex robot. At their first meeting, they fall in lust with each other; suddenly, the stage is set for a laugh until-you-cry narrative of strap-ons, deception, power struggles, and an unexpected twist of sentient artificial intelligence.

“Turn off the politics, and turn on the mocking, biting, sexy satire that ‘relieves’ stress like a Trump hotel stay in Russia.” Verne suggests. “This book is not just a comedic escape but a reflection on the power dynamics and societal norms that continue to shape our world.”

Readers of all types will get a kick out of Verne’s new novel. Trump’s Hot Bot is the sharp stick poking fun at our shared political circus that Baby Boomers to Millennials can appreciate. Join Julia Verne on this uproarious journey that promises to be as enlightening as it is entertaining.

Trump’s Hot Bot is available for purchase online at Alpha XR and Barnes and Noble.

About the Author
Author Julia Verne, great-granddaughter of the illustrious Jules Verne, is renowned for her incisive wit, insights into the latest scientific advances, and her ability to weave dark humor with biting political commentary. Her works have captivated readers worldwide, but this is the first time she set her formidable sights on America, and the results are mesmerizing. Read Trump’s Hot Bot and discover why Verne already is a staple of European comedic satire and literature, and why she’ll hit the best seller lists in America.

Media Contact
Trump’s Hot Bot Media Relations
Julia Verne, Author
Email: info@trumpshotbot.com
Phone: 302-580-9295

Review copies and interviews available.

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Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan and Vice Mayor Larry Agran will lead a discussion on Tuesday, Feb. 27, that will introduce action items in response to the local impacts of the Israel-Palestine conflicts. 

Despite rising tensions in the chamber and hundreds of public demands for a ceasefire, this will become the first time the council has addressed Middle Eastern conflict on a council agenda. 

A memo, co-signed by Khan and Agran, introduces a four-step roadmap that focuses on building understanding between communities and eliminating divisiveness and hatred within Irvine. The memo also acknowledged the concerns of community members who say they are experiencing discrimination because of religious or ethnic identity.    

“Specifically, many communities within Irvine have reported and publicly commented that they are feeling threatened and unsafe. We have heard reports that children are being harassed at Irvine schools based on their heritage, religion, attire, and their individual beliefs regarding the current war in the Mideast,” the memo read. “And members of the broader Irvine community have reported similar toxic interactions.”

Recent statistics on hate crimes and hate incidents in Irvine, provided by Irvine Police Chief Mike Kent, shows that Jewish residents have reported four hate incidents so far in 2024. There were a total of ten in 2023.

In terms of actionable items, the memo indicates that the city would work with the Irvine Unified School District to ensure “all members of the community are made to feel safe and respected.”

Since the conflicts began in October, Irvine leaders have grappled with hundreds of public commenters addressing the Israel-Palestine war, and urging the council to adopt a ceasefire resolution.

According to the memo, the approach will also work to ease grievances between community members through the assistance of human relations organizations including Groundswell and the Interfaith Council. 

This is a developing story. 

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The Irvine City Council continues to combat rising tension during its public meetings as altering viewpoints over the Middle Eastern conflicts continue to clash locally. 

Inside City Hall, a division between supporters of Israel and supporters of Palestine has created a sometimes hostile atmosphere that continues to be the source of noticeable disruption to council business.

Members of Irvine’s Jewish community have come forward during council meetings with concern over the environment that is developing inside City Hall, claiming there has been hate speech against Jewish community members from supporters of a ceasefire.

Jewish residents in Irvine have also voiced frustration and fear, adding that members of their community are being targeted because of their religion, as Israel continues to attack Gaza.  

Recent statistics on hate crime and hate incidents provided by Irvine Police Chief Micheal Kent show that a total of 46 anti-Jewish hate incidents have occurred in Irvine since 2018.

For context, the California Penal Code defines a hate crime as a crime committed based on factual or assumed characteristics including gender, disability, race or ethnicity, and religion of the victim.

Contrarily, a hate incident is not a crime, according to the California Department of Justice. A hate incident involves an act that includes hateful speech, or displaying or distributing hateful material. The U.S. Constitution does not suppress hate speech until it impacts the victim’s constitutional rights.  

The report also revealed that 10 anti-Jewish incidents were reported in 2023. An additional four anti-Jewish hate incidents have been reported to the Irvine Police Department since January.

The report also showed that five anti-Jewish hate crimes occurred in 2023, with a total of 11 since 2018. 

Irvine’s Arabic community has not reported a hate incident since 2023 and has reported a total of 13 anti-Arab hate incidents since 2018. 

This year, the Irvine Police Department has received two reports of anti-Arab hate crimes, while none were reported in 2023. 

Since October, heated verbal exchanges between members of the audience have become commonplace in Irvine’s City Council chambers. Outbursts riddled with xenophobic and antisemitic exchanges between members of the public have also caused Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan to call for a recess. 

Hundreds of public speakers over the past several meetings have urged the Irvine City Council to adopt a ceasefire resolution. While the council has not placed a ceasefire resolution on the agenda, council members have individually denounced the violence.

The council has also denounced hate speech within the chamber. 

However, the council’s inaction on a ceasefire resolution has sparked debate from members of Irvine’s Jewish community over the council’s responsibility to control hate speech and antisemitism within the chamber. 

Moreso, residents in Irvine have also voiced concern over the council’s ability to discuss non-municipal issues during council meetings. Last year, residents filed an ethics complaint against Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan and Vice Mayor Larry Agran.  

The ethics complaint alleged that despite the absence of a ceasefire resolution, both Agran and Khan voiced their opinions about the international conflict, which is against city policy.  

Irvine City Attorney Jeff Melching reported finding no ethical missteps by either council member. 

On Tuesday. Feb. 17, Melching reported that an additional ethics complaint was filed against the council alleging that the council violated the city’s Rules of Decorum and Rules on Subject Matter Jurisdiction by allowing public speakers to continuously address the Israel-Palestine conflict. 

Addressing the atmosphere at meetings over the last several weeks, Melching said the behavior he has witnessed in the chamber is unprecedented. He also noted that despite opposing viewpoints, speaking at a city council meeting is a constitutional right, regardless of subject matter. 

“People coming to speak at a public meeting are exercising their constitutional right, and the city does not have the tools to stop somebody from speaking just because their speech is hateful,” he said.

Melching explained that there was little the city could do to prevent members of the public from speaking on non-agendized items. 

“The city has attempted to maintain order. This is a highly charged environment with a lot of people that have extremely strong opinions about this subject and there have been a number of outbursts,” he said. “There has been an effort to control those outbursts both through the conduct of the mayor, and through the presence of the police.”

While he found no ethical wrongdoing, Melching noted that the city has the responsibility to provide a platform for all members of the public who wish to speak the ability to do so. 

“I haven’t found any attempt to be unfair or biased on one side or another in these public comments,” he said. “What I’ve found is an effort of the city to recognize these unique circumstances and adapt, and is designed to ensure that people have the ability to speak.”
 
Given the tense environment at previous meetings, Khan, on Tuesday, Feb. 13, announced modifications to the meeting’s schedule that would allow the council to conduct business without disruption while still honoring public comments. 

“Those of you here this evening know that during the past several months we have continued to hear from hundreds of public speakers who have shared their opinions with the council regarding the tragic events unfolding in the Middle East,” Khan said. “No matter what you think about the situation, and no matter what side you represent, I want to reiterate my belief that all of us in Irvine should be heartened that here in our community we’ve been able to let everyone’s opinion be heard.”

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If you’re still trying to plan your Valentine’s Day itinerary, here are some casual ways to celebrate the special day in Irvine and Orange County. 

From bright red Valentine’s Day-themed tortillas to heart-shaped pizzas, here are some local eats that will surely swoon your Valentine.   

Puesto

With more than 20 million tacos sold, it’s safe to say Puesto is a favorite of many locals in Orange County. This year, Puesto is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a limited-time red tortilla, which is made in-house with fresh beet juice. 

With two locations in Irvine — Puesto Park Place and Puesto Los Olivos, the chain has become familiar with its warm plates and welcoming vibes. 

Puesto Park Place is located at 3311 Michelson Dr, Irvine. 

Puesto Los Olivos is located at 8577 Irvine Center Dr, Irvine

www.eatpuesto.com 

Postino WineCafe
For those looking to stay in this year, Postino Wine Cafe wants you to “Takeout and Make Out” with their Valentine’s Day to-go dining option. The “Takeout and Make Out” to-go package includes One item from the Snacky Things menu, two bruschetta boards, and a salad for $55. A bottle of Postino wine can be added for an additional $20 charge.

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Postino expanded out of Arizona in 2021 and is located inside Irvine’s Park Place. At 5,200 square feet, the space offers both indoor and outdoor seating.

This year Postino announced that it will be taking Valentine’s reservations until Feb. 18. 

Call (949) 336-2600 or visit www.postinowinecafe.com.

Postino Park Place is located at 2981 Michelson Dr Suite E, Irvine

Sgt. Pepperoni’s

In addition to its beloved garlic knots, Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizza is dishing out another fan favorite with Heart-shaped pizzas during the entire month of February. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3LnhANuBhO/

Established in 1976, Sgt. Pepperoni’s is now known as Orange County’s longest-standing pizza company, with locations in Irvine, Aliso Viejo, and Newport Beach. 

Sgt. Pepperoni’s Irvine is located at 4533 Campus Dr, Irvine

Sgt. Pepperoni’s Aliso Viejo is located at 26601 Aliso Creek Rd Suite D, Aliso Viejo

Sgt. Pepperoni’s Newport Beach is located at 2300 SE Bristol St Ste F, Newport Beach

www.sgtpepps.co

Bosscat Kitchen & Libations 

Designed like a modern whiskey room, Bosscat Kitchen & Libation’s new Lakeshore location in Irvine features more than 5,000 square feet of restaurant space and a 1,200 square foot outdoor patio. 

This year, Bosscat Kitchen & Libations is has is kicking off Valentine’s Day in Irvine with a dessert for two. The Decadent Chocolate Love Affair features a berry-filled chocolate-shaped bowl, on top of a mousse-topped chocolate cake, then drizzled with a “sensual chocolate heat”, according to its Instagram page.  

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Bosscat Kitchen & Libations is located at 18101 Von Karman Ave.

Benny & Mary’s

Recently opened at an eclectic space inside the Irvine Towers, Benny & Mary’s is offering a three-course Prix Fixe Dinner starting at $120 per person. 

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The Valentine’s Day special features a starter menu consisting of Pork Belly over cauliflower chive puree served with rainbow roasted carrots and pork au jus. Jumbo lump crab cakes paired with an herb salad and pickled shallots with Bernaise. The starter menu also includes a fennel salad with candied pecans, goat cheese fennel pollen, and muscatel vinaigrette.

The main course includes jumbo scallops over saffron risotto, butternut squash, asparagus tips, and fresh shaved Grana Padano.

The second course is followed by filet and South African Lobster Tail over pommes puree and finished with hollandaise sauce. 

The final main course consists of salmon over a bed of lentils with heirloom tomato confit and salmon jus.

The Prie Fixe menu is capped off with a strawberry champagne panna cotta. 

Benny and Mary’s is located in Irvine Towers at 18420 Von Karman Avenue.

https://www.bennyandmarys.com

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Established in 2018, Moongoat Coffee Roasters has developed a cult-like following in just a few short years. With locations in Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Laguna Beach, and a roasting facility in Santa Ana, Moongoat has become well-recognized in Orange County and recently announced its newest location in Irvine.

Moongoat hinted at the idea of opening an Irvine location earlier this year in January, when the company announced its pop up cafe collaboration with The Irvine Company at 4 Park Plaza.

While the Moongoat and Irvine Company pop-up is expected to end in March, the coffee company confirmed via Instagram it would be launching a new location near the UC Irvine campus. 

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A post shared by MoonGoat Coffee Roasters (@moongoatcoffee)

Officially launched as of Monday, Feb. 12, Moongoat’s Irvine location will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Moongoat Coffee Roasters is located at 5171 California Ave unit 100, Irvine. 

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The Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce announced the appointment of a new Interim Chief Executive Officer in January. In a statement, the Chamber introduced Dave Caffaro, who served as the interim CEO at the Irvine-based Second Harvest Food Bank between 2018 and 2019.

As a graduate of Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at the Claremont Graduate University, Caffaro has built a reputation as a strategic advisory, keynote speaker and author.

Currently, Caffaro serves as the Principal of Strategic Advisory Consulting Group and the co-founder of the fintech firm Atticus.

Lisa Thomas, Chair of the Greater Irvine Chamber Board of Directors, expressed her excitement for the addition of Caffaro’s financial expertise to Chamber operations. 

  “Dave’s strategic approach, financial leadership and experience in Irvine will be instrumental in

leading the Chamber forward,” Thomas said. “We have great confidence in Dave’s ability to serve the needs of our membership and positively impact the overall business community in the greater Irvine area.”

  In terms of experience, Caffaro has also worked as the head of International Trade Strategy for Bank of America and as well as a professor of Strategic Management and Business Policy at California State University, Fullerton.

Caffaro said he plans to facilitate growth within Irvine’s business community and continue Irvine’s reputation as the number one city to launch a company.

“Irvine’s economy is the envy of all California cities. I’m honored to help guide this vital organization and help our members and the city continue to thrive,” he said. “One of my first tasks — one I’m really excited about — is to meet with as many members and stakeholders as possible to understand the value the Greater Irvine Chamber brings to this community. That starts Day One.”

The appointment of Caffaro follows the abrupt departure of former Chamber President and CEO Bryan Starr in December.

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The termination of 1,900 employees within Blizzard Entertainment’s video gaming division in January has caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC, on Wednesday, Feb. 7, filed a complaint with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit alleging that the layoffs at Blizzard contradicted Microsoft’s previous promise to continue the independent operation of Blizzard post-merger.

The commission is now seeking an injunction on Microsoft’s $69 billion merger of Blizzard Activision, which was completed in October.

In the letter to the court, FTC attorney Imad D. Abyad wrote, “This newly-revealed information contradicts Microsoft’s representations in this proceeding, which seeks to temporarily pause Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision pending the FTC’s evaluation of the merger’s antitrust merits.”

In response to the letter filed by the FTC, a Microsoft spokesperson provided Irvine Weekly with the following statement — “In continuing its opposition to the deal, the FTC ignores the reality that the deal itself has substantially changed. Since the FTC lost in court last July, Microsoft was required by the U.K. Competition Authority to restructure the acquisition globally and therefore did not acquire the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard games in the United States. Additionally, Sony and Microsoft signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation on even better terms than Sony had before.”

In July, Microsoft won an antitrust lawsuit filed by the FTC, in which the commission alleged that the blockbuster merger would lessen competition in the cloud, console and subscription gaming markets.   

In the FTC case ruling, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Corley referred to the merger as “the largest in tech history,” adding that “scrutiny has paid off.” However, in her denial of the FTC lawsuit, Corley wrote that the FTC failed to prove how the merger would substantially lessen competition — “To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content. The motion for a preliminary injunction is therefore DENIED.”

On Thursday, Feb. 8, lawyers for Microsoft responded to the FTC’s request for an injunction, emphasizing that the cause behind the reductions at Blizzard could not be attributed to the recent merger with Microsoft. 

“Consistent with broader trends in the gaming industry, Activision was already planning on eliminating a significant number of jobs while still operating as an independent Company,” the letter read. “The recent announcement thus cannot be attributed fully to the merger. More importantly, Microsoft continues fully to stand behind its representations to this Court.”

The recent layoffs at Blizzard were announced via an internal memo from Xbox CEO Phil Spencer on January 15. In the letter, Spencer explained that the company would be “committed to aligning” with a “sustainable cost structure.”  

“As part of this process, we have made the painful decision to reduce the size of our gaming workforce by approximately 1,900 roles out of the 22,000 people on our team,” Spencer wrote. “The Gaming Leadership Team and I are committed to navigating this process as thoughtfully as possible.”

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The Irvine City Council, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, unanimously approved a $1.8 million contract for the removal of abandoned underground utilities that once powered portions of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. The contract, awarded to Cerritos-based abatement and demolition contracting firm Resources Environmental, Inc., was the lowest responsive bid for the project and is expected to begin this spring.   

Officially known as the Northern Sector Utility Removal, the project is located near the ARDA site between Cadence and Great Park Boulevard. A staff report indicated that the area is rich in subterranean utility infrastructure once used to power support buildings, runways, hangars, and administrative offices at the former MCAS El Toro. 

Irvine City Manager Oliver Chi said that while this project might not seem significant in terms of a dollar amount, he explained that the completion of the Northern Utility Removal will prepare the northern area of the Great Park for the phases of the city’s $1 billion Framework plan, which includes the topographical shaping of the park’s central lake and great meadow.    

“This contract, it’s not a big dollar amount, but it’s the start of our mass grading effort. This actually kicks off the construction process that’s going to span the next five years, to transform what is currently just mounds and mounds of dirt, into the next great metropolitan park on the west coast, right here in Irvine,” he said.

Council member Larry Agran echoed Chi’s comments regarding the importance of this work while touching on the historical significance of the site.   

“This is an important project – ripping up ancient utility lines, it’s tough, difficult, unglamorous work, but it’s essential to the transformation of the former military base and to the great metropolitan park that we’re now well along with,” Agran said.   

The utility removal project is expected to be completed by Fall 2024. 

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A winter storm has brought increased rainfall and prompted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to issue voluntary evacuation warnings for residents within Silverado Canyon and the surrounding regions of the Santa Ana Mountains near Irvine and Lake Forest. 

The evacuation warning, issued at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, came as an atmospheric river delivered more than four inches of rain to mountainous regions above Irvine.

On Monday, Feb. 5, the Orange County Public Works Department reported that crews were removing “rocks and light mud” from the hillsides on roads near Silverado Canyon. OCPW also shared videos of quick-moving water coming down Silverado Creek and advised residents to avoid riverbeds and creeks during heavy rainfall. 

https://x.com/OCpublicworks/status/1754547307079774435?s=20

In an update via OCPW’s X account, the department said that no issues have been reported, but in anticipation of the heavy rains ahead, heavy equipment crews have been stationed within the region and will remain on call. 

“With voluntary evacuation in place for Silverado, Modjeska, Williams & Trabuco Canyons in Orange County, OCPW has crews on-call & heavy equipment already staged in the canyons. No issues reported yet. We are ready to respond if any rain issues arise,” the update read.

 In a statement posted to the Sheriff’s Department website, the warning suggests that residents be prepared for an emergency or mandatory evacuation in which they can exit their homes efficiently.

“Canyon residents are strongly encouraged to prepare and voluntarily evacuate on Sunday, February 4 at 7 pm, especially those with disabilities, access and/or functional needs, and canyon residents with large animals,” the statement read.  

The National Weather Service also issued a flood watch on Monday, Feb. 5, for several regions of Southern California, including many inland and coastal communities in Orange County, including Irvine, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach and Mission Viejo.  

In Irvine, the city announced the closure of the San Diego Creek and Peters Canyon bike trails and athletic fields on Monday, Feb. 5.

According to rainfall data from the National Weather Service released Monday, Irvine received 1.89 inches of rain, while Modjeska Canyon received 2.91 inches of rain. The service also reported that Holy Jim Canyon received a total of 4.05 inches as of Monday, with expected rainfall totals estimated to bring another inch of rain into Tuesday. 

The NWS reports that the current storm is expected to bring an increased chance of flooding in creeks, streams, and rivers through Tuesday, Feb. 6. Residents in higher elevations should expect the risk of runoff and mudslides.   

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 A cyber attack targeting university-affiliated Discord servers sent thousands of obscene videos and transphobic rhetoric during a days-long attack that impacted college campuses in Washington State, Los Angeles, and Irvine.

At UC Irvine, on the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 9, approximately 500 university-affiliated Discord servers became the target of an organized attack, which flooded Discord servers with thousands of videos depicting death, violence and necrophilia. 

In detailing the context of the attack, community Discord moderators at UC Irvine said the videos included the torture of animals and humans, and other “clearly illegal” acts. 

UC Irvine does not own or regulate its Discord servers, which are guarded by independent moderators.

 After the attacks occurred at UC Irvine, the university directed questions about the attack to Alina Kim, an independent moderator within UC Irvine’s Discord community. 

Kim was one of the first responders during the Jan. 9 attack. Kim estimates that UC Irvine has approximately 500 affiliated Discord servers, which represent approximately 7,500 users. Kim said the independent moderators at UC Irvine defend the school’s virtual Discord community with scarce outside resources.  

Kim said the attack was executed by an alt-right hate group but did not name a specific organization. 

“They began systematically going through every Discord server that was actually affiliated with UCI and just flooding them with graphic, gory videos. These videos played automatically. There wasn’t really much you can do to avoid seeing them if you were online at the time,” Kim explained. “We think at least 3,000 people would have been exposed to the videos. This estimate is based on the number of people who were online.”

Kim reported the attack to the UC Irvine Police Department, but the department declined to investigate, directing the moderators to contact Discord. 

“The police told us that they weren’t interested in the case and that we should just contact Discord,” she said. “I think they weren’t sure that any crime has been committed.”

In an email response, obtained by Irvine Weekly, the UC Irvine Police Department sent the following statement to the independent Discord moderators at UC Irvine.

“We are taking information reports and have determined no crimes have been committed, we are referring them to contact Discord and providing them with campus resource information.”

After contacting Discord directly, Kim explained that the platform removed the server in which the attackers were operating.   

Kim explained that Discord — a voice, video and text communication platform — introduced a feature that allows users to create accounts by registering via a student’s university email address. Users can also join with a phone number.  

Users can then create Discord channels for classes, events or any other topic.  

Kim said the attackers did not hack into Discord but rather deployed a bot to obtain fraudulent phone numbers to create alias accounts. The attackers were able to use the alias accounts to join the UC Irvine servers. 

To stop the attack, Kim and her team of independent Discord moderators developed a new defense system that will prevent these online attacks in the future.

By hacking into the attacker’s server on Discord, the moderators were able to obtain more than 400 user IDs affiliated with the attack. The moderators then worked to develop a new bot that automatically banned the IDs affiliated with that server.

“Some of our students infiltrated their servers, just so we could get forewarnings of attacks, and we discovered that they were affiliated with groups that were selling child porn,” Kim said. “And so this case has been upgraded to the FBI.”

While the Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to detail the scope of the ongoing investigation involving the Discord attacks at UC Irvine, an FBI spokesperson did confirm that the agency was offered assistance to the UC Irvine Police Department regarding the issue. 

In acknowledgment of the attack, UC Irvine released a statement reiterating UC Irvine’s goal to protect all members of the community, both on campus and online. The statement also pointed to resources for the university’s best “cyber hygiene” practices. 

“UC Irvine does not manage the Discord servers, the account activity, nor the security settings around them — they are independently managed. However, we take seriously our commitment to protecting members of our community. The university offers information security training and resources, and encourages members of the community to engage in cyber hygiene best practices including use of strong passwords and awareness of phishing attacks meant to harvest confidential credentials.”

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