While it may start to feel like summer, we are still in the late days of spring.

As customary with many others worldwide, I want to take this time to do some spring cleaning of my own. The only difference is, I’d like to do so in column form.

Come with me for a trip down memory lane.

***

In December, I wrote a column regarding the “meme coin” released by social media influencer Haliey Welch and her team. Welch, of course, is famous for the slogan “Hawk Tuah,” which is well… just Google it.

The coin’s value was doomed from the start and cost her fans millions of dollars. All while developers and/or allegedly Haliey profited off of the coin.

So what happened afterward? Did she get in trouble? Did she or the developers have to pay back any of the money?

Nope. In March, the U.S. SEC closed out its investigation on Welch, concluding that she was not involved in “any foul play.”

Welch would eventually return from a four-month social media hibernation and would return to releasing episodes of her podcast “Talk Tuah” (though with significantly decreased viewership). It was almost like nothing ever happened.

So how did Welch come out scot free? That’s a question only the SEC knows the answer to. But if I had to guess, it could possibly be due to the fact that both President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump created memecoin’s of their own.

And what would you know, those failed too.

But hey, if the President can do it, it must be legal...right? Right?

***

Speaking of the President, one of the more egregious things he and his team did was barring reporters from the Associated Press from some White House events, Air Force One and the Oval Office.

According to Trump, it was because the outlet refused to change its style from “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.”

The AP then filed a lawsuit against the White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

A few days later, on her personal Instagram, Leavitt used watermarked photos from the AP. Whether it was to rub salt into the wound or she was being outright clueless, we’ll never know.

What we do know is the AP was successful in its efforts, as a federal judge ruled the White House could not bar the outlet from covering presidential events.

In a society that is seemingly going downhill by the minute, this was a huge win. Not just for journalism, but for American ideologies.

As much as people want to emphasize the First Amendment, many forget that this includes freedom of press as well. It’s of the utmost importance this is upheld at all times.

***

Sadly, Tim Walz and Glenn “Kane” Jacobs have not had a wrestling match yet. I know. Shocker. 

Though, a wrestling match may not be needed for Democrats to gain momentum in Georgia after it was announced that Brian Kemp would not be running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. It’s a big win for Democrats, as Ossoff now becomes the favorite to retain his seat.

While Buddy Carter, John King and others will try to unseat the incumbent, Ossoff stands the best chance for both undecided voters and national support. It’s a big win for Democrats that desperately need one.

***

For this year’s Wrestlemania picks, I scored a whopping 50% accuracy.

While I picked successfully on the top of the card, I struggled immensely in predicting in the undercard matches. I had to wipe one match out entirely from the prediction slate due to an injury to Rey Mysterio, but it’s not like that would’ve helped me anyway.

Nonetheless, Wrestlemania 41 was still a really fun slate of shows.

• Evan Newton is the managing editor of The Covington News. He can be reached at enewton@covnews.com.