Current Events
HipHopWired Featured Video
President Donald Trump announced a sweeping tariffs policy this week as part of the administration’s “Liberation Day” initiative, which kept with one of his top campaign aims. The tariffs will be set at 10% across the board as several nations, including allies, will face varying percentages of tariffs on imports.
As seen in outlets such as CNBC and CNN, President Donald Trump’s new reciprocal tariff would levy a 10% tariff on all global imports, with China, the EU, Vietnam, and Taiwan paying far larger tariffs. Sparking concerns among economic experts is how the White House has come up with its percentages, as some are saying the math doesn’t add up. Further, according to swirling reports and social media accounts, Trump has called for tariffs against remote unoccupied lands, one of which houses penguins, according to reports.
As seen on CNN, Trump intends to impose a 54% tariff on China, the second largest importer to the United States after Mexico, with the Asian superpower promising to respond with tariffs of their own. The network has also tallied several comments from other nation leaders who are all pushing back against the aggressive measures that have caused global markets to stumble in rapid succession.
As Trump spoke from the Rose Garden on Wednesday, the reciprocal tariffs will be calculated by putting together tariff rates and other economic factors that have impacted trade numbers, then dividing that number in half. Canada and Mexico will face 25 percent tariffs, which Trump says are centered around pushing back against the supposed flood of fentanyl across the northern and southern borders, with some exemptions on products under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
“The tariffs will be not a full reciprocal. I could have done that, I guess. But it would have been tough for a lot of countries,” Trump said.
The AP reports that the United States and global markets are in a tumble and not expected to recover by close today. S&P 500 Futures dipped 3.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.8%; Nasdaq fell 3.8%.
President Trump’s larger aim is to return manufacturing to America and end the nation’s reliance on global goods. The trade-off is that average American consumers and businesses will feel the pinch of costs being passed to them to make up for losses in what is already an economic storm underfoot.
—
Photo: Source: The Washington Post / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Anadolu / Getty
As promised, the Trump administration is making the deportations of immigrants their main priority, and though they stated they would only deport the criminals and lawbreaking non-citizens living in the United States, they’ve accidentally detained and deported law abiding migrants who’ve done nothing wrong other than being a shade too dark for MAGA’s comfort.
According to Raw Story, the Trump administration recently admitted that they “accidentally” deported Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia of Beltsville, Maryland, to El Salvador’s infamous super prison, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, after he was granted protection status in the United States in 2019, because a judge found it “likely than not that he would be persecuted by gangs in El Salvador.” Still, Garcia was rounded up by Ice earlier last month and on March 15, he was placed on one of the deportation flights to El Salvador even though he was to remain in the United States. It wasn’t until his wife recognized him in a photo, which featured prisoners being shaven and shackled at the prison in El Salvador that his family realized what had happened.
After his initial arrest, ICE called his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, and instructed her to pick up their her 5-year old son, A.A.V. within 10 minutes and even threatened that the child would be handed over to Child Protective Services if she didn’t show up. As time went by, his wife didn’t know what happened to Garcia until she saw him locked up in El Salvador and decided to get a lawyer for the situation.
Once the family lawyered up and took the Trump administration to court over the matter, ICE admitted in a court filing that the deportation of Garcia was an “administrative error” as Garcia was once considered a member of the infamous MS-13. While the Trump administration did own up to their mistake, they are saying there is no way for them to retrieve Garcia from Salvadorian authorities as it is now out of their hands.
Still, the Trump administration is defending their decision to deport Garcia as he was once a high-ranking member of what is considered the most dangerous gang in the world.
Per Raw Story:
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt Tuesday said that Abrego Garcia was a leader of the MS-13 gang, despite his deportation being “a clerical error.”
“The administration maintains the position that this individual who was deported to El Salvador and will not be returning to our country was a member of the brutal and vicious MS-13 gang,” she said.
She said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has evidence of his gang activity that she has seen and she also alleged that Abrego Garcia was involved in human trafficking.
If anyone knows anything about MS-13 it’s that when a member walks away from the gang in pursuit of an honest life, that usually means his or her death; the gang doesn’t take too lightly to quitters. That would explain why Garcia was granted protection in the U.S. out of fear of retaliation if he was to return to El Salvador.
With a wife (who is a U.S. citizen) and a 5-year-old son with whom he had built a life with, Garcia seemed well on his way to redemption until Donald Trump once again unleashed ICE on the Black and Brown immigrant community. Now that he’s gotten swooped up in the deportations, it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll ever find his way back to Baltimore, Maryland, where his family anxiously awaits.
On the bright side, officials for the White House are confident that Garcia will be okay locked up with other gang members who might feel a way about him walking away from the life.
“While there may be allegations of abuses in other Salvadoran prisons—very few in relation to the large number of detainees—there is no clear showing that Abrego Garcia himself is likely to be tortured or killed in CECOT,” according to DOJ.
Pray for that man, b.
What do y’all think about Trump accidentally deporting a man who was living in the U.S. under protected status and not attempting to get him back? Let us know in the comments section below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Getty Images / Susan Crawford / Elon Musk
Republicans had a bad night on Tuesday, but Elon Musk had an even worse night after failing to convince Wisconsin voters not to elect Judge Susan Crawford.
Elon Musk poured millions, $20 million to be exact, into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, even going as far as to bribe voters by handing out $1 million checks to people. One of them leads the state’s College Republicans, and many say the handout was no coincidence.
Regardless of trying to throw money at the issue, Wisconsin voters rejected Musk and the Donald Trump-backed candidate, Brad Schimel. They voted for Judge Susan Crawford, dealing a significant blow to Trump and his buddy Musk, telling Phony Stark their votes can’t be bought.
Musk held a rally in Wisconsin ahead of Tuesday night’s pivotal election. He even wore a cheesehead, his of way of pandering to the Wisconsin natives, but it was all for naught.
After the results, Musk hopped on the platform he basically sold to himself to b*tch and moan about the results writing in a post, “The long con of the left is corruption of the judiciary.”
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1907302751698084068
Social Media Lets Elon Musk Know He Lost
Musk’s post on X led to him being dragged onto the platform he reluctantly bought for $44 billion and subsequently ran into the ground, turning it into a hot mess.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Apartheid South African Nazi who spent tens of millions of dollars on the Wisconsin Supreme Court MAGA candidate loses. Suck on that, you fucking cheesehead,” one post on X read.
Another post read, “Dear Elon, Clearly, the people of Wisconsin think you are full of shit. But thanks for depositing $20 million in our economy and losing. Did I mention you lost? And people really really don’t like you? I mean really.”
We love it when Musk gets clowned, especially on his platform.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Sen. Cory Booker wrote himself in the U.S. Senate history books by delivering the longest speech in the chamber on record, eclipsing the record of Sen. Strom Thurmond’s filibuster by a good measure. As Sen. Cory Booker concluded his marathon speech, many on social media, especially X, are showing high approval for the New Jersey politician’s herculean effort.
Sen. Cory Booker, 55, took to the U.S. Senate floor on Monday (March 31) at 7 PM local time and begin his blistering marathon speech, using the time to voice the concerns of the American public who feel betrayed by the machinations of President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the DOGE bros, and the gutting of longstanding federally funded government establishments and programs.
Booker’s time at the podium was partly a reading of letters from not only constituents he represents, but others on the other side of the aisle who have been casualties in President Trump and the GOP’s culture war. Speaking frequently in impassioned tones, Booker appeared weary at moments and used the podium to support himself. When he was alerted that he was nearing Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1957 filibuster record of 24 hours and 18 minutes, Booker quipped that he was near and kept going despite the obvious fatigue present.
Thurmond, the senator from South Carolina, used the filibuster to protest the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1957, which would give Black Americans certain protections and access to the democratic process. Thurmond, holding fast to antiquated views of Black Americans and an obvious allegiance to the memory of the Confederacy, represented a far different Democratic Party than we see today. Adding to this, Thurmond was dogged by rumors that he secretly fathered a daughter with a Black woman whom he allegedly helped by financing her education.
The late senator also voted against the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and 1965 and was a staunch segregationist who pushed for a ban on school integration. Thurmond’s resistance to granting equal access to Black citizens would follow him to the bitter end of his career as he cemented his legacy by being a raging racist.
What Sen. Cory Booker has done in contrast has been deemed symbolic by many, but it isn’t quite a criticism; instead, it is a fact. The United States is splitting apart on party line allegiance and the ever-present reality that this country still has yet to reckon with its past. This is happening at the Trump administration is attempting to sanitize history, do away with DEI, and eliminate social programs that benefited poor, working-class white Americans more than any other group in the nation.
On X, Sen. Booker’s historic feat is all the rage, and we’ve got reactions below.
Americans aren’t a line item in a budget to cut. Your story matters, your voice matters, this fight matters. pic.twitter.com/cDpXIZMtRe
— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) April 1, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
On Monday (March 31), President Donald Trump signed an executive order that was created to prohibit “exploitative ticket scalping” and introduce reforms to the way tickets are sold for events. President Donald Trump was joined by musician Kid Rock in the Oval Office, who wore a white straw fedora and a red tracksuit with bedazzled elements such as an eagle’s wings, stars, and the number “250” to mark the country’s 250th anniversary next year. “I didn’t know too much about it, but I checked it out, and this is a big problem,” Trump said to reporters gathered for the signing.
The executive order aims to cut “price-gouging by middlemen,” directing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to ensure that those selling tickets at resale prices higher than face value comply by fulfilling rules set by the Internal Revenue Service. The order also dictates that the Federal Trade Commission work with the Attorney General’s office to make sure competition laws are enforced and that there is “price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process.”
Live Nation stated support for the order and other reforms, including a strengthening of the Bots Act from 2016, which cracked down on scalpers using bots to buy tickets and resell them at a higher price. “Scalpers and bots prevent fans from getting tickets at the prices artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on,” the statement read. Under the Biden administration, the parent company of Ticketmaster was sued by the Department of Justice in 2024 for running an illegal monopoly over live events.
“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it’s a conundrum,” the “Cowboy” singer, also known as Robert James Ritchie, said, adding: “It’s kind of ridiculous. I would rather be, you know, a hero to working-class people and have them be able to come attend my shows and give them a fair ticket price. I can’t control that right now so hopefully this is a step to make that happen.” Trump hurriedly signed the order after taking questions and handed it off to Kid Rock to display, adding, “You better do well with this.”
—Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
On Sunday (March 30), tech billionaire Elon Musk held a town hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and awarded two individuals with checks of a million dollars each on stage as he declared them members of his political action committee. The move comes days before a critical election for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, with Democratic Party favorite Judge Susan Crawford going up against former state attorney general and Judge Brad Schimel.
“It’s a super big deal,” Musk said to a 2,000-person crowd after taking the stage in a yellow cheesehead hat, an homage to the Packers of the National Football League. “I’m not phoning it in. I’m here in person.” The Tesla co-founder went on to talk about the importance of the election. “I think this will be important for the future of civilization,” he said. “It’s that significant.” He then presented the checks to Ekaterina Diestler and Nicholas Jacobs, saying, “Reason for the checks is that it’s really just to get attention. It causes legacy media to like kind of lose their minds.”
The state supreme court’s current makeup shows Democrats with a 4-3 majority, and a win by Crawford over Schimel (who is an unabashed supporter of President Donald Trump) could determine how the court will rule on abortion rights this year. Another issue before the state Supreme Court is the gerrymandering of voting districts. A redrawing of lines could give Wisconsin two more seats in the House of Representatives, dramatically impacting elections in 2026 and the presidential election in 2028. Union rights and voting rules are also expected to be taken up by the court.Musk’s involvement in the race individually since February (he promised $100 to voters who will pick Schimel over Crawford) and through other groups has totaled $20 million to date. It’s a repeat of his efforts in Pennsylvania in the weeks before the 2024 presidential election. But Democrats have mustered up a strong counter offensive to Musk’s tactics. Judge Crawford’s campaigns have put focus on Musk’s meddling with the federal government through his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team, and her allies have reminded voters that Tesla is currently suing Wisconsin for the right to open dealerships there.
—
Photo: The Washington Post / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
President Donald Trump famously quipped on the campaign trail that voters would never have to visit the polls again if he wins, signaling to his critics he intended to run for a third term. President Trump doubled down on his desire to seek a third term even though the U.S. Constitution bars this, prompting many on X to get #Obama2028 trending in support of President Barack Obama on the social media network.
In a Sunday morning (March 30) phone call appearance on NBC News, President Donald Trump was asked if he was joking about seeking a third presidential term despite the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution allowing just two four-year terms as a maximum. Lawmakers loyal to Trump have been examining resolutions and pathways to give Trump a third term, but some viewed the past comments as humorous at root.
However, Trump told host Kristen Welker, “A lot of people want me to do it. But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
Trump did say he’s focused on his time in office now, but Welker pressed about the matter, and Trump said that there are “methods” his side could examine. One is that JD Vance could run and win the presidency and hand over the reins to Trump, which the president seemed to suggest as a plan. He did not elaborate on other methods of seeking the unprecedented move for a third term.
President Barack Obama served two terms in the White House and left as one of its most popular and most criticized presidents in history. The charismatic politician has stumped for people in his party since leaving office, but has never said that he wants to return to elected office.
Still, the hope that President Obama could come back and run the nation has pushed the aforementioned hashtag along on X with additional commentary. We’ve got those reactions below.
—
Photo: Meg Oliphant / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty / Amber Ruffin
We can add the White House Correspondents’ Association to the growing list of cowards who are afraid of Donald Trump and his bat-sh*t-crazy administration.
Spotted on The Daily Beast, comedian Amber Ruffin lost her gig as host of the upcoming White House Correspondents Dinner in April. It’s all because she said during a podcast that she plans to keep it real about Trump and the MAGA regime. Of course, Orange Mussolini’s administration was BIG MAD about her comments.
Related Stories
On Thursday, Ruffin said on an episode of The Daily Beast podcast that she would not be doing the “both sides” thing regarding her jokes as instructed by the WHCA.
In response to Ruffin stating the obvious Felon 47’s second stint as president, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich called Ruffin a “2nd rate comedian” on X, formerly Twitter on Friday.
“What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this?” he wrote. “More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such a hate-filled and violence-inspiring event?”
Keep in mind this works for a regime that is rounding up people and deporting them, sending them to a notorious El Salvadoran prison without giving them their due process.
Per The Daily Beast:
She told hosts comedian Samantha Bee and Beast Chief Content Officer Joanna Coles that the Trump administration are “kind of a bunch of murderers,” adding that playing to both sides “makes them feel like human beings, but they shouldn’t get to feel that way, ’cause they’re not.”
A Saturday letter from Eugene Daniels, the president of the WHCA, to its members announced that he had been “re-envisioning” the April 26 dinner “for the past couple of weeks.” The WHCA is independent from the White House.
“As a first step, I wanted to share that the WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year,” wrote Daniels, who is also a political correspondent for MSNBC. “At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists.”
Daniels & The WHCA Initially Had High Praise For Ruffin
Daniels’ statement comes after he had high praise for Ruffin who previously hosted a late-night talk show on Peacock and is also a writer on Seth Myers’ show.
“When I began to think about what entertainer would be a perfect fit for the dinner this year, Amber was immediately at the top of my list,” Daniels said in an initial statement announcing after she got the gig. “She has the ability to walk the line between blistering commentary and humor all while provoking her audience to think about the important issues of the day. I’m thrilled and honored she said yes.”
Social Media Is Not Feeling The Decision To Fire Ruffin
As expected, the reaction to Ruffin’s firing for keeping it real is sparking outrage. What’s even more hilarious is Donald Trump and his lying Karen of a press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, won’t even be there, so seeing Daniels and the WHCA buckle under the MAGA pressure to appease someone who doesn’t even care for the event that he has in the past said was “so boring and so negative.”
“These people are fucking cowards,” journalist Michael Harriot wrote on X.
Another post read, “Where are all the “freedom of speech” “nothing is off limits” comedians for Amber Ruffin? Any time people don’t line a joke they can’t wait to tell us how it’s a violation of their rights. Anything for Amber yet?”
All valid points.
We truly hope some journalists and other comedians will stand in solidarity with Amber Ruffin because what is happening in this country is not normal.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Albert L. Ortega / Getty / Sean Kingston / Janice Turner
The family that scams together ends up in jail together. Sean Kingston and his momma, Janice Turner, found that out the hard way on Friday.
TMZ reports a jury found Kingston and his mother guilty on all five charges in their federal wire fraud case. The “Beautiful Girls” singer reportedly cried and told U.S. Marshals to “protect my mother” after learning his fate, and she was remanded into custody and being taken away.
He and his mom are looking at a max of 20 years on each count.
Per TMZ:
Related Stories
The “Beautiful Girls” singer and his mom, Janice Turner, were found guilty Friday on all five charges they were facing.
Sean reportedly cried as the jury returned the guilty verdict … and he told U.S. Marshalls to “protect my mother” as they remanded her into custody and took her away from the courtroom.
As we reported … Sean and his mother were accused of defrauding businesses out of more than $1 million in a fraud scheme involving jewelry, luxury vehicles, and other goods.The judge deemed Sean’s mother a flight risk, which is why she’s in custody … and Sean is now on home detention as they await their July 11 sentencing.
Federal prosecutors successfully convinced a jury that Sean Kingston and his mother “unjustly enriched themselves” by lying and claiming they sent payments for high-end items. Then they kept the items, and when it was discovered, they never sent the money.
Turner allegedly scammed her way to $1 million in property through the scheme. Federal prosecutors alleged she ripped off a car dealership for a $160K Cadillac Escalade and finagled $480K worth of jewelry from a jeweler without dropping a single dime.
The mother/son scamming duo were arrested after the feds raided Kingston’s Flordia mansion in 2024.
According to the celebrity gossip site, the judge reportedly described Kingston’s mother as the “fixer, the nerve center,” while Kingston’s defense team described their client as a “child” who didn’t know anything about his finances.
Yeah, okay.
Social Media Doesn’t Feel Sorry For Sean Kingston or His Momma
Social media had plenty to say on the matter; spoiler alert: no one feels sorry for Sean Kingston or his mother in this situation.
“Sean Kingston momma look like a scammer lmaooooooooo. I didn’t need a judge to confirm that broad is guilty of fraud,” one person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user jokingly wrote, “Sean Kingston is going to prison because he finessed a store out of a TV by telling them he was gonna get Justin Bieber to do promotional videos for them.”
Funny, if true.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty / Marvin Sapp
One of Marvin Sapp’s sermons has set social media ablaze and has begun a dialogue about the Black church.
A video of Marvin Sapp’s “holy hustling” for Jesus has gone viral on X, formerly Twitter. In the clip, which Sapp admits is over a year old, the popular pastor asks his congregation to help him reach a goal of $40,000.
In one part of the clip, Sapp asks the ushers to close the door to keep the congregation from leaving.
“We all gon’ leave together,” Sapp said. “Y’all ain’t going no place but to the restaurant.”
Sapp further explained that if the 1,000 people in the pews and the 1,000 people watching online gave $20, which he called a “small seed,” it would add up to $40,000.
“I’m challenging each of you all down here to give a $20 seed,” Sapp told his flock.
He jokingly added that $20 would cover a movie date, popcorn, and drink when his wife, MaLinda P. Sapp, was still alive.
Sapp then asked his clergy members to give $100 while the congregation dug in their wallets and purses looking for a $20. “It costs to sit up here,” Sapp said.
While the mass donations continued, Sapp hushed the crowd and said, “Giving is worship.”
“This ain’t a time to talk,” Sapp said as he continued encouraging worshippers in the building and viewers online to keep the donations coming, describing them as “an easy miracle.”
Marvin Sapp Issues A Statement On The Clip
Word about Sapp’s video going viral definitely reached the pastor, who posted a lengthy statement on Facebook. He explained that the clip was a year old, added that he “gave much more,” and pointed out that the clip was shared out of context.
Per Sapp’s Facebook post:
Recently, a clip has gone viral of me challenging 2,000 individuals(virtually and in person) to plant a seed of $20 during an international gathering held at a convention center, with over 4,000 people in attendance that evening plus virtual viewers. In that same moment, I also challenged leadership to lead by example by sowing $100. That evening, I personally gave much more.
Some have taken issue with a particular moment when I instructed the ushers, rather firmly, to close the doors during the offering. To those unfamiliar with the church context or who may not regularly attend worship gatherings this has been misinterpreted as holding people hostage as well as offensive. That was never my intent.
The truth is, when finances are being received in any worship gathering, it is one of the most vulnerable and exposed times for both the finance and security teams. Movement during this sacred exchange can be distracting and, at times, even risky. My directive was not about control it was about creating a safe, focused, and reverent environment for those choosing to give, and for those handling the resources.
Unfortunately, in this social media age, snippets are easily shared without context, and assumptions are quickly made without understanding the full picture. Conferences have budgets. Churches have budgets. And people have budgets. As the assigned ministerial gift for this international gathering, one of my responsibilities was to help raise the conference budget. That’s not manipulation, it’s stewardship.
Social Media Has Plenty of Thoughts On The Clip
Regardless, those on X, formerly Twitter, did not feel the moment in the clip and used it to post their hesitations about the Black Church.
“Marvin Sapp is clearly HUSTLING his congregation for 40k— and using God’s name to do it. he’s calling for the doors to be locked? that’s not faith, that’s a shakedown and a false prophet. someone had a bill to pay, and it wasn’t to the church,” one post on X read.
Another user added, “Some churches ARE cults. Would’ve had to beat Marvin Sapp’s big ass and hide the bible if God watching.”
Lol, well damn.
Sapp might be right about clips being taken out of context, but he can’t ignore people’s legitimate beef regarding churches and how they ask for money. That video was cringe-worthy; we’re just saying.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.