Current Events
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty / Doechii
Monday night at the Peacock Theater, Doechii wanted to make sure to point out what was happening in the streets of downtown Los Angeles while they celebrated “culture’s biggest night,” at the BET Awards.
The Swamp Princess’ stellar year continued at the 2025 BET Awards, taking home the award for Best Hip-Hop Artist, but that’s not what she was getting praise for.
The Florida artist used her acceptance speech moment to remind everyone of what was happening outside the Peacock Theater, away from the celebrating, glitz, and glamour. Donald Trump and his administration are using the full might of the government to terrorize immigrants and American citizens who don’t rock with the MAGA agenda.
Before BET Weekend kicked off, mostly peaceful demonstrations denouncing the immigration raids of workplaces conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where hardworking immigrants are being detained under the guise of detaining “dangerous illegal immigrants and gang members,” were conducted by the government agency.
Over 40 people were arrested as a result of the raid.
LA Mayor Karen Bass said to reporters, “ICE initiated enforcement actions on several workplaces. That created a sense of chaos, outrage, fear, and terror because people are very worried as to what happened to their families.”
The situation was exacerbated when Donald Trump federalized the National Guard without consulting Governor Gavin Newsom, who, under normal circumstances, is in control of the state’s National Guard.
The Swamp Princess Didn’t Miss The Moment To Speak Up For Marginalized People
Doechii, unlike some other artists, was not afraid to keep it real (looking at you, Snoop) about what is going on in the streets of LA and possibly across the country.
“I do wanna address what’s happening right now outside of the building,” Doechii began. “There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order. Trump is using military forces to stop a protest, and I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.”
“What type of government is that?” she asked, drawing huge applause from the crowd. “People are being swept up and torn from their families, and I feel it’s my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people.”
She continued, “For Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear, and I hope we stand together, my brothers and my sisters, against hate, and we protest against it. Thank you, BET.”
Doechii received plenty of praise for using her moment to highlight the struggles that were happening in the streets of Los Angeles.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Salute to her
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Source: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty
President Donald Trump was caught on video tripping on the stairs of Air Force One, prompting several social media jokes.
President Donald Trump nearly took a tumble on airplane steps, and social media called him out along with noting that it wasn’t getting as much coverage as opposed to what happened to former President Joe Biden. On Sunday (June 8), Trump was set to board Air Force One to head to Camp David in Maryland, purportedly to meet “a lot of people, including generals… and admirals.” He also fielded questions about the protests in Los Angeles against the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and his move to deploy National Guard troops.
He took more questions, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at his side before exiting to take the stairs to enter Air Force One. As he climbed the stairs, he tripped and grabbed onto the railing with his right hand before collecting himself and resuming the climb into the airplane. The entire moment was caught on C-SPAN.
The moment immediately went viral online, including a close-up shot of Trump’s profile at the moment he tripped and caught himself. It also led many on social media to take their shots at Trump and Republicans who had consistently mocked former President Joe Biden for his moments of difficulty entering and exiting Air Force One. “Slipping on all them lies he’s saying about Los Angeles.” a TikTok user named MammaMia wrote.
Others also called out the hypocrisy they viewed within media outlets who might brush off Trump’s near-tumble but still obsess over how old former President Biden was. “Life has a funny way of showing you different prospectives after one has harshly judged another,” wrote TikTok user Emi333. Others also noted Rubio seeming to trip as he boarded the stairs for Air Force One, and commented that he might’ve been trying to dilute some of the potential barbs thrown at Trump. And a few social media users called out MAGA supporter Joey Mannarino’s odd defense of the stumble.
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Source: Anadolu / Getty
You can add the Proud Boys to the growing list of groups unhappy with the United States government. The far-right group has filed a $100 million dollar lawsuit against the administration.
As per Raw Story the organization filed a claim on Friday, June 6 claiming their civil rights had been violated. The submitted is related to the infamous Jan. 6 2021 insurrection that took place at the United States Capital. Four of their leaders Ethan Nordean, Joe Biggs, Enrique Tarrio, and Zachary Rehl were all convicted on seditious conspiracy charges for their participation in trying to block the certification of the 2020 election results. Fast forwarded to 2025, President Trump commuted all their sentences but the Proud Boys’ gripe extends beyond the pardon.
“What follows is a parade of horribles: egregious and systemic abuse of the legal system and the United States Constitution to punish and oppress political allies of President Trump, by any and all means necessary, legal, or illegal,” the lawsuit reads. “Through the use of evidence tampering, witness intimidation, violations of attorney-client privilege, and placing spies to report on trial strategy, the government got its fondest wish of imprisoning the J6 Defendants, the modern equivalent of placing one’s enemies’ heads on a spike outside the town wall as a warning to any who would think to challenge the status quo.” The document goes on to say that now that they are free they can bring “against their tormentors for violations of their Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment Rights.”
Branded as “proud western chauvinists,” the Proud Boys are opposed to “white guilt” and “political correctness.” According to The Anti-Defamation League they embrace anti-immigrant, Islamophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ ideologies. The Justice Department has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Veteran producer and artist Timbaland is now working with artificial intelligence, announcing that he’ll also be working with a new AI artist as part of a venture with an AI company. But the news has caused some backlash. Timbaland has launched Stage Zero, an AI-focused entertainment company, which he claims has signed the first-ever AI artist named TaTa.
“I’m not just producing tracks anymore. I’m producing systems, stories, and stars from scratch,” Timbaland said in an interview with Billboard. “[TaTa] is not an avatar. She is not a character. TaTa is a living, learning, autonomous music artist built with AI. TaTa is the start of something bigger. She’s the first artist of a new generation. A-Pop is the next cultural evolution, and TaTa is its first icon.” He and Stage Zero released an image of “TaTa,” depicted as a young, pink-haired woman.
The venture is what the artist hopes will be a new genre of music called “A-pop,” reflecting his work with Suno, a company that has reportedly used millions of copyrighted songs to train its AI engine. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he’s reportedly created 50,000 songs from working with Suno, saying: “The technology of today is perfect for what this is. What used to take me three months only takes me two days. In the beginning, it was like a toy. It was like going to a toy store. You gotta go through gluttony, because you can’t believe that it’s here.”The Grammy-winning producer’s stance has earned him some backlash from fans and others in the music industry, notably from producer Young Guru who blasted him on his Instagram page. “I’m going to say it again,” Young Guru wrote. “I swear I love you bro but this ain’t it. Do you not realize what is going on in the world. Your voice is powerful and way too important to do anything like this. I have students who worship you. They are going to say ‘if Tim can do it, then it is ok for me to do it.’ These are the times, right here, that history is defined .. Human expression can never be reduced to this!!! This is way bigger than music!!! I say this all in love.”
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After 52 days of wedded bliss, Kevin Gates and Brittany Renner are calling it quits as the two (former) lovebirds have decided to go their separate ways. (Who could’ve predicted that?)
The not-so-shocking news came from Renner during an interview on Los Angeles radio station REAL 92.3 this past weekend in which she revealed that she and Kevin Gates were divorced. Having wed on April 6 only to separate on May 28, Renner said that she had no regrets tying the knot with the “Big Gangsta” rapper as it helped her find herself and assisted in her personal growth.
“I followed my heart and that’s more than what most people can say in this world, and I think when you do that you get all the clarity you need,” Renner said.
Well, at least she’s remaining positive about the situation, right?By Islamic law, they have 90 days to work things out and make sure this is the path they want to go down before officially being divorced, but it doesn’t seem like that’s something Renner is entertaining at the moment. Still, she feels that she gave her marriage “100 percent” and is good with what she’s been through saying, ” I don’t feel like it’s a sucky situation because what is meant to be is always going to be.”Kevin Gates for his part has remained mum on his marital status, but we do expect the man to address his ex-wife’s revelation at some point in the future.
What do y’all think about Kevin Gates and Brittany Renner’s sudden divorce? Check out the interview and let us know in the comments section below.
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Kevin Dietsch / Katie Miller
Katie Miller, the wife of raging immigrant hater Stephen Miller, is in the news once again.
Stephen Miller’s wife became the talk of social media after reports surfaced that she was leaving her job at the White House to work with billionaire immigrant Elon Musk, which began to trend.
In addition to her joining Musk in the private sector, there were also wild rumors circulating that both Miller and his wife were in some kind of “throuple” relationship with the Tesla chief.
Now, reports of her having a lip tattoo that says “YOLO” (You Only Live Once), the phrase made popular by Drake on the hook of the track “The Motto” and the title of a subsequently shelved mixtape from the Canadian rapper, could explain her recent behavior.
Per Raw Report via WSJ:
“Those close to Miller describe the mother of three as hardworking, detail-oriented, combative and protective of her husband, whose fervent positions on immigration and other issues have made him a target of Democrats. In interactions with White House staff, she sometimes veered from charming to abrasive, current and former colleagues said, and seemed to have limitless energy,” the outlet reported.
“People who know Miller said she has a tattoo on the inside of her lip that says ‘YOLO,’ which stands for ‘You Only Live Once,’” the report states. “She has sometimes shifted her loyalties, and she has blurred ethical lines, working for clients lobbying the government while also working on government issues. Musk’s company is deeply dependent on government subsidies and contracts.”
This is not the first time the tattoo was the subject of discussion. It was also mentioned during a small Vanity Fair profile of the Millers in 2020.
Log this latest news into information we didn’t need to know.
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Marc Piasecki / Halle Berry / Van Hunt
We don’t blame Van Hunt for wanting to put a ring on Halle Berry’s finger, but the actress isn’t quite ready to jump the broom again.
You can put that all-white wedding dress on hold, because Halle Berry will not be meeting her long-time boyfriend Van Hunt at the altar anytime soon.
On a Tuesday taping of Today with Jenna & Friends, the actress and the singer joined Jenna Bush Hager for the first-ever interview together as a couple.
During the interview, with flowers in his hand, Hunt was understandably giddy about his relationship with the Oscar-winning actress, even hinting that he was ready to take things to the next level.
“So I put out the proposal, and it’s still on hold, as you can see,” Hunt said. “It’s just out there floating. You know, maybe you can encourage her.”
Unfortunately for Hunt, thanks to previous failed attempts to attain her happily ever after, Berry gently shut down any talk of marriage.
“Well, I’ve been married three times,” Berry said. “Van has been married once, and so no, we don’t feel like we have to get married to validate our love in any way. We don’t.”
But if Hunt can walk away with anything, she didn’t shut the door entirely on tying the knot with him, while adding that she is in no rush to say ‘I do’ again.
She also joked that her relationship with Hunt is “the longest” she has ever been in.
“When you find your person, you find your person — and I now have found my person,” awwwww.
This moment is not the only time the couple has been in the news.
Halle Berry & Van Hunt Are Very Much In Love
On Mother’s Day, Berry let the world (her social media followers) know precisely what she was doing to celebrate: get laid. In a cute plug for her intimacy gel, the couple was in bed, while a giddy Berry couldn’t contain herself while plugging her lube.
Hunt on the other end was BIG HORNY and wanted her to wrap up her impromptu commercial so the smashing to smithereens could begin and that’s word to Bossip.
Don’t worry, Van, your time is coming.
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On Sunday (June 9), the Madleen was captured by Israeli naval forces as it was approaching the Gaza Strip. The ship, organized by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in conjunction with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was carrying aid supplies to Palestinian people in Gaza. In a post to Instagram, Thunberg issued a plea to the world. “We have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
In a post made on X, formerly Twitter, Israel’s Defence Ministry stated that they had seized the boat, writing: “The ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries.” They went on to accuse the Thunberg and other passengers, which included French-Palestinian European Parliament minister Rima Hassan along with five others from that country of attempting “to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity.”
According to The Guardian, Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that he instructed the IDF to “show the flotilla passengers the video of the horrors of the October 7 massacre.” In March, Israel ended a ceasefire that was in place from earlier in the year, blocking all imports and aid. The conflict, which began after a terror attack by the Hamas organization on a festival on Oct. 7, 2023, has displaced 90% of the Palestinian population with over 54,000 believed to have been killed in the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Two hundred and fifty-one Israeli hostages were captured during the attack, and to date 148 had been returned alive with 55 still believed to be held hostage by Hamas.“The ministry of foreign affairs and the ambassador in Tel Aviv are in contact with local authorities and monitoring the situation closely,” a spokesperson for the Swedish government said on Monday (June 10). A representative for the French government who asked not to be named said that President Emmanuel Macron requested that the French nationals onboard the Maldeen “be allowed to return to France as soon as possible.”
The situation underscores the dire need for aid in the region, with a new plan backed by the United States in place, but difficulties in delivery are still presenting itself, according to CNN.
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Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty
Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, founder of the legendary, genre-bending Funk band Sly & The Family Stone, has passed away. He was 82.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone,” said the pioneering musician’s family via a statement released on Monday, June 9. “After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”
Sly & The Family Stone was a multi-cultural, Soul, Funk, Rock and R&B band with roots in San Francisco, and anchored by Stone’s virtuoso musical direction. Some of the band’s classic and familiar hits include “Sing A Simple Song,” “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People” and “I Want To Take You Higher.” The group’s catalog of music has been sampled extensively by producers, creating new hits for Hip-Hop and R&B artists like Queen Latifah, Jungle Brothers, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J and many, many more.
Early this year, a documentary about Sly & The Family Stone called SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) and directed by Questlove, was released via Hulu. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Rest in powerful peace Sly Stone. See reactions to the death of this true musical icon from across social media in the gallery.
This story is developing.
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