Current Events
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President Donald Trump is facing questions after walking back threatened tariffs on Mexico & Canada for the second time.
On Thursday (March 6), President Donald Trump reversed course and postponed tariffs of 25% of goods that he levied against Mexico and Canada on Tuesday (March 4) for the second time, leading many to question his process. He stated that they would be postponed until April 2. Trump had bragged about the tariffs at his State of The Union address then, claiming they would lead the U.S. to success. “Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly. There’ll be a little disturbance. We’re okay with that. It won’t be much,” he said at the time.
Canada, Mexico, and China immediately responded with their retaliatory tariffs, which sent the stock market tumbling on Wednesday (March 5)with the Dow falling 1,300 points in response to consumer concerns stateside about rising prices. On Thursday, Trump spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said afterward in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that they “had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results.” Hours later, Trump signed an executive order granting the same postponement to Canada.
Commerce Secretary Harold Lutnick mentioned the possibility of tariff postponements in a CNBC interview, stating that it would cover all goods. “ I think it’s likely that it will cover all USMCA-compliant goods and services,” he said. The USMCA refers to the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that was signed in 2018, and enforced beginning in 2020. Initially, Trump was seeking to relieve tariffs on automakers, no doubt in response to a Fox News segment where an auto dealer explained that the immediate effect of the tariffs would add $20,000 to the price of a car on the lot.
Trump’s backpedaling didn’t come without criticism. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blasted him in a press conference on Tuesday. “Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense,” he said. China was more direct, expressing that they would “resolutely counter” all tariffs placed on their goods.
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Source: Robert Smith / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion
The hotties were not feeling an interview featuring their favorite hot girl, Megan Thee Stallion, conducted on the Vanity Fair Oscars after party red carpet.
Megan Thee Stallion had tongues on the floor thanks to her Vanity Fair Oscars after-party look, while comedian Hannah Berner and her Giggly Squad podcast co-host, Paige DeSorbo, who the magazine hired to conduct interviews on the red carpet, and many people feel they did a horrible job, specifically, Berner.
Fans on TikTok have been taking Hanner Berner to task for what they deemed an interview with racist microaggressions. The interview began harmlessly with the two women fawning over the Houston rapper. DeSorbo admitted that she started her day listening to a little bit of Megan Thee Stallion’s music.
Berner made things awkward when she said, “Your music has literally made me … when I want to fight someone, I listen to your music.”
The “Savage” rapper reeled Berner telling her “You want to throw that fighting shit out the window. You want to get cute and be a bad bitch,” quickly shutting down the notion that her music perpuates violence.
“When people are talking shit, I go, ‘Turn on Megan Thee Stallion!’” Berner continued.
Quickly trying to pivot during the interview, Megan Thee Stallion replied, “Body-ody-ody, I look beautiful, I look so great.”
Megan Thee Stallion has been trying to move forward with her life and career after rapper Tory Lanez was found guilty of shooting her in 2020.
The Vanity Fair Oscars Party red carpet is the last place she thought she would be revisiting those moments, but thanks to Berner, she did.
“I know, because I watched your documentary,” Berner told Thee Stallion “you’ve been through so many dark things. How do you get yourself up and inspire people?”
“I just look in the mirror, and I be like, ‘Damn, you that girl. Right? Yeah, you are that girl! So, go outside and act like you that girl!’ And that’s how I tackle my day,” the rapper replied.
Megan Thee Stallion responded gracefully but fans were mad for her, and slammed the interview on TikTok.
“This felt so racist. And they didn’t let her finish most her sentences,” one TikTok user said in the comments.
Another TikTok user added, “Very micro aggressive. Megs music isn’t about fighting and the fangirling is a spectacle. Please hire real interviewers that know how to talk to black women as PEOPLE and not characters.”
In response to the backlash, Berner did apologize, saying that she should used another term instead of “fight” calling it “a poor choice of words.”
Megan Thee Stallion has yet to respond to the incident, but it seems folks could care less about the apology and feel Vanity Fair needs to do better when picking people to work red carpets.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Required reading
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Rev. Jamal Bryant made a public declaration to boycott Target due to its shift in DEI policies assumed to be in response to the Trump-Harris administration’s stances. Rev. Jamal Bryant is urging that the Target boycott take place for 40 days in conjunction with the holy lenten season period, which began on March 5 and extends into April.
As spotted on Newsweek, Rev. Jamal Bryant, Senior Pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Dekalb County, Ga., joined forces with the Black Chamber of Commerce and OurMoneyUnited.com to launch the Target Fast. A quick scan of the website for the organized boycott effectively explains the aims of the 40-day ban from shopping at the major retail giant.
From Target Fast: (click to learn more)
This Lent, we will begin a corporate fast, starting with Target, as a spiritual act of resistance. Just as Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, challenging the exploitation and hypocrisy of his day, we too must disrupt business as usual. Fasting is not just about what we abstain from—it is about what we embrace. By redirecting our resources toward businesses that uphold justice, we embody our commitment to God’s vision of equity and love in action.
This is a fast for accountability. A fast for justice. A fast for a future where corporations do not bow to pressure at the expense of marginalized communities. As we journey through these 40 days, let us pray, reflect, and act—knowing that our collective sacrifice can bring about transformation.
The company has already faced backlash for its rollback of DEI policies, reporting lower than normal earnings totals since making the announcement. The effort from Bryant and the other organizing bodies could extend toward other entities and will assess data collected during the fast, which will end on April 17.
Participants are asked to use the Voter Wallet tool to find Black businesses to support in place of any retailers named in the economic fast.
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Photo: Anadolu / Getty
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Source: Win McNamee / Getty / Mike Johnson
Like many Americans, MAGA Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s chief of staff got drunk during Donald Trump’s meandering/lie-filled joint address to the nation to get through it, but he made the stupid mistake of getting behind the wheel and getting pinched for drunk driving.
NBC News reports that Hayden Haynes, Speaker Mike Johnson’s chief of staff and one of the most powerful aides on Capitol Hill was arrested for driving under the influence after crashing into a Capitol vehicle.
If you thought Mike Johnson would reprimand or fire Haynes for his dangerous behavior, spoiler alert: of course he’s not.
Per NBC News:
One of the sources told NBC News that a police report indicated that Haynes hit a Capitol vehicle around midnight and was arrested and released with a citation to appear in court. The arrest came after Trump’s speech Tuesday night, when Johnson presided over the House floor and sat just behind the president’s left shoulder.
“A driver backed into a parked vehicle last night around 11:40 p.m.,” the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement to NBC News. “We responded and arrested them for DUI.”
He has served as chief of staff in the speaker’s office since Johnson won the top job in the House in October 2023. Before that, Haynes served as chief of staff to Johnson in his personal office from 2017 to 2023. He also had worked in various roles for former Sen. David Vitter, another Louisiana Republican, from 2009 to 2016.
Asked by NBC News Wednesday whether Johnson was standing by Haynes, he said, “I am. I am.”
We Don’t Expect Haynes To Face Any Serious Consequences Or Lose His Job
According to Crooks & Liars, a first offense for drunk driving in DC “gets an individual up to 180 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, driver’s license suspension, enrollment in an alcohol intervention program, and community service.”
We don’t expect Haynes to suffer any consequences for his dangerous behavior because nowadays these people get away with anything, unless you’re a Democrat, then all bets are off.
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Source: Anna Moneymaker / Getty
Representative Jasmine Crockett had a choice term to describe President Donald Trump’s deference to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
The actions of President Donald Trump since the beginning of his second term in office have cast him as being highly deferential to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. It hasn’t gone unnoticed, and Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett was explicit in her description of the alliance. She was interviewed by Call To Activism’s founder Joe Gallina after Trump’s State of The Union address on Tuesday (March 4), who asked her, “ If you could tell Donald Trump anything tonight, what would you tell him? Crockett paused briefly, then said: “I would tell him to grow a spine and stop being Putin’s ho.”
https://x.com/CalltoActivism/status/1897088100851192307
“That’s all we got right now, is Putin’s little ho that is out here really doing the bidding of Russia in a way we’ve never seen an American president do,” she continued, referencing Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s disastrous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky which devolved into a shouting match. Trump accused Zelensky of disrespecting the United States and issued an order to pause funding and the sharing of military intelligence to Ukraine in their fight against Russia.
Crockett also called Trump out for abandoning the nation’s allies. “For those that believe that we should only focus on the United States, this is a focus on the United States,” she said. “We need a president that understands what diplomacy looks like, and it doesn’t look like the disgrace that we saw that took place in the Oval Office.” The Texas representative also called out Trump’s tariff war with Canada and Mexico, telling Gallina that allyship “doesn’t look like s—ting on our allies by telling them we’re going to impose tariffs to the north and the south of us.”
She expressed her sympathy for Canada and Mexico’s decision to impose retaliatory tariffs, noting that Trump needs to work with them. “As people are still complaining about their eggs, now they’re going to have to worry about the rest of their groceries,” she said. “Listen, it is time for him to grow a pair and start to do the work of an American president and stop pretending that he is on some terrible reality TV show that is looking for ratings. I am hoping that America turns off the TV today, and tunes in to people like you, because all he does is look for ratings and we shouldn’t give them the attention.”
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Source: Anadolu / Getty
Eric Adams is arguably the most hated mayor in the history of New York City (buddying up to Donald Trump to get his corruption charges dropped definitely didn’t help), so when he was called to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee yesterday (March 5), we already knew sparks were going to fly.
According to Raw Story, Bronx representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, grilled the embattled mayor of New York City and called him out for blatantly avoiding answering questions related to the scandals that he had brought on himself and his office. Even though Trump’s Justice Department moved to have the charges against Adams dropped, the sudden change in direction led to the resignation of three top U.S. prosecutors who refused to sign off on the move, which prompted the investigation into the matter by Democrats.
Per Raw Story:
When senior Justice Department official Emil Bove ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors to dismiss the case, he argued that it had “improperly interfered” with Adams’ re-election campaign. He also noted that Adams has been more cooperative on Trump’s plans for mass immigration raids than any other New York City politician would be expected to — but denied in the footnotes of the order that there was an explicit quid pro quo.
Adams complained that Ocasio-Cortez was repeatedly asking the same question.
“No, these are very different questions,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
He continued complaining as she talked over him.
“I understand. Mayor Adams, will you not answer this question because you believe you will incriminate yourself?” she asked.
Adams continued rambling as the congresswoman asked to submit the resignation letter from Sassoon for the record.
Ocasio-Cortez then read parts of the letter referencing the Jan. 31st meeting. She then cited other resignation letters from Justice Department employees who also refused to kill the Adams indictment.
She went on to lecture Republicans for downplaying the importance of the resignations.
While it was widely rumored that Adams was basically begging Donald Trump for a pardon in exchange for his cooperation with ICE and letting them run rampant through New York City, Adams was only able to secure having his charges dropped. But ultimately, that didn’t help, as he’s still out here defending himself before Congress.
Check out AOC grill Eric Adams below and let us know your thoughts about the matter in the comments section.
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Hamilton
Donald Trump and his fellow MAGA Republicans are BIG MAD they won’t get to enjoy the hit musical Hamilton after the folks behind it said it wants nothing to do with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after Felon 47 named himself chairman.
The musical Hamilton telling the Kennedy Center to kick rocks is the latest punch to the gut since Trump decided to take over. The show was supposed to run from March 3 and April 26, 2026, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Things have been going downhill for the once prestigious institution after the mass firings rocked the Kennedy Center. Artists like Issa Rae canceled her upcoming sold-out show, and other notable names like screenwriter Shonda Rhimes cut ties with the Kennedy Center to protest Trump.
Trump’s reasoning for the takeover, he doesn’t want “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.”
Riiiigggghhhttt.
Hamilton’s Creator & Producer Respond To Trump’s Takeover of The Kennedy Center
Regarding the decision, Hamilton’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Jeffrey Seller didn’t mince their words and kept it real.
In an interview with the New York Times, Miranda said Hamilton won’t be coming to the Kennedy Center because he didn’t want anything to do with the “Trump Kennedy Center.”
“This latest action by Trump means it’s not the Kennedy Center as we knew it. The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center. We’re just not going to be part of it,” Miranda said.
In a statement, Steller added that the show will not be coming to the Kennedy Center because of the “purge” of the cultural center’s staff, adding that it wasn’t an action against the current Trump administration, but against “partisan policies” following the MAGA takeover.
“The recent purge by the Trump administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center flies in the face of everything this national cultural center represents. Given these recent actions, our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,” Steller said.
The Trumpers Are MAD
As expected, Donald Trump’s supporters, including, Richard Grenell, the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center are S A L T Y about Lin-Manuel and co saying no Hamilton for you.
Using his angry MAGA fingers, the Trumper wrote on X: “Let’s be clear on the facts. Seller and Lin-Manuel Miranda first went to The New York Times before they came to the Kennedy Center with their announcement that they can’t be in the same room with Republicans. This is a publicity stunt that will backfire. The arts are for everyone—not just for the people who Lin likes and agrees with. The American people need to know that Lin-Manuel Miranda is intolerant of people who don’t agree with him politically. It’s clear he and Seller don’t want Republicans going to their shows. Americans see you, Lin.”
Awwwww, you mad Grenell?
You can see more reactions below while enjoying a big cup of MAGA tears to sip on.
4. LOL, now it’s “woke”
8. Awwww, you mad?
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Source: Anadolu / Getty
A nationwide economic boycott of Target has led to a significant decline in its valuation, with another extended boycott set to begin.
According to reports, a one-day economic blackout held last week (reportedly initiated by the Peoples Union USA group) had a strong impact on Target’s earnings, just as the big box chain is facing another extended boycott of its stores. The data revealed that Target saw an 11% drop in customer traffic in its stores last Friday (Feb. 28), and a 9% drop in visitors from 5.2 million to 4.7 million through its website. Their dedicated app also saw a significant decline, going down 14% from 4.2 million to 3.5 million when compared to figures from Feb. 14.
The findings come weeks after Target’s announcement at the end of January that it had come to the end of a three-year program that focused on building Black careers at the company as well as promoting Black-owned businesses and improving the experiences of Black shoppers. The program was started by the Minneapolis-based retail chain in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by officers from that city in 2020. Target also announced that it would roll back other diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals set for that three-year cycle, leading to backlash from the public.
The chain acknowledged a “small decline” in revenue in February but didn’t acknowledge the one-day blackout, instead projecting that there was “meaningful year-over-year profit pressure in its first quarter relative to the remainder of the year” relative to ongoing consumer uncertainty in combination with the current tariff wars enacted by President Donald Trump. Target’s full-year revenues saw a drop from $107.4 billion in 2023 to $106.6 billion in 2024. Notably, their stock valuation dropped 13% from $135.21 to $117.14 a share.
A new boycott is set to begin Wednesday (March 5), initiated by Atlanta-based pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant of the New Birth Baptist Church. The “fast” will take place over the 40 days of the Lent season. “Black people spend on average $12 million a day in Target, so with that large of a consumption pie, we need to be treated with a great decibel of respect,” Dr. Bryant said in an interview, noting that 50,000 people had signed an online petition stating they’d participate.
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Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty
The Jazz and Soul music giant Roy Ayers has passed away. He was 84.
Variety reports that the Jazz vibraphonist’s family confirmed that he passed away on Tuesday, March 4, after a “long illness.”
“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer, and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4, 2025 in New York City after a long illness,” reads the Ayers family’s statement. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. A celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”
Ayers is perhaps best known for his song “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” from his 1976 album of the same name, which has been sampled countless times by Hip-Hop and R&B musicians. Ayers often credited Mary J. Blige’s 1994 “My Life,” which liberally samples the aforementioned song, with reviving his career and enriching his bank account.
Also a composer and record producer, Ayers’ deep and rich catalog of music has long been mined for samples that got flipped into new beats that hipped a new generation of listeners to his grooves. Some of those recognizable songs include “We Live In Brooklyn, Baby,” “Searching,” and “Running Away,” where were in turn chopped and massaged into new works from the like of Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Mos Def, Kendrick Lamar. A Tribe Called Quest and many, many more. Also notable was Ayers’ crafting of the soundtrack to the Blaxploitation classic Coffy, which stars Pam Grier.
One of this writers favorites was Ayers connecting with The Roots on their “Proceed II.”
Rest in powerful peace Roy Ayers.
This story is developing.
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Source: Tierney L. Cross / Getty
Texas Representative Al Green made a powerful protest during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address until being ejected.
On Tuesday (March 4), President Donald Trump began the first State of the Union address of his second term in office. The tense air in the chambers grew as Democratic Representative Al Green stood up just two minutes in and began to shout at Trump, pointing his cane. “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!” he yelled. Republican congresspeople began to chant “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and clapped while yelling at Green to sit down. House of Representatives Majority Speaker Mike Johnson warned Green to sit down or be removed from the chambers, stating that members of Congress “are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the house and to cease any further disruptions.” When Green refused to sit, Vice President JD Vance made a “get out” motion with his thumb.
“Finding that members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum, the chair now directs the Sergeant-at-arms to restore order,” Johnson read from a sheet of paper, making the ejection official. “Remove this gentleman from the chamber!” Green was then led out as Republicans applauded. Outside, the 77-year-old Green spoke to reporters from C-SPAN. “I’ll accept the punishment. It’s worth it to let people know that there’s some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security,” he said.
https://x.com/cspan/status/1897117558500700644
Green plans to introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump over his comments about acquiring the Gaza Strip – the Houston-based politician initiated three unsuccessful attempts to impeach Trump during his first term. His protest was a contrast to reports that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic congressional leaders to attend and not cause any disruptions. Many who attended held up signs that read “Save Medicaid” and “Musk Steals.” referring to tech billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts with DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency).
The protest visibly rattled Trump, as other Democratic congress members walked out at various points during his speech, which included fellow Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett, and Florida Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost who was spotted wearing a black t-shirt with a message on the back that read, “No Kings Live Here.” Other Democratic lawmakers such as New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez chose not to attend the State of the Union address.