Current Events
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It seems the plot to shoot at Kamala Harris’ campaign office is much more sinister than originally thought. There were over 120 guns found at the suspect’s home.
As reported by TMZ. more details are surfacing on Jeffrey Michael Kelly. Arizona prosecutor Neha Bhatia claims the man who is charged with shooting at the Democratic National Committee office had over 120 different firearms at his residence. More alarming, over 250,000 rounds of ammunition were also discovered the same property. On Wednesday (Oct. 23), Bhatia says that federal agents recovered some alarming accessories including silencers, body armor and scopes. Additionally, a machine gun was also found in his personal vehicle. Given the amount of firepower the prosecutor firmly believes that “this person was preparing to commit an act of mass casualty.”
Local police claim Jeffrey Michael Kelly fired BB pellets at the Democrats’ field office in Tempe and followed things up with additional live rounds that left visible damaged on the windows. Thankfully no one was present during the incident. This is not the first time Kelly has been alleged of being a menace to the Democratic Party. He is also accused of hanging political signs lined with razorblades and bags of white powder labeled “BIOHAZARD.”
Kelly is facing several charges, including three felony counts of acts of terrorism. His lawyer says he is a retired aerospace engineer and is not a risk due to his clean criminal record. The suspect is due to appear in court on Oct. 29 at Maricopa County Superior Court. The office in question supports local campaign efforts for Kamala Harris’ presidential election run.
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A new report reveals that Elon Musk regularly met for two years with Vladimir Putin, and has faced pressure from him in recent months.
Elon Musk, one of Trump’s biggest donors who has been campaigning for Trump, has been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin since 2022.
According to WSJ, Putin asked Musk not to activate Starlink over Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/4zOLSfXraQ
— Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) October 25, 2024
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A new report claims that tech billionaire Elon Musk has talked frequently with Russian President Vladimir Putin for at least two years. Various sources including former and current U.S., Russian, and European officials stated that conversations between the two ranged from personal to political. The report also said that some officials in the Biden administration were unaware of the extent of their communication.
Details given in the report include “implicit threats” from Russia towards Musk. “In May 2022, Russia’s space chief said in a post on Telegram that Musk would ‘answer like an adult’ for supplying Starlink to Ukraine’s Azov battalion, which the Kremlin had singled out for the ultraright ideology espoused by some members,” said the Wall Street Journal. Soon after on X, formerly Twitter, Musk (who owns the platform) would publicly post that SpaceX was losing money funding those terminals and has been extremely vocal in opposing more American aid to Ukraine.
The article details that Musk also frequently spoke with Sergei Kiriyenko, Putin’s first deputy chief of staff. Kiriyenko has been accused of sowing disinformation online by creating internet domains on social media including X to influence the upcoming presidential election. In addition, the Tesla founder allegedly did not activate Starlink satellites serving the nation of Taiwan as requested by Putin as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The news comes as Musk has thrown his full support behind former President Donald Trump’s election campaign, even potentially violating the law by promising $1 million a day to voters in Pennsylvania and other swing states. “If people like Musk get Trump reelected, they’ll expect all kinds of regulatory gifts in their favor,” said Fiona Hill, the former senior director of European affairs to the White House. She remarked that the relationship is not unlike how Russia has cultivated oligarchs and warned of the danger: “He is in a position to command government contracts, potentially with a government position, and there are loads of militaries around the world dependent on his systems, not least Ukraine.”
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Spike Lee defended former President Barack Obama’s comments on undecided Black male voters in an interview.
In an interview on MSNBC, celebrated filmmaker Spike Lee defended former President Barack Obama’s comments on Black male voters when it came to Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Ari Melber brought up male voters from different backgrounds who’ve expressed skepticism about her being in the White House and “breaking towards Trump” when Lee interjected.
“It’s sad but true, some of my brothers have been drinking that Kool-Aid and I just hope that they get their minds straight, get their minds right, in time for this election,” Lee said to Melber. “If they’re conscious, if they’re aware, there’s nothing that this other guy can do that’s going to put us — not just Black folks — but Americans, in a better position going forward.”
Spike Lee referenced Obama’s speech earlier this month in Pittsburgh when he stated that Black male voters weren’t supporting Harris’ presidential campaign, saying he’s “got a problem with that” and inferring that sexism was at play. “Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president,” he said in his speech. Obama’s remarks garnered him a huge wave of criticism – some from allies who feel he shouldn’t come down so hard on Black men who have traditionally voted strongly for Democrats in the past.
“I gotta give credit to President Obama because he’s been going really hard on the brothers — some might think too hard, but I don’t think so,” Lee said. “We gotta wake up and don’t go for the okie doke, the flim-flam — can’t do that. We gotta support our sister to be the first woman president of the United States of America and the first sister.” The interview took place shortly after the Brooklyn, New York, native received the National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden at the White House Monday (Oct. 21), along with 38 other noted artists and personalities.
https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1848476876353724517
Check out the entire interview above.
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Source: David McNew / Getty / Los Angeles Times
One Los Angeles Times Editorials editor is standing on business and wants to be on the right side of history, while the owner of his former employer opts to stay neutral.
Mariel Garza said, “screw you guys, I’m out,” after the publications owner refused to let the Los Angeles Times Editorials board endorse a presidential candidate.
Speaking with the Columbia Journalism Review, Garza said she is “resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent. In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up.”
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, told the editorial board earlier in the month the publication would not be making an endorsement, something it has been doing since 2008.
According to the CJR, the editorial board was set to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
In her resignation letter, Garza wrote, “Presidential endorsements don’t really matter,” adding that “reality bit me like cold water on Tuesday when the news rippled out about the decision not to endorse without so much as a comment from LAT management, and Donald Trump turned it into an anti-Harris rip.”
She wasn’t kidding. The Trump/Vance campaign immediately sent an email, calling the Los Angeles Times decision the “latest blow to Harris-Walz.” “Even her fellow Californians know she’s not up for the job.”
Garza continued that the decision not to endorse “makes us look craven and hypocritical, maybe even a bit sexist and racist. How could we spend eight years railing against Trump and the danger his leadership poses to the country and then fail to endorse the perfectly decent Democrat challenger — who we previously endorsed for the US Senate?”
Patrick Soon-Shiong Says A Whole Bunch of Nothing
Shiong took to X, formerly Twitter, to try and explain his decision not to endorse a presidential candidate:
So many comments about the @latimes Editorial Board not providing a Presidential endorsement this year. Let me clarify how this decision came about. The Editorial Board was provided the opportunity to draft a factual analysis of all the POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE policies by EACH candidate during their tenures at the White House, and how these policies affected the nation. In addition, the Board was asked to provide their understanding of the policies and plans enunciated by the candidates during this campaign and its potential effect on the nation in the next four years. In this way, with this clear and non-partisan information side-by-side, our readers could decide who would be worthy of being President for the next four years. Instead of adopting this path as suggested, the Editorial Board chose to remain silent and I accepted their decision. Please #vote.
In an election where one candidate, Donald Trump, is praising Hitler for having loyal generals and being blatantly racist, you would think you want your paper to stand side by side with the other candidate to keep a fascist out of the White House.
Welp.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Mmmhhmmmm
3. Good move
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Source: Elsa / Getty / 50 Cent
50 Cent has been in his share of Hip-Hop battles, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that he had some advice for Drake, but many are giving the Queen’s rapper the side eye for what he said.
In a recent interview with Billboard, 50 Cent touched on many topics, including his Las Vegas residency and his 07 sales battle with Ye, aka Kanye West, but his comments regarding Drake’s dustup with Kendrick Lamar were quite interesting.
Speaking with Billboard’s Michael Saponara, the Queens rapper uttered Drake’s name numerous times, likening the Canadian rapper’s current stance with Hip-Hop fans to when he dropped his album, Curtis.
“Drake is in that position right now,” 50 Cent said, noting that he is a fan of Kendrick Lamar but also doesn’t feel that any music put out by Drake during the beef “was wack at any point.”
Saponara asked 50 Cent if he had any advice for the 6 God, and he pretty much coddled Drake, telling him he didn’t lose anything in his lyrical battle with K.Dot.
“On some real shit, I said, ‘They said you lost, okay. Well, what did you lose?’” 50 said. “What exactly did he lose, if he got $300 something million on his last tour? You didn’t lose a motherfucking thing, man. If that’s the moment, you keep your creative energy in the right place, and keep creating.”
Social Media Does Not Agree With 50 Cent
50 Cent might feel that way, but many others don’t.
“If you fight somebody, and afterwards your dawg tells you “it don’t matter cuz you got more bitches than him” or “you got more money than that nigga”………he is confirming that you indeed lost that fight,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
True.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. A clear sign you lost
4. Howling
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A former model is accusing Donald Trump of groping her in the early 1990s after meeting the former president through convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Stacey Williams says she was introduced to Donald Trump in 1992 but the incident in question took place the following year.
In a report from The Guardian, Stacey Williams, who modeled professionally through the 1990s, says she first met Donald Trump at a holiday party in 1992 by way of Jeffrey Epstein. Williams says that she and Epstein dated for a few months but the timeline wasn’t clearly stated.
“It became very clear then that he and Donald were really, really good friends and spent a lot of time together,” Williams shared early in the report. Williams goes on to reveal that the alleged groping incident took place in the late winter or early spring of 1993. Williams says that while out walking with Epstein one day, it was suggested that they stop to visit Trump at his Trump Tower establishment.
According to Williams, she claims that Trump greeted her and then grabbed her close and began groping her. Williams says Trump grabbed her breasts, buttocks, and waist but says she was rendered motionless and was “deeply confused” about the moment. Williams also added that it appeared that Trump and Epstein were smiling at one another over what took place.
Karoline Leavitt, who works as Donald Trump’s campaign press secretary, shared a statement with The Guardian and a portion of it reads, “These accusations, made by a former activist for Barack Obama and announced on a Harris campaign call two weeks before the election, are unequivocally false. It’s obvious this fake story was contrived by the Harris campaign.”
The timing of the accusation has also been shot down by those who support and defend Trump, claiming that Vice President Harris is instructing her campaign team to push negative messaging around Donald Trump.
Williams has shared her story around the alleged groping in times past via social media but went into further detail on a call earlier this week organized by a group called Survivors for Kamala. Ashley Judd, law professor Anita Hill, and others were on a Zoom call sharing their accounts of surviving sexual assault and violence, all of whom are throwing their support behind the Harris-Walz campaign.
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Source: Variety / Getty / David Jonsson
Actor David Jonsson is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. Fresh off his stellar performance in Alien: Romulus, Jonsson is set to star opposite Sydney Sweeny in Colman Domingo’s directorial debut.
Deadline exclusively reports that Jonsson will play Sammy Davis Jr., and Sweeney will play film star Kim Novak in Scandalous. The film will tell the story of Davis Jr. and Novak’s love affair in 1957.
The website reports that Colman Domingo’s film has been fast-tracked at Miramax and will begin shooting in Los Angeles after Sweeney and Domingo finish filming season 3 of the hit HBO series Euphoria.
Per Deadline:
Before he became Miramax CEO, Jon Glickman originated the project at Panoramic, and remained high on it. Novak, star of Vertigo, and Rat Pack member Davis were at the peak of star power when they met while guests on The Steve Allen Show. They fell hard for each other, but as rumors spread, the rampant racism in America threatened to derail their careers. Novak experience the ire of Harry Cohn, the Columbia Pictures chief who had the actress under contract. Their covert affair became big news when a Chicago gossip columnist in early 1958 wrote a detailed account of their relationship, including their plans to marry. This despite their denials. Davis nine days later married a Black chorus girl named Loray White.
Sweeney is coming off her performance in one of the year’s sleeper hits, Anyone but You, opposite Glen Powell. Deadline reports that Sweeney was “very active” in getting this project and will also serve as a producer along with Tani Cohen and Bobby Rock, with Jon Levin as the executive producer.
Domingo has also been busy coming off award-worthy performances in Rustin and Sing Sing. He also has a film about Nat King Cole he will direct and star in.
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Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion once rapped, “True Religion, I feel like a stallion, horseshoes on my a**,” in her song “Accent.” So, in a move that makes all the sense in the world, the Hip-Hop superstar is teaming up with the clothing brand.
Officially unveiled on Tuesday, October 22, Megan Thee Stallion and True Religion are coming together for their Where Holiday Wishes Come True campaign.
RapUp reports that, as part of the collaboration, True Religion will also hold a Where Wishes Come True event to benefit the Houston rapper’s nonprofit, the Pete & Thomas Foundation.
“Working with True Religion is such a full circle moment,” Megan said in a press release per VIBE. “I’ve been a fan of the brand since I was a kid, so it’s really exciting to star in this campaign and bring in the Hot Girl Holidays in a special way.”
The “COBRA” rapper and Hunxho can be seen rocking True Religion clothing. Thee Stallion rocks a red True Religion crop top with the company’s iconic logo and jeans with matching stitching in one look. In another look, she rocks a full denim-on-denim look.
Speaking on the collaboration, True Religion CEO Michael Buckley said, “Partnering with Megan Thee Stallion is a game changer for us. She’s the perfect face for our women’s business, which is thriving with double-digit growth compared to last year.”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to mark our second annual holiday campaign with Megan, who is not just a fan but also ‘true’ to what our brand stands for. With a diverse, engaging approach, we’re eager to welcome both loyal and new customers into our True Religion family,” adds CMO Kristen D’Arcy.
Of Course, There Are Some Haters
The announcement of the collaboration between True Religion and Megan Thee Stallion puts the Hotties in a great mood, but there are always haters.
Some feel that True Religion dropped the ball by not linking up with “rapper” Sexyy Red, who regularly rocks the brand.
Others are saying nah to the notion that Sexxy Red deserved the look instead of Megan Thee Stallion.
“it should’ve been sexyy” aye man i love sexyy red but it’s kinda hard to imagine a major brand attaching themselves to somebody selling gonorrhea and discharge themed lip gloss,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, said.
Welp.
Congrats to Thee Stallion, who is set to release another project, MEGAN: Act II, and a documentary on Amazon Prime Video, Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Own Words, which will touch on her mother’s passing and the reactions following the Tory Lanez shooting.
You can see more reactions to the latest Megan Thee Stallion good news in the gallery below.
1. You think so?
2. Fair point
3. Sure do
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John Kelly, a former Marine general and former Chief of Staff to Donald Trump during his presidency, revealed insights into the former president’s political aims in a series of new interviews. In them, John Kelly framed Trump as a fascist who displayed an affinity for dictators.
John Kelly joins a growing list of former Trump staffers who have plenty to say about the business mogul’s aims in returning to the White House. In a piece published by The Atlantic on Tuesday (October), Trump’s disdain of the military and his desire for the armed forces to display fealty was on display, including Trump allegedly offering to pay for a slain soldier’s funeral but balking at the $60,000 bill and referring to the Army private as a “f*cking Mexican.”
Later in the piece, two people who say they were close to Trump overheard the former president say during a private conversation, “I need the kind of generals that Hitler had” but this was later shot down by Trump spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer.
As the profile continues, the remarks Trump made regarding Hitler’s generals resurface and reference The Divider: Trump in the White House, a book by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser. In their book, the pair look deeper into a conversation between Trump and Kelly with the former president asking the former general why he couldn’t be more like the German generals, assuming that they pledged complete loyalty to the Naz leader.
Kelly explained that Hitler’s generals attempted to assassinate him but Trump, apparently not someone who studied war history to the level Kelly had, was undeterred. In a quick follow-up chat with The Atlantic, it was made clear that Trump truly believed in the falsehood that all of Hitler’s generals were in his service.
In the New York Times, the outlet shared details of a recorded interview with Kelly, who was asked if he thought Trump was a fascist.
Kelly answered, “Well, looking at the definition of fascism. It’s a far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy. So certainly, in my experience, those are the kinds of things that he thinks would work better in terms of running America.”
Kelly added, “Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, he’s certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators, he has said that. So he certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.”
The Kamala HQ X account reshared the audio interview to its 1.4 million followers, garnering replies expressing shock but also replies from the MAGA faithful seeking to portray John Kelly as a jilted former employee.
Q: Do you think Trump is a fascist?
Trump’s Chief of Staff John Kelly: Well, I’m looking at the definition of fascism. It’s a far-right movement with a dictatorial leader and forcible suppression of opposition… So certainly in my experience, he falls into the definition of a… pic.twitter.com/1znyIrkzJ8
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 23, 2024
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
The Exonerated Five have filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump for defamation related to his comments about them during the September presidential debate.
The Exonerated Five, formerly known as the Central Park Five, have filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump for defamation of character. The filing, made by Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise, points to his remarks made about them and their case in the Sept. 10 presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Specifically, the filing addresses Trump’s false claim that the men “killed an individual and pled guilty to the crime. These statements are demonstrably false. “Plaintiffs never pled guilty to any crime and were subsequently cleared of all wrongdoing. Further, the victims of the Central Park assaults were not killed.” The 1989 case began when all five, who were teenagers at the time, were arrested and convicted of the rape of a woman jogger in Central Park. Trump took out a full-page ad in May of that year demanding the city send a message and “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY AND BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” The five would have their convictions vacated in 2002 after police DNA testing found another prisoner had committed the rape, with New York City paying them $41 million in damages.
The lawsuit also includes other statements Trump has made about the case, including a 2013 tweet blasting the Ken Burns documentary on the case as a “one-sided piece of garbage that didn’t explain the horrific [sic] crimes of these young men while in park [sic].” It also details an interaction between Yusuf Salaam, now a New York City Councilman, and Trump after the debate in the spin room, where Trump rebuffed an attempt to dialogue about his remarks. Salaam and other members of the Exonerated Five have been campaigning for Vice President Harris and were onstage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with Reverend Al Sharpton in August.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted the lawsuit in a statement, writing: “This is just another frivolous, Election Interference lawsuit, filed by desperate left-wing activists, in an attempt to distract the American people from Kamala Harris’ dangerously liberal agenda and failing campaign.” Defamation lawsuits have been a thorn in Trump’s side – in January, a jury awarded columnist E. Jean Carroll $88.3 million for social media attacks against her, followed by a $5 million judgment in May after he was found liable for sexual abuse.