Current Events
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) is having a terrible week when it comes to his tryouts to be the running mate of convicted felon and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. On two separate networks, CNN and MSNBC, Donalds saw his hypocrisy get called out to his face.
In case you’re unaware, recently while in Philadelphia, Donalds went full Uncle Tom and infamously said that Black people were better off under Jim Crow. That would be the same Jim Crow era where Blacks in Southern states were disenfranchised (read: they couldn’t even vote), routinely lynched for the most minor of offenses and pretty much lived in terror for simply trying to live.
“You see, during Jim Crow, the Black family was together. During Jim Crow, more Black people were not just conservative — Black people have always been conservative-minded — but more Black people voted conservatively,” Donalds said, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
As expected, and after a rebuke from Democrats including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Donalds insisted his words were taken out of context.
Considering his documented tomfoolery, booking Donalds already gets you the side eye, but at least the Black women asking the questions, in this case Joy Reid and Abby Phillip, held his tap dancing feet to the fire.
Let’s start on CNN, where Phillip was first to make Donalds a spokesman for Team Ya Played Yourself. While appearing on CNN’s Newsnight on Wednesday evening (June 5), he conceded that Black people are better off now but insisted that marriage rates were higher for Blacks during Jim Crow, so there’s that. “All I was doing is referring to the time periods when you talk about the historical timelines in America and coinciding with Black families and what their marriage rate in Black families are,” he said.
Yeah, okay, that’s what he meant—#sarcasm. Then Donalds went into suspect GOP talking point mode by claiming Donald Trump’s policies have served Black Americans better than Biden’s, adding, “If you’re actually going to compare economic policies and public policies between the 45th president and 46 president, it’s without question, they were better under the 45th.”
To this, Phillip had to retort. “I’m going to interrupt you on the facts, Congressmen,” she said. “The Black unemployment rate was the lowest in American history under Joe Biden…. The poverty rate for Black people is the lowest under Joe Biden’s [administration]. So you cannot say empirically for Black people that from a financial level things were better under Trump.”
Donalds then started flapping his gums about inflation and wealth that amounted to copping pleas. But the real burn came courtesy of Joy Reid. On Thursday evening (June 6), while on MSNBC’s The Reid Out, Donalds again insisted he was initially misquoted about the Jim Crow comments.
“The stuff that comes up about Jim Crow, and twisting my words saying I was being nostalgic or Jim Crow was good for Black people, that’s all political spin. It’s a lie,” said Donalds. “It’s gaslighting and that’s truly unfortunate.”
Reid then replied with receipts. “Here’s the challenge, Congressman,” she said. “You started out talking about your family, talking about your mom, talking about being raised. And you on your own brought up Jim Crow. In fact, you said Jim Crow three times for emphasis. It wasn’t the media or the Democrats or gaslighters who brought up Jim Crow. It was you. You brought up Jim Crow. So why did you use Jim Crow specifically as your reference? You did that, no one else did that, you did it.”
The conversation continued with Reid pointing out this controversy was Donalds’ own doing, but she saved the real burn for the end of their chat. “Last question, and then I’m going to let you go. One more question,” said Reid. “During Jim Crow, could your family have existed? You are in an interracial marriage. Your wife, and a white conservative activist. Could your family have existed at all during Jim Crow?”
Got ’em.
“No, it could not, and we all know that,” said Donalds. “That’s why I’m blessed to live in America today, as opposed to America during that time. But we cannot ignore the realities of not having fathers in homes. That is important to our Black people today and all people today as we move forward toward a better America.”
Donalds has been getting cooked on social media ever since. You can see for yourself in the gallery. below Be careful, the MAGA cult is foaming at the mouth defending their latest Op of color, respectfully.
15. Also, let’s never forget.
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Commuters in the Big Apple are breathing a sigh of relief. New York City’s proposed congestion pricing has been shelved by the state’s governor.
As reported by Raw Story, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has put the first ever congestion pricing on pause. Back in April, it was announced that New York City would impose additional tolls on automobiles that enter Manhattan at 61st Street or below with a $15 fee while trucks would face a fee ranging from $24 and $36 depending on size. As expected the plan was met with sharp criticism from residents, environmentalists and business owners who were not exempt.
The initiative was set to go into effect on Sunday, June 30, but Governor Kathy Hochul abruptly pulled the plug. The New York Times called the decision was a “stunning 11th-hour shift.” The politician released a statement detailing her decision. “After careful consideration I have come to the difficult decision that implementing the planned congestion pricing system risks too many unintended consequences,” she said “I have directed the MTA to indefinitely pause the program.”
Hochul would go and point out that the fees could possibly do more harm than good. “Let’s be real: A $15 charge may not seem like a lot to someone who has the means, but it can break the budget of a hard-working middle-class household.”
According to transit officials, close to 700,000 vehicles enter Manhattan everyday.
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
At this point, it couldn’t be more abundantly clear that if the Sunken Place has a deeper sunken place within itself, that’s where South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott resides.
Scott recently made an appearance on CNN so he could continue his pity party tour on behalf of Donald Trump and the 34 felonies he was found guilty of at the end of his hush money trial in New York. According to the Grio, Scott joined the chorus line of angry MAGA minions who claim Trump’s prosecution was about politics, not the law. Scott claimed the charges of falsifying business records were “the weaponization of the justice system” by President Joe Biden, despite the glaring fact that neither Biden nor his administration have anything to do with charges brought on anyone by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
But Scott’s fact-averse diatribe didn’t end there. He also continued his stale, whitey-pleasing narrative that “America is not a racist country” and that the real discrimination is being leveled against Republicans.
“The reason why we’re seeing so many African Americans coming to the Trump campaign — two big reasons: jobs and justice,” Scott told CNN host Phil Mattingly. “I’ll say simply, as an African American born and raised in the Deep South who had concerns about our justice system as it relates to race, I’m now seeing it play out from a partisan perspective. It’s not as much Black and white as it is red and blue.”
Riiiiight.
Let’s start with the fact that it’s untrue that there has been anything more than a slight uptick in “African Americans” who are “coming to the Trump campaign.”
From the Grio:
Polling reveals that most African American voters still support the Democratic Party. According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of Black voters — 83% — lean Democratic. Pew’s polling also reveals that 72% of Black voters say Trump was a “poor or terrible president.”
While we’re here, let’s get into Scott and the rest of the MAGA GOP’s false assertion that Trump was prosecuted for crimes no one is normally prosecuted for, which supposedly proves the prosecution was political.
From NewsOne:
Last year, Just Security posted a 24-page survey detailing dozens of New York prosecutions over the last decade for falsifying business records in the first degree, which was the top charge leveled against Trump. According to NBC New York, “Records from the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services show 10 years ago, 101 people were arrested in New York City in cases where the top charge was falsification of business records.”
In 2022, only 39 people faced that top charge, but the fact that none of those people were named Donald Trump still indicates he wasn’t given a custom-made charge that only he could catch. Now, to be fair, prosecutions for falsifying business records did increase by a lot when Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took office, but that doesn’t help Republicans’ “only Trump” narrative since that increase also didn’t include defendants named Donald Trump.
NBC also reported that during “Bragg’s first 15 months as DA, his team filed 166 felony counts for falsifying business records against 34 people or companies.” Again, none of those individuals or business were beared the name Trump. In fact, the only didfference between Trump and those other defendants is that when those other defendants were charged with similar crimes, Republicans didn’t care.
As far as Scott’s wannabe-white nonsense regarding how the division in America is “not as much Black and white as it is red and blue,” he has been on that shuck-and-jivery since long before Trump was ever indicted on any crimes.
For years now, Scott has repeatedly claimed “America is not a racist country”—despite all the data that says otherwise—while out of the other side of his neck, he has repeatedly compared the treatment of Republicans to anti-Black racism, which he apparently doesn’t think exists in any substantial way. This is also the umteenth time he has compared Trump’s trial to anti-Black injustice in the court system, which, again, he doesn’t really believe exists.
It’s unclear why Scott is even bothering to pretend he has ever publicly “had concerns about our justice system as it relates to race,” but it is clear that the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate—and the only one to represent South Carolina in the state’s history (nothing racist about that though, right?)—has dedicated himself to loving up on Trump, absolving America of its white supremacist ways, and making Republicans the new N-words.
Yes, Scott is delusional. No, he doesn’t deal in facts. Yes, white conservatives love him for it—and that might be the point.
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A lot of people were clowning Michigan motorist Corey Harris, who went viral recently after he joined a virtual hearing to answer for a charge of driving with a suspended license while he was visibly still driving with a suspended license.
Washtenaw County Judge Cedric Simpson couldn’t believe Harris had the audacity to show up on camera while driving, and he revoked the defendant’s bond and ordered him to turn himself in by 6 p.m. that day.
Harris has since spoken out about how “embarrassing” the incident was, but now, folks are questioning whether he should have been put in the position he was in the first place considering his license shouldn’t have been suspended at the time he was charged.
“It’s very embarrassing,” told 7 News Detroit. “With the type of ties that I have with the church and the community, it’s very embarrassing.”
When asked what he was thinking calling into the virtual hearing while driving, he explained that his wife needed to get to the hospital and that was all he was concerned with.
“What was I thinking? I was thinking about getting my wife medical help. That’s what I was thinking,” Harris said. “I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I got a suspended license. I don’t care about all that.”
Then the 44-year-old dropped the bombshell that added a layer to his story folks likely hadn’t considered: his license shouldn’t have been suspended in the first place.
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From 7 News:
“They were supposed to have been lifted it two years ago, but they didn’t,” Harris said.
Secretary of State records show Harris’ license was first suspended in 2010 for unpaid child support in Saginaw County.
Then in 2022, court records show that a judge rescinded that suspension, allowing Harris to drive again. But it appears that information never got to the Secretary of State where even as of Thursday afternoon, Harris’ license is still listed as suspended — the same records police and the judge were going by.
Harris spent two days in jail. And Thursday, Harris said he went back to the Secretary of State to try to resolve the matter.
Harris said, “Always double-check behind these workers because they will say that they will do something and they don’t do it,” Harris said.
So, Harris spent two years not legally being able to drive—which can upend a person’s life and ability to support themself—because legal officials weren’t on their job.
Maybe the people on social media who were dragging Harris really do owe him an apology.
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Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty / Angel Reese / Alyssa Thomas
White legendary sports broadcaster Bob Costas said the quiet but undeniable thing out loud regarding the coverage of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
The WNBA was looking forward to a fantastic year thanks to its exciting rookie class led by players Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cordosa, and Cameron Brink. Instead, since the 2024 season tipped off, there have been waves of toxic conversations and awful takes.
People, specifically men, have looked very weird after Chicago Sky player Chennedy Carter’s hard foul/cheap shot on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark over the weekend.
Since Clark’s arrival into the WNBA, many believe she has been the victim of hard fouls and, while not benefiting from any whistles.
Speaking with CNN’s Abby Phillip, Bob Costas accurately pointed out that energy for Clark following the hard fouls she receives has yet to be seen for Angel Reese, and it’s because of the obvious fact that she is a Black woman and the incidents are “Black on Black.”
Costas was referring to an incident in particular: Connecticut Suns player Alyssa Thomas grabbed Reese by the neck, slamming her to the court, resulting in a flagrant two foul and her ejection from the game.
Per TMZ Sports:
“The reason why that doesn’t spark as much conversation isn’t just that Caitlin Clark is a bigger star than Alyssa Thomas,” Costas said on CNN on Monday. “It’s because it’s a Black on Black incident and you don’t have that dynamic that people can comment on, yes, but also exaggerate and make the entire story sometimes.”
Costas further pointed out that he’s seen other rookies receive the same treatment Clark is experiencing in other sports, but the caveat is Clark is a white superstar in a predominately Black sport.
Former ESPN First Take moderator and Sportscenter anchor Cari Champion echoed Costas’ sentiments, adding that nobody cared about the women of the W getting physical with each other because it was only “women of a certain color.”
Since Clark arrived in the WNBA, the discourse on sports media has been out of control. It was so bad that Monica McNutt checked Stephen A. Smith about his WNBA coverage, or lack thereof, on the show.
You can see more reactions to Bob Costas’s statement about what we already knew in the gallery below.
1. Exactly
2. On a constant loop
3. Our sentiments exactly
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Source: Kayla Oaddams / Getty / Sexyy Red
Sexyy Red isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and this latest reason isn’t helping her get in the good graces of those people.
Suppose you happen to catch any of Sexxy Red’s performances on purpose. In that case, you will notice a big red inflatable cap that plays around with the new-age Klan hood, Donald Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat, and flips it with Make America Sexyy Again, which hilariously spells out MASA.
We couldn’t make any of this sh*t up if we wanted to.
Sexyy Red’s MASA hat stage prop was the subject of discussion back in March during her performance at Rolling Loud Los Angeles on March 15, and it is once again stirring things up on social media.
Social Media Is Not Here For Sexyy Red’s MAGA/MASA Antics
The “Get It Sexyy” rapper brought the MASA hat out again on stage, this time for her Roots Picnic 2024 performance this past weekend, and people in attendance were not happy about it, calling out the 26-year-old Hip-Hop star on X, formerly Twitter.
“This isn’t just a one off, Sexyy Red has repeatedly dove into Trump MAGA s**t. It’s the way I’ll never get into her sundown town ass,” one person wrote on X.
Another person wrote, “I clocked that Sexyy Red and MAGA connection long ago. What she’s doing and being given an opportunity to do is intentional. Smh.”
In response to the backlash, Sexyy Red took to her personal X account, claiming she is not “endorsing anybody, period.”
Fans have quickly reminded her when she showed love for Donald Trump because of stimulus checks and getting people out of jail on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast.
“I like Trump,” she said. “Yeah, they support him in the hood. At first, I don’t think people was f**king with him. They thought he was racist, saying little s**t against women. But once he started getting Black people out of jail and giving people that free money. Awe, baby, we love Trump. We need him back in office.
Social media never forgets.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Lol, what a mess
3. She been on that energy
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty / Cam’ron
Cam’ron had plenty to say about Anthony Edwards keeping receipts in his latest adidas commercial.
One thing Cam’ron is not here for is people calling him out. The rapper and now sports talk show host had time for the Minnesota Timberwolves phenom and iconic sportswear company.
The open wound left after the Dallas Mavericks made short work of the Timberwolves in the NBA Western Conference Finals hasn’t even healed yet, but that didn’t stop Edwards from dropping a new AD, letting his haters know he is literally keeping receipts.
In the pretty clever spot for his impressive AE 1 signature basketball shows, Edward’s friend reads comments that were printing out of a receipt machine while he continues to practice on his game.
One of those receipts showed the Dipset co-founder saying about Edwards, “To me, he’s an All-Star, but not a superstar yet.” In response, Edwards says, “f*ck buddy.”
Cam’ron’s Petty Was On Another Level
Cam’ron shared the commercial on his Instagram account with the caption, “#Fuckbuddy 😂😂🔥🔥🔥 commercial!! Thx @adidas for the love. And I had antman back this whole time but I’ll address this Monday on the show.. love the attitude tho. Only thing I would say is get a better looking lesbian to read the receipts.”
Oof, why did homie have to catch a stray like that?
Utilizing his popular sports debate show, It Is What Is, Cam’ron had free smoke for the professional hooper and adidas in the form of freestyle over Black Rob’s “Whoa” beat while rocking a Luka Doncic jersey.
“But f**k wrong with Ant-Man, gave him his props, homie got love from me, new commercial, y’all ain’t got love for me,” Killa Cam raps.
Cam’ron wasn’t done there.
He then came with his own receipts in the form of a “documentary” he is making linking adidas brand footwear with memorable sports injuries like Kevin Ware’s gruesome leg injury he sustained while hooping.
He’s so petty.
We hope cooler heads can prevail. It’s kind of lame of Killa Cam to revisit Kevin Ware’s injury in this manner.
You can see reactions to Cam’ron dissing adidas and Anthony Edwards in the gallery below.
1. Petty levels off the charts.
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Source: Steve Jennings / Getty /Megan Thee Stallion
After months of teasing fans, specifically the Hotties, Megan Thee Stallion unveiled the cover art for her new album, MEGAN.
Megan Thee Stallion is officially in her self-titled album era.
After keeping fans in suspense for months, dropping two singles, “HISS” and “BOA,” and her Megan Monday freestyles, Thee Stallion surprised fans by dropping the cover art and the June 28 release date for her new album MEGAN taken by David LaChapelle.
The Houston rapper has been hinting at this next project being a sort of rebirth, with analogies like shedding skin, like a snake, but on the MEGAN’s covert art, she is blooming and coming out of her cocoon like the butterfly she is.
The announcement comes after her Hot Girl Summer tour, featuring her “Wanna Be” collaborator GloRilla, hit a snag during its Atlanta stop.
Due to a massive water main break, Thee Stallion had to postpone her Friday and Saturday shows before finally taking the stage on Sunday, ending the drought her ATL Hotties were enduring.
Reactions To MEAGAN’s Cover Are Mixed
The reactions to MEAGAN’s cover are as polarizing as the House of Representatives or Senate voting on a policy with most of the Hotties absolutely loving it, while the rapper from Queen’s fanbase and others are going all out to call it all types of trash.
One account on X, formerly Twitter, wrote about the MEAGAN album artwork, “this is absolutely ugly.”
“BEST FEMALE RAP ALBUM RELEASED THIS DECADE ALREADY!!!” a fan wrote on X after feasting their eyes on the artwork.
We are truly getting the Hot Girl Summer we have been denied for so long. We’re not counting that single. Megan The Stallion is giving us a proper reboot.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below, good and bad.
1. This fan has spoken
2. We see the vision
3. Interesting
4. Lol, we’re not ready
5. Some confusion
7. Juicy J approves
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Supporters of Donald Trump have called for a boycott of New York City online, prompting other social media users to openly mock them.In the wake of former President Donald Trump being found guilty in his “hush money” trial supporters have called for a boycott of New York City, where the trial was held. The calls began right after the verdict was announced, which saw Trump being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Right-wing pundit Tim Pool declared “Truckers should boycott New York” in a post on X, formerly Twitter, referring to the trucker convoys that sprung up after the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost to current President Joe Biden.
Pool’s statement was met with agreement by others on social media who felt it shouldn’t just be the truckers, but everyone upset over the verdict. It was a repeat of a call made on social media back in February after New York State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron found in favor of New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who had brought a landmark civil fraud case against Donald Trump and the Trump Organization. The ruling dictated that Trump was to pay more than $450 million for fraud.
The threats to boycott New York City were met with a massive wave of derision by social media users, who poked fun at how thin-skinned Trump supporters were. Some even declared that the absence of those who aligned themselves with Trump and the GOP would only benefit the city, with one user reflecting on how they behaved when the Republican National Convention was held in New York City in 2004, expressing amazement that they didn’t understand tipping their servers in restaurants.
We’ve got some of the highly entertaining posts collected below for you to check out.
1. Brent Cox
2. BrooklynDad_Defiant
3. LaFemme_Negrita
4. Doom Temperature
6. Seltzer Genius
7. Party Man Rises
8. Larry Felton Johnson
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Elon Musk is allowing his X platform to host a series of town hall events featuring presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. according to those familiar with the planning of the events. Although Musk hasn’t officially announced the events, Kennedy seemingly confirmed that he will be part of the town halls.
Via a report from Axios, sources close to the events shared with the outlet Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy will be part of the town halls that will reportedly air live on X, formerly known as Twitter. Further, X and NewsNation, a network known for emphasizing conservative-leaning talking points, will work in partnership to bring the event to the masses.
It would serve as the X platform’s largest foray into the world of politics despite Musk not taking a position on either candidate. So far, moderators are still being sought out and users on X will be able to question the candidates during the event. Moderators will approve questions from viewers
Kennedy has stirred up controversies due to his unique views despite hailing from a legendary family in Democratic Party politics. Kennedy is also a staunch critic of Dr. Anthony Fauci and the COVID-19 vaccine efforts among other controversial takes.
Trump is also surrounded by controversy after the former president and business mogul was found guilty by a jury in New York on 34 counts via his hush money trial that concluded on Thursday (May 30).
Campaign managers for both Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have not confirmed the participation of the candidates.
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Photo: Getty