Current Events
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The criminal trial for New York City Mayor Eric Adams has officially been set to begin next April, with the judge reviewing other charges against him.
Last Friday (Nov. 1), New York City Mayor Eric Adams was informed by Federal District Court Judge Dale E. Ho that he would stand trial on corruption charges on April 21, 2025, during a hearing. Judge Ho is also reviewing whether or not Mayor Adams would be tried on a bribery charge or throw it out. He stated that he would rule on that at a later date.
Adams’ lawyers had been arguing for the trial to be held later, noting the upcoming mayoral elections next year. “In this city, with an election happening, the court should take into account that he is not just sitting here presumed innocent anymore,” attorney Alex Spiro said. “It doesn’t give him a realistic chance. If he still has this hanging over his head, that impacts the election, period.”
Spiro and other defense lawyers also argued that the prosecution didn’t meet the bar needed for the bribery charge, which stems from Adams’ involvement with the Turkish government as he ran for office in 2021. Lead prosecutor Hagan Cordell Scotten dismissed that request in court, pointing to Adams pressuring the Fire Department to sign off on Turkey’s consulate building despite safety concerns in exchange for luxury travel on their national airline. “Pressure,” Scotten said, “is one of the many ways to satisfy an official act.”
The scheduled trial date bumps up against the beginning of the primary season in New York City’s mayoral elections, and Adams is already facing a packed field of challengers. The embattled politician is also dealing with the fact that his $1.8 million fund for legal defense has been depleted. Mayor Adams has fended off calls for his resignation when queried by the press, and Judge Ho issued a warning to his legal team and the prosecution. “The parties are cautioned that this case is to be tried in the courtroom and not in the press,” he wrote.
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Officials in Georgia and Arizona extended Election Day hours at Black and Indigenous polling places due to multiple hoax bomb threats called in, with some linked to Russian interference.
The presidential election race between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday (November 5) became more serious as several polling sites in Georgia, Arizona, and other states were beset by bomb threats, causing them to temporarily shut down. Federal and local officials have stated that they have credible information that the threats were part of election interference operations from Russia to create voter suppression. “The FBI is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains,” the agency said in a statement released to the press. “None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far.” Other states reporting similar bomb threats include Pennsylvania,
Three polling locations in major blue areas of Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties are going to stay open later because of bomb threats originating from Russia.
MAGA clowns were celebrating the disruption until they found out folks will now be able to vote even later. #gapol pic.twitter.com/T2QHFPC8iP
— Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) November 5, 2024
“We identified the source, and it was from Russia,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “They’re up to mischief, it seems, and they don’t want us to have a smooth, fair, and accurate election. Anything that can get us to fight amongst ourselves – they can count that as a victory.” There were more than one dozen threats to polling sites alone in Georgia, predominately in majority-Black and Democratic-leaning areas in the greater Atlanta area. In DeKalb County, seven locations received threats in one hour including churches.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes also blamed Russia for several bomb threats that were called in at polling stations in Navajo Nation communities. “We also have reason to believe, although I won’t get into specifics, that this comes from one of our foreign enemies, namely Russia,” he said to reporters in a news conference. Fontes also claimed that the threats came from a “.ru” email address, but whether or not it was a spoof is yet to be determined. He did say that federal and state officials are continuing to investigate.
Georgia extended their polling hours to close at 7:45 P.M., and Arizona stated the issue wouldn’t affect their polling. Federal officials have noted that it makes sense for Russia to inflict chaos during this time and warn it could increase over the next two months. “If chaos is the point, the most opportune window to create mischief is the post-November 5th pre-certification period,” said former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs.
BREAKING – Over 40 different fake bomb threats have now been called into Democratic-leaning polling places
And they’re coming from RUSSIA
This should literally be THE story right now — it is blatant and brazen election interference to steal the election for Trump
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) November 6, 2024
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Angelo Alsobrooks and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester achieved historic firsts on Election Day with the pair becoming the first women and first Black women in their respective seats to win U.S. Senate seats. This would mark the first time that two Black women are serving in the Senate chamber at the same time.
Angela Alsobrooks, currently the County Executive for Prince George’s County in Maryland, faced former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in a race that most expected Alsobrooks to win in the heavily blue-leaning state. Hogan spent plenty in Maryland to flip Sen. Ben Cardin’s open seat but Alsobrooks ran a sharp campaign and banked on her strong record as a known elected official in one of the larger counties.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a congresswoman representing Delaware’s at-large district in the state, has been in politics since the 1990s. She served as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services in 1993 and secretary of the Department of Labor in 1998 under the exiting Delaware Sen. Tom Carper during his time as governor of the state.
Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester will bring the number of Black senators in the chamber to six. They are also just the fourth and fifth Black women to be elected to the Senate.
The pair follow a great path that was first laid by Sen. Carol Mosley Braun, who was the first Black woman elected to the Senate in 1992. Vice President Kamala Harris was elected to the Senate in 2016. Sen Laphonza Butler, who will vacate the seat at the end of her current term, was appointed to the seat to serve out the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term which ends this coming January.
The excitement of the news of Senator-Elect Angela Alsobrooks and Senator-Elect Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is spreading. We’ve got reactions from X below.
Thank you, Maryland! pic.twitter.com/fUl9HGdmaU
— Angela Alsobrooks (@AlsobrooksForMD) November 6, 2024
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From the bottom of my heart, Delaware, thank you 💙 pic.twitter.com/UI9GtzqYBJ
— Lisa Blunt Rochester (@LisaBRochester) November 6, 2024
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The mother of NFL superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes displayed her support for Donald Trump in a viral video.
On Monday night (November 4), the National Football League’s current Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ mother, Randi Mahomes, made it plain that she’s voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump by wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat matching her Chiefs sweater with gold lettering against a red background. “Make America great again. Let’s do it!,” she says to the camera, adding a cheer and a little dance at the end.
https://x.com/FakePearBear/status/1853604720624963807
The video was shot in a private suite at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs’ home field presumably as fans were filing into the stadium. Conservative media outlet Outkick and pundit Clay Travis shared the video with their followers in a post on X, formerly Twitter, noting the timing of it on the eve of the final day of the presidential election. The video was more striking as pop superstar Taylor Swift, who has publicly endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, was present at the game to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
14-time Grammy Award winner Swift was a source of heavy conversation after the endorsement as Brittany Mahomes, Patrick Mahomes’ wife, has shared her support for Donald Trump in the past by liking social media posts from the former president. After receiving criticism online, she posted an Instagram Story in August blasting those commenters. saying: “I mean honestly, to be a hater as an adult you have to have some deep-rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood. There’s no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well.” Trump would later express his thanks in a Truth Social post. “I want to thank beautiful Brittany Mahomes for so strongly defending me,” he wrote.
As for Patrick Mahomes, he has shied away from sharing who he supports in the presidential election, declining to publicly endorse a candidate during a press conference at the beginning of the current NFL season. He did, however, ask his fans and others to “do their own research, and then make the best decision for them and their family.”
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Election Day is new on the horizon and there are still millions of ballots slated to be cast to elect not only the next President of the United States but other key races. Hip-Hop Wired will attempt to bring Election Day into greater view and share what we’ve learned in the time leading up to the big day.
Tuesday is Election Day and polls will open bright and early across the United States until the later part of the evening. Naturally, much of the focus has been on the top of the ticket, with Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump squaring off for the Democratic Party and Republican Party respectively. Below, we’ll do our best to capture what the polls and election experts are saying as time narrows down.
The Polls Are Largely Tied With Some Exceptions
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Polls are but a sample size of actual voters but the data within is just as heavily scrutinized as comments made by candidates on the campaign trail. New national poll numbers have shown that the race is still virtually tied but there are slight variables that deserve a mention.
The most recent ABC News/Ipsos poll reveals that Harris holds a 49-46% edge over Trump and according to this report, this is been a constant result from this particular poll. The economy, border security, and rising costs are at the top of list for those who were polled. The poll also shows that independent voters are in favor of Harris at 49-44% over Trump. Harris also is enjoying the support of Black men at a rate of 76% and 87% for Black women in the ABC News/Ipsos poll.
NBC News released its final poll numbers on Sunday (November 2) and the results show a deadlocked 49-49% for both candidates, with the poll indicating rallying numbers for Harris around her stance on abortion and her campaign’s plan for the middle class. For Trump, poll results show that voters are worried about the direction of the country and the state of the economy. Harris is largely keeping things close with her large 87-9% lead among Black voters and voters under 30, who support the vice president 57 to 41% over Trump.
A shocking turn of events was the results of the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll. Iowa, a state most assumed would fall to Trump, suddenly showed via its poll that Harris is leading there at a rate of 47% to 44% among likely voters. However, Trump still holds a massive edge among independent men but Harris still holds sway over women voters in Iowa.
Today (November 4), Emerson College Polling/The Hill released its final numbers which showed that seven critical swing states will come down to the final minute before polls close before the race for either candidate can be properly called. Michigan numbers show that Harris enjoys a two-point edge over Trump with 50% to 48%. In Nevada, the candidates are tied at 48% among likely voters, and 49% in Wisconsin. In this poll, Trump is up by one point in Georgia at 49% to 48%, which is a state he lost in 2020. Trump also enjoys one-point leads in North Carolina and Pennsylvania at 49% to 48% for both states. In Arizona, Trump enjoys a 50% to 48% lead there.
Other Races To Watch
Source: Loren Elliott / Getty
The race for the Maryland seat in the U.S. Senate between Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and former Gov. Larry Hogan might not have a lot of drama as we near Election Day. Alsobrooks, a Democrat, is highly favored in almost all polls in the blue state. Hogan, a Republican, ran a campaign that distanced him from Donald Trump but it appears thus far that won’t be enough to get the votes to earn the seat. If she wins, Alsobrooks will become Maryland’s first Black U.S. Senator.
In Washington, Democratic Party D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. (Ward 8) is running for a third term against Republican Nate Derenge. This is an interesting race given that White is facing federal bribery charges. However, White has the advantage of being the incumbent in a blue-leaning city and could see an easy path to victory.
The U.S. Senate is currently controlled by Democrats, with just a handful of independents voting alongside them. But it appears that by most measures, even if Alsobrooks gains her seat, Montana’s Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, isn’t projected to win against Republican Tim Sheehy. Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat race is too close to call with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Republican Bernie Moreno virtually tied.
Republicans maintain a slight majority of the House with 220 seats to the Democrats 212 and several races across the nation are projecting big gains for the GOP. Considering the shape of state and local races, a Trump victory could see the former president returning to a White House with full party control of Congress and can exact many of the wide-ranging policies he’s mentioned on the campaign trail.
What Happens Now
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An expected “Hail Mary” of campaign ads have been the order of business for both presidential candidates and the same can be said of state and local races that we’ve observed in the mid-Atlantic. With some reported issues of ballot box tampering, voters being turned away, and general apathy among the undecided, if this race is even remotely close, it’s possible that the final findings could drag on for months.
In a race that often placed personality and personal grievances ahead of policy, everything is now in the power of voters to determine who they want to lead this country for the next four years, and how laws will be passed and measured in their respective neighborhoods. Early voting turnout numbers have been massive and the polls will be packed with lines all day Tuesday.
Hip-Hop Wired will be monitoring all the happenings this week.
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As the presidential election comes to a close, the contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s campaigns is sharper and revealing.
In the final days before Election Day this Tuesday (November 5), the presidential campaigns for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are making their cases to go to the White House – but the styles and messages couldn’t be more sharply contrasted. For Trump, his campaign has become one that is playing to the grievances and reactions of his base in a loose manner.
One key example was seen at a rally outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania over the weekend where he referenced the attempt on his life there over the summer while observing the bulletproof glass at the podium. “To get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news,” he said. “And I don’t mind that so much.” His campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, would defend the remark as Trump’s concern for the media, “looking out for their welfare, far more than his own!”
For Vice President Harris, her message has been cautious and steady but tinged with joy and inclusiveness. A highlight of her whirlwind ground game was her appearance on Saturday Night Live in the show’s opening segment with Emmy Award-winning actress Maya Rudolph, who’s been portraying her on the show.
While the segment got rave reviews, it is also a brief detour from her strict schedule thus far with key appearances in the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. “We’re doing everything we need to do,” one Harris staffer said to the press. “We’re doing literally everything we can possibly do to reach voters.”
Observers have noted the difference between the two. “I never heard her say nothing on TV that seems crazy,” Philadelphia native Deshaun Hall said in an interview with NBC News.“But the side effect to that is you don’t feel like you know who she is.”
As for Trump, strategists have noted that his style of being more aggressive in campaigning might’ve backfired, particularly with the controversial rally held at Madison Square Garden a week ago.
That and other comments have offended many, which Republican strategist Rob Godfrey says benefits Harris: “Those things are a less-disciplined opponent, who has reminded people of some of what they remember less fondly about him, and an all-star lineup of surrogates who carry her message better, in some cases, than she does.”
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Will Ferrell has ramped up his support for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in its final hours by filming an ad and doing a street comedy sketch.
The presidential election campaign season is coming to a close, and comedian Will Ferrell has been putting huge effort into his support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Last week, he teamed up with fellow comedian Billy Eichner to revive Eichner’s beloved video series with a special episode entitled Billy on The Street with Will Ferrell: Loud White Men For Kamala Harris.
The three-minute commercial shows Eichner and Ferrell on the streets of New York City encountering pedestrians and loudly compelling them to vote for Harris and her running mate Tim Walz and, per a statement from Eicnher’s publicist, “do everything we possibly can to protect Americans from Donald Trump in these crucial final days of Early Voting and exactly one week before Election Day.” The video was a hit online, earning over 12 million views just 24 hours after it premiered on the Bros actor’s social media profiles. It was the latest episode in a series that ran online for two years, raising Eichner’s profile in the comedy world.
Ferrell also starred in an ad specifically for the Harris-Walz campaign where he implores undecided voters – particularly one named Gary who he addresses in a comically menacing fashion. ‘This election is going to be one of the closest in history, your vote will make the difference – that means you Gary…,’ he begins, looking directly into the camera. “Oh, blah, blah, blah, I’m just one person – no, shut the f—k up Gary.” The ad continues with somber music as the Talladega Nights star underscores how close the victory was for President Joe Biden in 2020: ‘Last time only a few thousand votes kept Trump out of office and this time we will hold you personally responsible,’ before closing out imploring “Gary” to go out and vote.
The ads come as numerous celebrities have thrown their weight behind Vice President Harris’ campaign in the past weeks and days, with Cardi B and Alicia Keys joining her for campaign rallies in Wisconsin over the past weekend and famed actor Robert DeNiro was spotted engaging potential voters at the tailgate for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday (November 3).
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Figures close to Donald Trump are bashing Elon Musk and his voter organization as “grifters” in a new report.
According to reports, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s ground game is suffering due to opportunists, naming tech billionaire Elon Musk’s group among them. “I think it’s what happens when you let a bunch of grifters take over,” a Trumpworld source said of Musk’s Save America PAC, speaking frankly anonymously about internal discussions concerning the campaign’s lack of a voter turnout strategy. “S—t is always gonna produce s—t.”
Musk’s Save America PAC has turned up efforts in the last few weeks, offering his door knockers $30 an hour “with bonuses for performance” in addition to creating a hybrid petition and sweepstakes where those participating get the chance to snag $1 million (that effort caught the attention of a court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Musk was slated to appear on Thursday (Oct. 31). But Trump insiders, while lauding Musk’s passion, question the effectiveness of such actions. “What happens is, you skim a bunch of money off the top, and then you hire the dumbest people and pay them a little bit of money,” the strategist said. “There’s no way of tracking whether it’s effective or not. It’s hard to track the output, and thus the effectiveness of the output.”
Another issue that’s come to light on social media involving Musk’s PAC is allegations that the SpaceX founder flew Black people hired as door knockers into Michigan, where they were driven around in the back of a U-Haul truck and told that they wouldn’t be receiving hotel rooms unless they were to “maintain a 17-22% engagement rate during the campaign” – higher than the average rates. There’s also the lack of geo-tracking, forcing door knockers to utilize “offline workbooks” that don’t always sync up with staffers’ records at the regional offices.
The campaign team for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has poured robust amounts of money into their ground game in Michigan, setting up 52 offices throughout the state and at least 375 staffers. But they have wondered about Trump’s efforts in the last days of the election. “It’s been fascinating. It’s been weird? It’s been weird,” said Michigan state senator and Harris surrogate Mallory McMorrow, who noted that one of Musk’s workers she met confessed he was a Democrat just in it for the money.
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Young Thug has taken a plea deal in the YSL (Young Slime Life) case that has lasted nearly a year. The Atlanta rapper now awaits his sentence with his plea signaling the inevitable conclusion of reportedly the longest trial in Georgia’s history.
The New York Times reports that on Thursday (Oct. 31), Young Thug aka Jeffery Lamar Williams pleaded guilty to six counts that included possession of drugs and firearms, conspiracy to violate the RICO act and leading a criminal street gang.
Thugger took a non-negotiated plea deal, which means it will be up to Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker to decide his sentence. Apparently, this option was presented after Thug’s lawyers and the prosecution were unable to come to terms on a plea. Reportedly, the option to plead out and leave court a free man the same day was presented, but Thug didn’t agree to conditions that included 15 years of probation.
Young Thug was near a plea deal that would have released him from jail today on 15 years probation.
But they couldn’t agree on his release conditions, and now prosecutors are recommending 25 years in prison. pic.twitter.com/PiKidTckzM
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) October 31, 2024
It seems that Thug’s hand essentially was forced since last week three of his co-defendants took plea deals.
Now his fate is in the judge’s hands, with prosecutors reportedly recommending the 33-year-old get 45 years with 25 served in prison and another 20 years of probation
Prosecutors characterized the rapper as the ringleader of a YSL gang that loomed over the streets of Atlanta, dabbling in robbery and drug dealing, among other crimes. And then, his music career happened to flourish, too.
While Young Thug has taken a plea, his remained co-defendants—Deamonte Kendrick aka Yak Gotti, and Shannon Stillwell aka SB—who are charged with a murder in 2015, amongst other counts.
YSL was originally indicted on RICO charges and its alleged members were arrested in 2022, and jury selection took nearly a year. The trial, which has been streamed online, has featured dramatic turns of botched plea deals, witnesses refusing to testify, rap lyrics being read in court and more dramatics straight out of a TV crime drama.
However, the players are very real. Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel, who at one point was threatened with contempt charges, is making the case that his client has been denied justice. See social media’s response to the latest YSL trial antics in the gallery.
YOUNG THUG’S LAWYER SAYS THE PROSECUTION HAS MIS-STATED AND MISREPRESENTED THE EVIDENCE
HE IS NOW GOING THROUGH ALL THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE INDICTMENT 1 BY 1 AND EXPLAINING THE EVIDENCE THAT THE STATE LEFT OUT pic.twitter.com/yUx0GeMNai
— THUGGERDAILY ひ (@ThuggerDaily) October 31, 2024
This story is developing.
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After putting himself on the national map by unintentionally starting a riot in New York City, Kai Cenat has been all over the place as his ascension to superstardom continues to rise and now he’s enlisted the likes of Kim Kardashian to help him announce his latest streaming event.
Taking to his official Instagram page, Kai Cenat released a 4-minute trailer to announce his upcoming Mafiathon 2 event and in it has Kim Kardashian play a therapist to his Mafia Don looking self. Talking about how hectic his life has been over recent years including staying in a prison that he built, founding a school in Nigeria and of course, starting a riot in New York City.
“That was bad,” Cenat comedically stated after being reminded of the chaos he caused at Union Square.
Looking to get over his personal woes, Dr. Kim prescribes Kai a 30-day streaming marathon which will let fans keep tabs on Cenat 24 hours a day for a month as he eat, sleeps and even showers while the camera’s rolling… or streaming. Whatever these kids call it nowadays.
Mafiathon 2 is set to kick off on November 1 at 6 p.m. E.T. Will you be following this man live for 24 hours a day for all of November? Let us know in the comments section below.