Current Events
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Source: Matt Jelonek / Getty
Fatman Scoop, born Isaac Freeman III, has reportedly passed away. He was 52.
The CT Insider reports that Scoop’s tour manager confirmed his passing. On Friday evening (August 30), Scoop reportedly suffered some type of medical emergency while on stage at the Hamden Town Center Park in Connecticut. CPR was performed before he was transported to a local hospital.
Scoop’s tour manager, Birch Michael aka Pure Cold, took to social media to announce the beloved rapper and hyepman’s death. “I am honestly lost for words… You took me all over the world and had me performing alongside you on some of the biggest and greatest stages on this planet, the things you taught me have truely made me the man I am today,” said Pure Cold in his post. “Thank you so much, I love you x.”
Scoop and his booming voice came to fame in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, thanks to his earworm hooks on party break tracks like “Where U @?” with Crooklyn Clan. But it was own club-rocking anthem, the Faith Evans (and many more) sampling “Be Faithful” that made him a star. It reportedly took years to get the track’s multiple samples cleared. He also featured on Missy Elliott’s his singled “Lose Control” with Ciara.
But real heads remember Fatman Scoop as the former radio promotions man at Tommy Boy Records who would be seen in the label’s famed ads in back of The Source magazine.
Recently, Fatman Scoop linked up with the Bronx rapper Dyce Peso, appearing on a song called
Since news of his collapse and unfortunate passing broke, social media has been mourning and honoring the Hip-Hop legend for his contributions to the culture.
Rest in powerful peace Fatman Scoop.
This story is developing.
3. Trigger Warning
4.
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Source: Tom Williams / Getty
Kamala Harris’ presence & performance during her CNN interview were received well by social media, who also pointed out the flaws of the questioning.
On Thursday (August 29), Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris sat down for a primetime interview with Dana Bash of CNN and the reactions afterward were full of praise for her presence and deft answers from online observers. Her vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, was also present for the conversation which took place in Savannah, Georgia while the two were in the city before a campaign rally. Bash’s first question was about what Vice President Harris would do once elected. She wasted no time in stating that her highest priority should she be elected to office would be to “support and strengthen the middle class” with several policies including stifling corporate price gouging and increasing the child tax credit along with access to affordable housing.
Harris in response to first Q from Dana Bash: Sadly in the last decade we have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda & environment that’s about diminishing the character & strength of who we are as Americans. People are ready to turn the page pic.twitter.com/joNm229Jap
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 30, 2024
Bash would then query the vice president on a series of topics including her position on the war in Gaza, to which Harris echoed her comments from the Democratic National Convention, stating that “Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed,” while reiterating her belief that Israel has a right to defend itself and a return of the hostages right taken by Hamas: “We have to get a deal done.” The conversation soon turned to the attacks by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Harris’ racial identity including a remark that she “happened to turn Black” within the past few years. “Same old, tired playbook,” she replied. “Next question, please.”
Harris on Trump’s racist attacks: “Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.” pic.twitter.com/WMyXzVRoI3
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 30, 2024
Harris would also defend the Biden Administration’s record of the last three and a half years, highlighting the economic growth and the benefits of the infrastructure bill that was passed nationwide. “I’ll say that that’s good work,” she stated. “There’s more to do, but that’s good work.” She’d also go on to speak about her reaction to when President Joe Biden endorsed her to be the Democratic nominee.
This was a highlight of the CNN interview — when Biden told Kamala he’d endorse her, she was worried about his well-being more than her candidacy. She will be a gracious Madam President. pic.twitter.com/4prnzePAht
— 🪷 Madam Auntie VP Kamala Harris for PRESIDENT! (@flywithkamala) August 30, 2024
The reactions to the interview online praised the Vice President for her poise in handling the first major interview of her presidential campaign. New York Times opinion writer Michelle Cottle noted that in a reaction article, writing: “Amusingly, Bash looked more flustered than Harris did for most of the interview.” Others online noted how Harris clearly illustrated her potential policies as a future president.
Check out more online reactions to the interview below.
1. Matt McDermott
2. Ketih Boykin
3. Trumps Taxes
4. Tre Easton
5. Portia J.
6. JJ Bittenbindr
7. Michaelangelo Signorile
8. Danielle Moodie
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sat down with CNN on Thursday (August 30) for the first major interview featuring the pair as they continue to hit the campaign trail. Vice President Kamala Harris was asked about Donald Trump’s recent attacks regarding her race, and she smoothly sidestepped the jabs before moving on.
Much has been made of Vice President Kamala Harris and her swift rise to the top of the Democratic Party ticket after President Joe Biden elected not to run for reelection Some pundits and observers felt that Harris and Walz alike have not put themselves in the view of journalists that will dig into their politics and campaign talking points.
CNN anchor Dana Bash lobbed questions that seemed tailored by Harris and Walz’s Republican Party opponents and critics, but they both gamely answered the questions without following any script or histrionics. Bash then asked Harris about Trump’s attacks regarding her race that he raised during this year’s NABJ conference when he said Harris “happened to turn Black” but the vice president didn’t take the bait.
Bash asked her about Trump’s statement but was met with a succinct reply as she elected not to answer the question or validate Trump’s ignorance any further.
“Same old tired playbook. Next question, please,” Harris said with a laugh. Bash pushed back by asking if that’s all she’d offer and the vice president left it there.
The Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz interview can be viewed on-demand via CNN and the network’s streaming platforms.
The clip below comes from Daniel Hampton.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Anadolu / Getty
It’s bad enough for Donald Trump and his 2024 presidential campaign that numerous polls — even Fox News polls — have Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump nationwide and in key battleground states.
But there’s more to indicate that the momentum of Harris’ campaign is going far beyond what Trump thought he would be facing. According to the New Jersey Advance, voter registration has gone up — ever since President Joe Biden stepped down from the 2024 election and Harris stepped up. Unsurprisingly, voter registration has skyrocketed especially among one demographic that is often the demographic burdened with saving the Democratic party from itself: Black women.
From the Advance:
Voter registration among young Black women took off like a rocket across more than a dozen states after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race against former President Donald Trump, according to data.
As Vice President Kamala Harris worked to secure her party’s support in the week after Biden announced his decision, new registration among the group was up more than 175%, according to an analysis from TargetSmart.
It compared voter registration to the week of July 21, 2020 to July 21, 2024. While there would be little reason for a spike in registration in the middle of the summer of 2020, Tom Bonier, a senior advisor to TargetSmart, told CBS News’ Major Garrett that the data is a bombshell.
A spike in voter registration fresh off of huge news — like the incumbent suddenly declining to run again and giving his VP a shot to become America’s first Black woman president — is something to be expected, but, according to Bonier, a spike this massive ain’t normal.
“175%, could that possibly be right? You must have triple-checked this, or many more times than that?” Garrett asked Bonier.
“You’re right to repeat the number because I’ve more than triple-checked it. It’s incredibly unusual to see changes in voter registration that are anywhere close to this,” the TargetSmart rep responded. “I mean, to remind people, 175% is almost tripling of registration rates among this specific group. You just don’t see that sort of thing happen in elections normally.”
If Trump or his camp ever thought running against Harris was going to be a slam dunk for MAGA, they have a rude awakening coming their way. November is fast approaching, and things are looking good for the underdog.
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Source: Kevin Carter / Getty
Donald Trump’s involvement in an event honoring fallen veterans at Arlington National Ceremony came with reports of his campaign team getting physical with a cemetery official.
On Monday (Aug. 26), Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and members of his campaign team caused controversy after two members got into a verbal and physical altercation with an official at Arlington National Cemetery. Trump was at the cemetery to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the deadly attack on U.S. military forces in Afghanistan as they were withdrawing from the country in 2021. When an attempt was made to prevent his staff from entering Section 60 of the cemetery to film and take photographs by an official, they were verbally abused and pushed aside, according to a source.
Trump would take a photograph next to the gravesite of one of the soldiers killed in the withdrawal, giving a thumbs-up gesture. He was surrounded by Gold Star families, whom he thanked for inviting him. The rules of the cemetery prohibit “political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign.”
“The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of [former]President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. In a press release, Arlington National Cemetery said it “can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed.” They opted not to share further details to protect the official’s identity. Vice presidential candidate and Ohio Senator JD Vance, who spoke at a campaign event on Wednesday, dismissed the situation: “The altercation at Arlington Cemetery is the media creating a story where I really don’t think that there is one.”
The incident is another low point for Trump, who had not participated in the anniversary event in 2022 or 2023 and had enlisted House Speaker Mike Johnson to intervene to allow him at the event this year. Veterans have been increasingly vocal about the incident, expressing outrage at the callous behavior. The Army would issue a statement about the incident on Thursday (Aug. 29), saying: “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the A.N.C. employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Harris Campaign
The ridiculously orange man, Donald Trump, is being accused of being very yellow when it comes to debating someone with better debate skills than him.
The Harris Campaign is not above taking a page out of Donald Trump’s book regarding trolling. In a video shared on the campaign’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, they mocked the orange menace for giving the impression that he would back out of the upcoming presidential debate on ABC.
Team Harris shared a video of Trump talking about the debate, with chicken noises playing in the background, after suggesting he would not participate in the ABC debate, which he feels is “biased.”
The forthcoming debate, scheduled for September 10, will be the first verbal showdown between Trump and Harris since President Biden gracefully bowed out and endorsed VP Harris ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
You Scared Donald Trump?
Going back to his tired playbook on Sunday, Trump called ABC “fake news” and asked, “Why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?”
During a campaign stop in Northern Virginia on Monday, he continued his bellyaching, “I think ABC really should be shut out. I’d much rather do it on NBC,” he said.
“I’d much rather do it on CBS. Frankly, I think CBS is very unfair, but the best of the group. And certainly, I’d do it on Fox.”
The Harris campaign responded by taking a video of Trump speaking with Fox News, complaining about ABC and claiming he doesn’t need to debate Kamala Harris because he is leading the polls, and adding the chicken sound effect to it with the caption “You scared @realdonaldtrump? *chicken emoji*”
Since taking over the Democratic Presidential ticket, the Harris/Walz campaign has been cooking Trump via social media and has effectively used the tool to raise money and stoke up excitement.
You can add her trolling of Team Trump to that list of effective ways to get the disgraced former president to react BIGLY.
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Source: Kaitlyn Morris / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion
The leader of the Hot Girl movement is seemingly no longer on the market.
You read that correctly: Megan Thee Stallion is allegedly in a relationship. The Houston rapper seemingly confirmed she and Chicago Bulls’ hooper, Torrey Craig.
The alleged relationship was revealed in the cutest way possible after Thee Stallion shared a video of herself in bed with Craig, sharing laughs while participating in a couples challenge.
In the video, the couple answers questions like “Who’s most likely to get arrested?” “Who’s the better kisser?” and “Who said I love you first?” with Thee Stallion and Craig both pointing to each other, but if Craig was the one to blink first we totally understand.
Megan Thee Stallion’s New Boo Is Catching Flack On X
As expected, the news of Thee Stallion having a new boo has rocked social media. Reactions range from shock, confusion, happiness, and lame a** Tory Lanez jokes.
“Yes, please leave the rap / singing nggas alone for a lil bit. I hope he treats her well!” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user wrote, Y’all spazz every time this lady gets a boyfriend but no damn well your goofy ass would be in this video if you could.”
Where’s the lie?
Of course, the Tory Lanez fans had to chime in, believing that the “Hiss” rapper is obsessed with the currently incarcerated rapper because Thee Stallion has moved on with a man named Torrey, a professional athlete.
Some folks are even bringing up Craig’s stats in the league but are glaring over the fact he is getting paid professionally to play basketball, and they’re not.
Well, if Megan Thee Stallion is happy, we’re happy, and that should be all that matters. Megan has been playing the field since she kicked Pardison Fontaine to the curb.
She was romantically linked to professional footballer and fellow Roc Nation management member Romeo Lukaku.
The pair were photographed looking real couple-ish at the wedding of Lautaro Martinez, one of Lukaku’s former Inter Milan teammates, in Italy.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Lol, fight for your love
2. Not the NBA 2K rating, lol
10. He still hooping professionally though.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will sit down with CNN this week for an exclusive joint interview. It is the first major interview for Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz, and will most likely serve as a showcase for their campaign, policies, and more.
As reported by Variety, Harris, and Walz recently appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week where the pair formally accepted their party’s nomination for president and vice president respectively. While their individual showings at the DNC were largely met with praise, several pundits have been clamoring to hear more about policies, the issue of the economy, the Israel-Hamas war, and other important issues.
On Thursday (August 29), the First Interview: Harris & Walz – A CNN Exclusive will air live on CNN along with CNN-connected television and mobile apps at 9 p.m. ET/PT. For those who missed that airing, the interview will be on-demand via CNN.com, CNN-connected television, and mobile apps, and across cable platforms.
View the CNN segment below regarding the upcoming interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz.
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Photo: Bill Clark / Getty
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
The New York Times drew a considerable amount of scorn for an opinion article praising Donald Trump’s character, particularly among those on social media.
With the presidential election just a short time away, a section of the public has grown wary of some traditional media outlets seeming to praise Donald Trump. The New York Times added to that distrust with the recent publication of an op-ed from National Review editor-in-chief Rich Lowry. The article garnered some serious scorn and backlash due to its title – “Trump Can Win On Character” – as well as Lowry’s contentious history as a conservative. Lowry argues in the article that the Republican presidential nominee can win the election by attacking the character of Vice President Kamala Harris. “His nicknaming may be a schoolyard tactic, yet it has often been an effective tool,” he writes.
Lowry also alleges that Harris can be beaten in this fashion, citing her performance as a Democratic presidential primary candidate in 2020. “Everything has to be connected to the deeper case that Ms. Harris is weak and a phony and doesn’t truly care about the country or the middle class,” he writes. “The scattershot Trump attacks on Harris need to be refocused on these character attributes.” The article also cites how this particular strategy was effective on John Kerry’s run for president against George W. Bush, and that Trump’s predilection for repeating false claims might be an attribute.
The response to the op-ed was swift, making fun of the writer and Lowry for believing that Trump has displayed any proper character. Political contributor Bob Cesca shared his disdain in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “This was written by Rich Lowry who wrote that when Sarah Palin winked during her 2008 RNC speech, “little starbursts” flew out of the screen and ricocheted through every American living room.” One account, New York Times Pitchbot, which has gained popularity mocking the masthead’s fawning over Trump and other Republicans, simply wrote: “I think we may be nearing the end of civilization.”
Check out more responses to the New York Times article below.
2. Brian J. Karem
3. Ron März
4. Nancy Levine Stearns
5. Bill Madden
6. Frank Lesser
7. Helaine Olen
8. Conspiratorial Templates
9. John Stoehr
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Source: Julia Beverly / Getty / OutKast
An EDM duo called ATLiens is legally feeling the wrath of OutKast for very obvious reasons.
Billboard reports that OutKast sued ATLiens, claiming their name is a blatant infringement on the iconic rap duo’s 1996 album of the same name.
Two lawyers representing Big Boi and André 3000 argued on August 20 that the EDM duo’s use of the name ATLiens, a term used by Atlanta residents, has caused confusion.
“The word ATLiens was invented by OutKast,” the lawsuit states, per Billboard. “Before OutKast created it, it was not used in the cultural lexicon and did not exist. Defendant’s use of the ATLiens mark is likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake or to deceive the public.”
The website notes that the EDM duo ATLiens began using their name in 2012. According to the lawsuit, Big Boi and Andre 3000 only became aware of this recently.
Lawyers for the rap group also claim that both groups are in “related musical genres” and that fans could mistake them for Big Boi and André 3000 because of the costumes they wear on stage.
“The duo comprising defendant performs with masks on, thereby concealing their identities such that consumers will mistakenly believe that the members of Defendant are one and the same with — or at least somehow connected to — plaintiff,” OutKast’s lawyers said.
ATLiens Are Leaving The Iconic Rap Duo & Their Lawyers On Read
The “Ms. Jackson” crafters also claim that they tried to “negotiate an amicable resolution to the dispute,” but the EDM group continues to use the name and allegedly made a poster similar to the one Outkast used.
“Management for OutKast has already received communications from third parties querying whether OutKast was affiliated with the defendant’s upcoming show,” OutKast’s lawyers said.
ATLiens has not responded to the lawsuit, but it would be in their best interest to do so.