State Champ Radio Current Events
Page: 58
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Alex Kent / Getty / UnitedHealth
The targeted attack on UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson has already taken an eyebrow-raising turn following some new developments.
Once news broke about the assassination of Brian Thompson in Midtown, NYC, hit social media timelines, it didn’t take long for many to jump to the conclusion the UnitedHealth CEO’s murder could have something to do with the health insurer’s track record of denying people coverage.
TMZ reports that the 9MM shell casings from the bullets that took Thompson’s life shot from the alleged silenced weapon were engraved with the cryptic message “deny,” “depose,” and “defend,” possibly revealing the assassin’s motive behind the attack.
Sources revealed to the celebrity gossip site that the message is no coincidence, has a significant meaning, and could confirm that social media was on the right track when the story first broke.
Per TMZ:
Our sources say two of the words appear in the title of a 2010 book, “Delay, Deny, Defend,” which slams the health insurance sector — and, as we now know, Thompson was one of the industry’s bigwigs.
We’re told detectives believe the words on the shell casings could be a window into why the assailant committed the murder.
Our sources say the suspect or one of his relatives might have been denied coverage by Thompson’s company for a medical procedure. However, our sources also say he could be a disgruntled ex-employee … or a hitman hired by someone for some other reason.
Other Developments In The Case
The cryptic message on the shell casings is not only a development from the rapidly developing case. The New York Daily News reports that Thompson’s home has been the target of bomb threats.
Also, the NYPD has released surveillance photos showing the shooter’s face.
Of course, social media is still slamming UnitedHealthcare. Spoiler alert: don’t expect to see any sympathy.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
3. No chill
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Alexander Tamargo / Getty / 50 Cent
50 Cent is getting a Roku Channel.
Spotted on Deadline, Curtis Jackson and his G-Unit Film & Television imprint, in partnership with Lionsgate, are launching the 50 Cent Action Channel on the Roku Channel on Tuesday, December 10.
According to the website, the channel will be curated by the Grammy-winning and Emmy-winning multihyphenate. It will feature his favorite action films from Lionsgate’s library, which features over 20,000 titles. So expect to see films like The Expendables, Rambo, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and over a dozen movies Diddy’s favorite troll starred in.
But that’s not all. The channel will also air reruns of Power, the Starz crime drama he also starred in and served as an executive producer for the many spinoffs that followed.
There will also be programming stunts around the Queen’s rapper’s No. 1 albums and hit records.
Per Deadline:
Examples include a heist-themed stunt tied to his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, including films like Empire State, Reservoir Dogs, and Man on a Ledge as well as a female-led action stunt based on 50’s album I Like The Way She Do It, including Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2, The Protégé and Haywire.
In a statement about the channel, 50 Cent said, “Roku’s reach and success in the free TV space make them the perfect launch partner for 50 Cent Action. My channel created in partnership with Lionsgate will deliver exactly what my audience loves to watch all in one place. We’ll be number one in no time.”
50 Cent Is Still Making Music
Outside of music, 50 Cent continues to cement his legacy in Hollywood. He recently launched G-Unit Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana, and teamed up with Netflix for a forthcoming Diddy docuseries.
On the music front, in a recent interview with Cam’ron, 50 Cent revealed to his one-time rival that he has new material on the way and plans to use it in upcoming television projects.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: ABC / The View / Charlamagne Tha God / Whoopi Goldberg
The political discourse from President Joe Biden issuing a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, was a topic of conversation on The View, and things got a bit spicy between Whoopi Goldberg and Charlamagne Tha God.
Charlamagne Tha God returned to The View with his eye-roll-inducing political opinions on Wednesday, Dec 4. He got into it with the talk show’s longtime lead host, Whoopi Goldberg, after he said Joe Biden “lied” regarding issuing a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, over felony gun and tax convictions.
The President previously said he would not pardon his son but did an about-face on the matter, and his decision has gotten MAGA Republicans, some Democrats, and people like Charlamagne criticizing him.
Goldberg countered Charlamagne’s accusation of Biden lying, telling The Breakfast Club Host and aspiring political pundit, “I’m gonna stop you for a second. Only because you don’t know that it was a lie. We don’t know why he changed his mind. I’m gonna tell you what I think. I think he changed his mind because he got sick of watching everybody else get over. At some point, you get to the place where you just go, so I’m just going to follow the straight-and-narrow always, because that’s what’s expected of Democrats.”
Charlamage countered Goldberg by saying, “But that’s their fault! They’re the ones that go out there and stand on this moral high ground. They don’t have to do that.”
“So we’re mad at him because he changed his [mind]?” Goldberg asked Charlamagne, who responded: “I’m not mad at him for pardoning Hunter Biden. You sound like you’re mad!”
Goldberg asks, “Can you explain to me why it is that when Joe Biden does something, everybody clutches their pearls?” in response to Alyssa Farah Griffin’s point that Biden “made a point” not to interfere with investigations before he ultimately changed his mind.
“Nobody has criticized Donald Trump more than me and Charlamagne Tha God!” Griffin told Goldberg.
“Yeah, I’ve criticized him more,” Goldberg responded. “But, you’re missing my question. My question is: What is it that makes people flip out with Joe, but we don’t have the same kind of thing [with Trump]?”
Which is a very significant question.
Charlemagne asked the iconic actress, “Why can’t you say when Democrats are wrong, and why can’t Republicans say when Republicans are wrong? You don’t think Joe Biden is wrong?”
When Goldberg said that she, like many others, didn’t believe he was wrong, Charlamagne said that was “ridiculous,” and Goldberg hit back with, “No, you’re ridiculous.”
Quickly defusing the situation, Charlamagne clarified, “I didn’t say you were ridiculous, Ms. Goldberg. I would never say that. I just think that’s [ridiculous].” In true Auntie Whoopi Goldberg form, she told Charlamagne to “come over here and give me a kiss,” and brought the temperature down.
Social Media Did Not Care For Charlamagne tha God’s Opinion On The Pardon
Even though the two highly opinionated celebrities let bygones be bygones, social media let their disdain for Charlamagne and his political opinions.
“Charlamagne blows any way the wind goes. He is a true chameleon. He is as Pro Kamala as it gets, then pretends to be more supportive of Trump when she loses, now he’s on The View talking about how you have to fight dirty with Republicans. Charlatan tha God,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user wrote, “He’s not fooling anyone. Not sure why anyone listens to him in the first place. Comes across as a totally self-absorbed moron “tha God.” GFY”
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
3. Exactly
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: ABC / The View / Charlamagne Tha God / Whoopi Goldberg
The political discourse from President Joe Biden issuing a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, was a topic of conversation on The View, and things got a bit spicy between Whoopi Goldberg and Charlamagne Tha God.
Charlamagne Tha God returned to The View with his eye-roll-inducing political opinions on Wednesday, Dec 4. He got into it with the talk show’s longtime lead host, Whoopi Goldberg, after he said Joe Biden “lied” regarding issuing a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, over felony gun and tax convictions.
The President previously said he would not pardon his son but did an about-face on the matter, and his decision has gotten MAGA Republicans, some Democrats, and people like Charlamagne criticizing him.
Goldberg countered Charlamagne’s accusation of Biden lying, telling The Breakfast Club Host and aspiring political pundit, “I’m gonna stop you for a second. Only because you don’t know that it was a lie. We don’t know why he changed his mind. I’m gonna tell you what I think. I think he changed his mind because he got sick of watching everybody else get over. At some point, you get to the place where you just go, so I’m just going to follow the straight-and-narrow always, because that’s what’s expected of Democrats.”
Charlamage countered Goldberg by saying, “But that’s their fault! They’re the ones that go out there and stand on this moral high ground. They don’t have to do that.”
“So we’re mad at him because he changed his [mind]?” Goldberg asked Charlamagne, who responded: “I’m not mad at him for pardoning Hunter Biden. You sound like you’re mad!”
Goldberg asks, “Can you explain to me why it is that when Joe Biden does something, everybody clutches their pearls?” in response to Alyssa Farah Griffin’s point that Biden “made a point” not to interfere with investigations before he ultimately changed his mind.
“Nobody has criticized Donald Trump more than me and Charlamagne Tha God!” Griffin told Goldberg.
“Yeah, I’ve criticized him more,” Goldberg responded. “But, you’re missing my question. My question is: What is it that makes people flip out with Joe, but we don’t have the same kind of thing [with Trump]?”
Which is a very significant question.
Charlemagne asked the iconic actress, “Why can’t you say when Democrats are wrong, and why can’t Republicans say when Republicans are wrong? You don’t think Joe Biden is wrong?”
When Goldberg said that she, like many others, didn’t believe he was wrong, Charlamagne said that was “ridiculous,” and Goldberg hit back with, “No, you’re ridiculous.”
Quickly defusing the situation, Charlamagne clarified, “I didn’t say you were ridiculous, Ms. Goldberg. I would never say that. I just think that’s [ridiculous].” In true Auntie Whoopi Goldberg form, she told Charlamagne to “come over here and give me a kiss,” and brought the temperature down.
Social Media Did Not Care For Charlamagne tha God’s Opinion On The Pardon
Even though the two highly opinionated celebrities let bygones be bygones, social media let their disdain for Charlamagne and his political opinions.
“Charlamagne blows any way the wind goes. He is a true chameleon. He is as Pro Kamala as it gets, then pretends to be more supportive of Trump when she loses, now he’s on The View talking about how you have to fight dirty with Republicans. Charlatan tha God,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user wrote, “He’s not fooling anyone. Not sure why anyone listens to him in the first place. Comes across as a totally self-absorbed moron “tha God.” GFY”
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
3. Exactly
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
The move by President Joe Biden to pardon his son Hunter Biden has led advocates to make their case for former prosecutor Marilyn Mosby to receive a pardon as well.
The decision by President Joe Biden to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, earlier this week after previously stating he wouldn’t, has prompted advocates representing the former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby to request one for her. “It is time for Joe Biden to pardon Marilyn Mosby,” said civil rights attorney and media figure Angela Rye, who is working on Mosby’s legal team. Mosby, who rose to prominence in 2015 for charging six Baltimore police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, Jr., was convicted of mortgage fraud and perjury earlier in the year. Critics of the decision have maintained that the prosecution was politically motivated due to her racial justice policies.
“There are thousands of people who have been wrongfully convicted and sit in federal prisons today. While Hunter Biden was selectively prosecuted, he’s not the only one,” Rye said in a joint statement with attorney Ben Crump, who is also working with Mosby’s legal team. They point out that the application for Mosby’s pardon is still with the Department of Justice with proof of “receipt of the application on May 28.” That request is accompanied by 91,000 signatures petitioning the government for Mosby to be pardoned. The former attorney was on home detention after being sentenced and has appealed the decision. The Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland called for her law license to be suspended, but the Maryland Supreme Court dismissed that request.
“Marilyn Mosby is on house arrest right now with her law license hanging in the balance over purchasing property with her own money. Kim Gardner (the former East St. Louis prosecutor) was forced into taking a plea deal for a $5000 expense that was approved in an ethics opinion,” Crump and Rye wrote. They cited similarities in the two situations – the lead prosecutor in Mosby’s case, Leo Wise, also successfully brought charges against Hunter Biden for the purchase and possession of a firearm in 2018 and on federal tax charges. They also pointed out that the basis for Hunter’s pardon can be applied – selective prosecution. “They need to find a rule and equally apply it,” Rye stated.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Anadolu / Getty / Brian Thompson
More news to prove we are living in what feels like a Netflix drama series: Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare’s Insurance division, was fatally shot Wednesday morning outside of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan in what the NYPD is already calling a “targeted attack.”
Social media was buzzing this morning when breaking news of Brian Thompson, 50, was gunned down in broad daylight. The details, which read like the plot of a movie, claim a masked man approached Thompson, who was in town to speak at a conference Wednesday and killed him using what witnesses claimed was a “silent gun.”
Per the New York Post:
Brian Thompson, 50, was at the hotel around 6:46 a.m., arriving early for a conference, when a masked man allegedly waiting for the CEO repeatedly shot at him along Sixth Avenue before dashing off on a bicycle, police sources told The Post.
Thompson was hit in the chest, prompting a desperate attempt by first responders to save him with CPR, harrowing video shows.
He was rushed in critical condition to the Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
Surveillance photos obtained from the news site show the shooter aiming the murder weapon at Thompson in front of the posh hotel and then fleeing on a bicycle down an alley.
NYC’s embattled Mayor, Eric Adams, spoke about the shooting during a separate press conference, telling reporters, “It appears as though this was a targeted murder,” he added, “It seemed to have been clearly targeted by an individual, and we will apprehend that individual.”
Officials say no arrests have been made and are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.
People Are Using The Apparent Assassination To Call Out United Healthcare
Social media is sharing their thoughts on the shooting. Basically, they are dragging United Healthcare for its reputation for denying coverage to customers, even alluding to the shooter being someone who was denied coverage by the company.
“I’ll be waiting on pins and needles to find out what demonic shit United Healthcare did to this man or his family,” one user on X, formally Twitter, wrote.
Another user on X wrote, “The police will be investigating every American with a United health care plan.”
Still, this is tragic news; no one deserves to be gunned down in such a manner, but people do have a point about the United States health insurance system and how terrible it is.
We will continue to follow this story to see how this all plays out. Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Very unerious, smh.
4. What is wrong with y’all?
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: NBC4 / Youtube
Veteran Washington, D.C., news anchor Leon Harris is stepping away from the desk to work on “health issues” after a recent on-air issue during a segment.
On Monday (Dec. 2), NBC4 News in Washington, D.C., issued a statement through its website and on the air announcing that anchor Leon Harris is “stepping away” from the desk to focus on “health issues” after appearing to be unwell during a segment on their Thanksgiving broadcast. “We here at NBC4 — and you at home — care deeply about Leon and wish him well. We thank you for your concern,” they wrote. They did not disclose what health issues Harris was dealing with in response to further press requests.
An update about our colleague Leon Harris. pic.twitter.com/dzUEe96Qa4
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) December 2, 2024
The 63-year-old was on air delivering the news about local vandalism. Still, viewers noticed that the veteran newscaster struggled to pronounce some words and street names and exhibited slurred speech. Harris was pulled from the desk after the segment ended, and meteorologist Ryan Miller addressed viewer concerns that he suffered a stroke or some other medical issue during his segment covering the weather. “We’ve heard a lot from some of you through phone and email during this newscast,” Miller said. “We want to assure you that our colleague, Leon Harris, is fine. The News4 team appreciates your concern.”
Harris has been a fixture at NBC4 since joining the station in 2017 after working at the local ABC network, WJLA. The journalist has won an Emmy Award for his work, having started his career at CNN in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris has dealt with health issues in the past, having taken a leave of absence to recover from a foot injury in September that he suffered at his home. In 2013, Harris also dealt with necrotizing pancreatitis that placed him in the intensive care unit. He also has dealt with alcohol abuse, having been arrested for DUI in 2013 and in 2022. “I made a terrible mistake,” he said in 2022 in an interview with the Washington Post. “After drinking, I decided to get into my car and drive. This is the worst decision I could possibly have made.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Amanda Edwards / Getty / Malcolm Barrett
Actor Malcolm Barrett is currently under investigation for sexual assault.
*Trigger Warning* this story contains descriptions of alleged sexual assault.
TMZ exclusively reports Barrett, who has been seen in popular shows like Prime Video’s The Boys and BET+’s Average Joe, has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who claims he had nonconsensual sex with her following a night of drinking.
The celebrity gossip site reported that the woman had reported the incident to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department last weekend.
Per TMZ:
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … a woman contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department last weekend, claiming that after a night of drinking with Malcolm, she woke up in bed to find him touching her. She claims the actor then had sex with her against her will.
According to our sources, the woman told deputies that she and Barrett had been friends for months, and the night started off pretty normal with drinks in L.A. … with the drinks continuing at his place before the alleged assault.
TMZ reports that the woman underwent a sexual assault kit, and the LASD Special Victims Bureau is now handling the case; the investigation is still ongoing, and no one has been arrested.
A rep for the actor did not respond after TMZ reached out for comment.
Along with The Boys, which is currently filming its fifth and final season, and Average Joe, Barrett was also in other series like Timeless and the 2016 film Dear White People.
HipHopWired Featured Video
President Joe Biden is nearing the end of his term, and as that time nears, he has just weeks to make any sweeping orders before he leaves office at the top of next year. Hunter Biden, the first child of a sitting United States president to be convicted of a crime, was pardoned by President Joe Biden over the weekend, sparking critique from lawmakers and other figures on both sides of the aisle.
President Joe Biden issued the pardon of Hunter Biden on December 1 and the flurry of comments since the news broke have ranged from understanding a father’s position to protect their children to those bashing Biden for reneging on a promise to not grant his son’s clemency.
Not surprisingly, many of Biden’s opponents from the Republican Party had plenty to say, including President-elect Donald Trump. Trump took to his TruthSocial platform and called the pardon “an abuse and miscarriage of Justice” while calling for the pardon of 29 inmates at the District of Columbia Jail, who he referred to as “J-6 hostages.”
For comparison purposes, Biden has granted just 26 pardons in his time in office while Trump pardoned 143 individuals during his time, some of which were questioned.
Beyond Trump, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer spoke on the pardon and did not mince words.
“Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities. Not only has he falsely claimed that he never met with his son’s foreign business associates and that his son did nothing wrong, but he also lied when he said he would not pardon Hunter Biden,” Comer wrote.
Rep. Greg Stanton, a Democrat representing Arizona’s 4th Congressional District, took to X to blast the pardon.
“I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong. This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers,” Stanton said.
Adding to the criticism from members of Biden’s party, Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio wrote on X, “As a father, I get it. But as someone who wants people to believe in public service again, it’s a setback.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas appeared on MSNBC and pushed back on the comments made by her colleagues on both sides and spoke in her usual direct fashion.
“So, for anyone that wants to clutch their pearls now because he decided that he was going to pardon his son, I would say take a look in the mirror because we also know that when it comes to this cabinet, this cabinet has more people accused of sexual assault than any incoming cabinet probably ever in the history of America,” Crockett said. “So we are living in unprecedented times, and we know that this was completely political.”
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Julia Beverly / Getty / Nick Cannon
Well, now we might have an explanation for Nick Cannon’s behavior.
Speaking with People magazine, the 44-year-old serial seed spreader and father of 12 children shared his new mental diagnosis, narcissistic personality disorder.
Cannon already revealed himself to be neurodivergent.
“I still don’t understand it all the way, but I kind of always wanted to get tested for it. I did a bunch of tests,” said Cannon, adding, “I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. Even as a kid it was dyslexia, but just knowing that I’m just a neurodivergent individual, I kind of always knew.”
So, what is a narcissistic personality disorder? Mayo Clinic defines the mental diagnosis that is more common in men than women as “a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance” while constantly seeking admiration and attention.
The clinic’s explanation continues, “People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism.” It is treatable with talk therapy.
It pretty much sounds like Nick Cannon.
This Is Not The First Time Nick Cannon Spoke About Having Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Cannon did talk about how he is dealing with the diagnosis, telling the magazine that accepting the condition is helping with the healing process.
“I feel like there’s so many labels out there, but it’s like, to be able to embrace it and say, ‘Look, I’m healing. I need help. Show me.’ I just embrace mental health and therapy in such a strong way,” Cannon said. “To be able to say I’m an example for others, but also be healing during the self-process works too.”
The Masked Singer host first revealed he was “clinically diagnosed” during a Nov.8 episode of his podcast Counsel Culture while speaking with psychologist Dr. Cheyenne Bryant.
The multihyphenate also notes that he does not accept being labeled a narcissist because of the negative connotation that comes with the term.
“I’ve taken all the power away from the term narcissism ’cause I’ve researched it, and I understand it,” Cannon said to Bryant. “Call me whatever you want… now, if I didn’t know what it was, then I have [an] issue with it.”
We appreciate the honesty coming from Cannon about his mental health.
