Current Events
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Source: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin / Getty / American Airlines
American Airlines’ current motto is “Let good take flight,” but that wasn’t true for three Black male passengers.
The airline company is now the subject of a racial discrimination lawsuit after three Black men, who say they don’t know each other, were ordered off their flight back in January.
The three men filed their lawsuit in a New York federal court on Wednesday, May 29, claiming they, along with five other Black men, were asked to get off a Phoenix flight before it departed.
The Grio reports the men were sitting in different sections of the plane and said an airline employee informed them that they were removed because a flight attendant complained about a passenger’s body odor.
The men feel their removal from the flight was solely due to their race.
The lawsuit filed by Public Citizen, a consumer-advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, says American Airlines offered to rebook their flights but allowed the men back on the plane after it was clear there were no other flights to New York.
American Airlines Is Investigating The Incident
Susan Huhta, an employment law attorney in Washington, D.C., who is representing the three men, said, “If American Airlines received a complaint about a Black male passenger with offensive body odor but could not verify the complaint, the solution should not have been to eject eight separate Black men from the plane.”
“We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us,” American Airlines said in a statement. “Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people.”
This latest incident comes after American Airlines said they would make changes after the NAACP issued a warning in 2017 to Black travelers about booking flights with the airline due to several African American passengers saying they experienced racial discrimination.
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Corey Harris, a Michigan man due in court virtually for a hearing, certainly didn’t do himself any favors earlier this month before the meeting with the judge. Mr. Harris, who has a suspended license, called into the hearing while driving which sparked the judge to react with disbelief.
Corey Harris, 44, was slated to speak to Washtenaw County Judge Cedric Simpson and called into the hearing via Zoom while driving a vehicle. As reported by Detroit outlet WXYZ, Harris was charged with driving with a suspended license in October 2023. Assistant Public Defender Natalie Pate introduced the case to the judge, and the Zoom call began with Harris simply driving along without any concern for the optics.
Harris caused Judge Simpson to become flabbergasted after he asked the judge for a moment to park his vehicle after he explained he was heading to his doctor’s office. After a moment, Judge Simpson couldn’t believe what he was witnessing.
“No, I’m looking at his record. He doesn’t have a license. He’s suspended and he’s just driving,” Simpson says, trying to maintain his composure. Simpson added, “I don’t even know why he would do that.”
Instead of proceeding with the hearing, Judge Simpson revoked Harris’ bond and ordered Harris to turn himself in by 6 PM that day. As the Detroit News added in its reporting, Harris was set to appear before the court in connection to his suspended license case.
Corey Harris is due back in court on June 5, hopefully taking Uber or getting a lift from a friend.
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Photo: Zinkevych / Getty
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Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy may not, at the moment, be the major player in Republican politics that he started to become before dropping out of the Republican primary race in January, but he appears to have turned his sights toward American media, which he appears to want to make great again by increasing the platforms of some of the most ignorant and least informed talking heads in right-wing “news.”
According to Variety, Ramaswamy disclosed in a filing last week that he owns 7.7% of BuzzFeed’s stock, and in a letter dated May 27 to BuzzFeed’s board of directors, he said he now holds a 8.37% stake in the company “and I continue to increase my position.” And because he reportedly owns less than 9% of what Variety described as a failing media company’s stock, he has grand ideas about how he can improve the company as the self-proclaimed authority on how to turn a media company around, which includes firing the current staff and hiring people who aren’t very smart but definitely share many of his points of view.
“BuzzFeed has lost its way,” Ramaswamy wrote in the letter. “I own your stock because I believe BuzzFeed can still become a more valuable company than at its initial listing, but this requires a major shift in strategy.”
Now, to be fair, Ramaswamy isn’t only recommending that BuzzFeed hire conservative journalists and pundits, he wants the company to hire talent from “across the political and cultural spectrum.” Still, it’s pretty revealing that the examples of conservative voices he wants to see hired include Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and Aaron Rodgers. Sure, it’s true that the pool of halfway smart right-wing pundits has more pee in it than the dating pool, but certainly Ramaswamy can do better than a MAGA mammy who thinks diversity is anti-white cisgender straight male supremacy (and that that’s a bad thing), an ex-Fox News host who got big mad because cartoon M&M mascots aren’t as “sexy” as they used to be, and an NFL quarterback who thinks he knows more than medical experts about the efficacy of vaccines.
Of course, it isn’t terribly surprising the Ramaswamy wants more factless, pseudointellectual bigots and buffoons at the helm of BuzzFeed’s media sites. This is, after all, the guy who nodded along like an idiot while loud and proud white nationalist Ann Coulter told him to his face that she would never have voted for him because “you’re an Indian.” Also, coming from the guy who thinks Juneteenth is a “redundant” holiday because MLK Day already exists—and is a proponent of the white nationalist “great replacement theory,” despite the fact that brown people like himself are the very people white conservatives are afraid of being replaced by—it isn’t surprising that he believes political diversity is much more important than racism diversity in a media company.
But the guy who baselessly claimed the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was an inside job and that critical race theory is a “secular religion” and also “psychological slavery for children” is now telling BuzzFeed it should “distinguish yourself from competitors by openly admitting your past journalistic failures and redefine BuzzFeed’s brand around the pursuit of truth,” not that he would know anything about truth or journalism.
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Robert De Niro ripped Donald Trump in a speech outside of the courthouse where he is on trial in New York City, even facing off with his supporters.
As the closing arguments for Donald Trump’s election interference/“hush money” trial began in a courtroom in New York City Tuesday (May 28), renowned actor Robert De Niro held a press conference to express his disdain for the twice-impeached former president and to warn others of what would happen. “That Donald Trump is just across the street because he doesn’t belong in my city,” De Niro began. “I don’t know where he belongs, but he surely doesn’t belong here. We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot, a two-bit playboy lying his way into the tabloids, pretending to be a spokesman, a spokesperson for himself. A clown.”
The Academy Award winner described the potential for more harm to the country if the “tyrant” were to be reelected. “I don’t mean to scare you. No, no, wait — maybe I do mean to scare you,” he continued. “If Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted. And elections — forget about it. That’s over; that’s done. If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave.”
Flanked by Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, two former Capitol Police officers who were assaulted by the January 6 rioters, DeNiro referenced what they faced. “On January 6, Republican lawmakers unspeakably tried to keep the loser, Trump the loser, Trump, in the White House. They are the true heroes. These guys are the true heroes. They stood and put their lives on the line for these low lives for Trump.”
De Niro’s powerful speech struck a chord with those present as it comes on the heels of a new advertisement for the Biden-Harris reelection campaign that the 80-year-old thespian narrates as images and videos of Trump are played, including the clip where he says, “If I don’t get in, there’s going to be a bloodbath!!” He would clash with supporters of Trump who hurled insults at him as he walked back to his car after the news conference, One protester yelled, “You’re washed up,” to which De Niro fired back “F— you!” Some fans present cheered De Niro’s words, with one shouting, “I loved you in Taxi Driver!”
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Source: Transcendental Graphics / Getty / Negro Leagues
The MLB is finally doing right by the exceptional athletes who dominated the Negro Leagues by allowing them to have their well-deserved place in Baseball’s record books.
Spotted on ESPN, the MLB is finally correcting what it called a “longtime oversight” by incorporating the Negro Leagues’ records for more than 2,300 players into its record books.
MLB’s decision greatly benefits Homestead Gray’s legendary catcher, Josh Gibson.
With the move, Josh Gibson surpassed Ty Cobb, becoming Major League Baseball’s career leader with a .372 batting average, passing Cobb’s .367.
Gibson’s .466 average for the 1943 Homestead Grays is now the season standard. Charlie “Chino” Smith is right behind Gibson with his .451 for the 1929 New York Lincoln Giants, eclipsing Hugh Duffy, who batted .440 for the National League’s Boston team in 1894.
Another massive milestone for Gibson (.718) and OPS (1.177) puts him ahead of the great Babe Ruth (.690 and 1.164) in slugging percentage.
“It’s a show of respect for great players who performed in the Negro Leagues due to circumstances beyond their control and once those circumstances changed demonstrated that they were truly major leaguers,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. “Maybe the single biggest factor was the success of players who played in the Negro Leagues and then came to the big leagues.”
MLB Players Positively React To The News
The news of the Negro Leagues stats finally being added to MLB’s record books is being positively received by players around the league.
“You get to learn about a lot of names and a lot of people that we may not have heard about,” Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen said per ESPN. “Now that Josh Gibson is at the top of OPS and batting average and a few other categories, it’s great news. But it’s more than just that and the numbers. It’s great that you now get to learn about the players in the Negro Leagues. … I’ll be able to do some more deep diving into some names that I may not have heard of.”
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene said the decision was “long overdue,” adding, “It is really exciting. I’m going to have to do a little bit more research and understand some of the history to kind of rewire my brain on some of the best players.”
Ty Cobb’s great-grandson, Tyrus Cobb, praised the decision.
“Baseball history is a part of U.S. history, and I think (the) major leagues acknowledging and incorporating the Negro Leagues is a huge step in kind of bringing all the parts of baseball history together,” Cobb said. “And I think it’s actually pretty exciting that there’s a new statistical batting average leader.”
Cobb, 32, who works in commercial real estate, also said he would “take a closer look” into Gibson’s career after passing Ty Cobb.
Social Media Reactions About The Negro Leagues Inclusion In MLB Records
While there is plenty of positive sentiment about the decision, we are not surprised there are people who are BIG MAD about the Negro Leagues’ fantastic players getting their just due.
“Babe Ruth rolling over in his grave,” a user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user added, “Not a fan of this we understand they weren’t allowed to play and that sucks but they didn’t account these stats in the majors and it shouldn’t count towards MLB records.”
BIG MAD, indeed.
Welp, thankfully, their opinions do not matter.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
3. Exactly
4. Pretty much
5. Curtis Granderson is right
8. All in the comments BIG MAD
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Source: MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / Getty / Bill Walton
The sports world lost a giant on Monday with the passing of Bill Walton, a two-time NBA Champion, Basketball Hall of Famer, and all-around exceptional human being.
Through commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA announced the passing of the Emmy-winning sports broadcaster and former UCLA player on Monday.
In a statement, Silver said, “Bill Walton was truly one of a kind. Bill then translated his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game to broadcasting, where he delivered insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans.”
Silver continued, “What I will remember most about him was his zest for life. He was a regular presence at league events — always upbeat, smiling ear to ear, and looking to share his wisdom and warmth. I treasured our close friendship, envied his boundless energy, and admired the time he took with every person he encountered.
“As a cherished member of the NBA family for 50 years, Bill will be deeply missed by all those who came to know and love him.”
The 71-year-old former professional hooper died from cancer on Monday in the presence of his loved ones, his family said in the statement.
Bill Walton’s Long List of Accomplishments
Walton had an exceptional career, winning two national titles with the UCLA Bruins before winning two NBA championships.
His NBA career did not last long because of nagging foot injuries, playing 468 games with the Portland Trail Blazers, LA (and formerly San Diego) Clippers, and Boston Celtics, averaging a double-double, 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds.
Walton was the NBA’s MVP during the 1977-78 season, earning a spot on the league’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
Walton was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993,
He seamlessly transitioned into the broadcast booth, where the 6’11 giant became one of the most recognizable voices in sports thanks to his famous catchphrase, “Throw it down, big man.”
The American Sportscasters Association named him among the top 50 sports broadcasters in 2009.
The NBA Honors Walton on Social Media
Following the sad news, former players and friends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, and Julius “Dr.J” Erving paid tribute to Waltton on X, formerly Twitter.
“I am sad today hearing that my comrade & one of the sports worlds most beloved champions & characters has passed. Bill Walton enjoyed life in every way. To compete against him & to work with him was a blessing in my life. Sorry for your loss Walton family. We’ll miss him too,” Erving wrote on X.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote on X, “Today I had to say goodbye to a great friend that I will always miss.”
Walton is survived by his wife Lori and sons Adam, Chris, Nate, and Luke, who played ten seasons in the NBA before becoming a coach in the league.
You can see more reactions to his passing in the gallery below.
1. He will be missed
2. A legend
3. The Portland Trail Blazers say goodbye to an icon
4. So long to a So-Cal hooping legend
6. Former President Barack Obama remembers Bill Walton
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Former President Donald Trump was joined onstage at his rally in the Bronx by Sheff G, who has been indicted on charges of alleged murder.
On Thursday night (May 23), Crotona Park in the South Bronx was the scene for a campaign rally for presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump, whose speech contained commentary about the crime and “decline” of New York City. This made it all the more surprising when he was joined on stage by two drill rappers indicted on multiple charges including murder and attempted murder in Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow. Sheff G is out on bail after posting a $1.5 million bond. Trump briefly passed the microphone over to them so they could address the crowd.
“One thing I want to say, they’re always going to whisper your accomplishments and shout your failures. Trump’s gonna shout the wins for all of us,” Sheff G said to those gathered. Sleepy Hallow yelled out Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again!” as both rappers left the stage. “I like those teeth,” Trump remarked as they walked away. “I gotta get my teeth like that.” Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow appeared a little over a year to the day that both were arrested in a sweeping raid by the New York Police Department as part of a 32-person, 140-count indictment. Both rappers were identified as part of the 8 Trey Crips and 9 Ways gangs, with Sheff G aka Michael Williams being explicitly named as one who ordered a hit resulting in one dead and five injured. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez also said at the time that Sheff G used some of the proceeds from his music to “help facilitate further gang activity,” but stated that his lyrics were not a major factor in the charges.
Trump’s rally in the solidly Democratic neighborhood of the Bronx was regarded by observers as a play to siphon off Black and Latino voters who dominate the area. It comes as Trump – who currently has almost 90 indictments against him – is on trial in New York City for alleged criminal behavior involving “hush money” paid to adult star Stormy Daniels. A representative for the Trump campaign claimed that the rally drew 25,000, which has not been verified. That assessment comes in contrast to local reporting done by ABC 7 Eyewitness News, whose team got an overhead shot showing the sparseness of the crowd.
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Source: Arturo Holmes / Getty / Elliott Wilson
No one man should have all that power. UPROXX’s new Editorial Director and legendary Hip-Hop scribe Elliott Wilson is no longer welcome in Toronto, and it allegedly has to do with Drake being salty.
Wilson spoke on The Bigger Picture podcast about the fallout after he decided that Kendrick Lamar came out on top in the highly entertaining back-and-forth with Drake.
Wilson revealed that Drake was in his feelings after his co-host DJ Hed pointed out that Wilson was no longer wearing OVO gear and asked him how he felt about Drake unfollowing him.
The Petty 6 God
“It’s funny because Drake is the kind of dude that, even if he doesn’t f**k with you, he still follows you. So, he’s not an unfollow kind of dude. [But] I saw somebody in my comments say, ‘How do you feel about Drake unfollowing you?’ I got my emotions about it… but look, it’s hard… that’s my guy, I respect him,” Wilson said.
Continuing the conversation, Wilson revealed that he got “calls” from people telling him she should not set foot in Toronto right now.
“I got the calls from OGs — I’m not really welcomed in Toronto right now. I grew up in NYC and you know not to go into other people’s projects. You might visit shorty but you ain’t got no business being over to those projects looking for no problems,” Wilson said. “So, I would not go to TO if me and Drake weren’t good. I just think it’s a tough time to manage these relationships with artists… You develop these connections with them, and then you have to manage these relationships and its ups and downs with that.”
All of this is because Wilson agreed with everyone else that Kendrick Lamar won.
Drake is a very petty individual.
Speaking of Drake, he just hopped on a new Sexy Redd song that features the BBL Drizzy beat.
You can watch the latest episode of The Bigger Picture below.
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It seems like Sean Kingston has once again found himself in trouble with the law and for someone who isn’t a gangsta rapper or even an R&B thug, it’s pretty remarkable that the Jamaican singer has seen central bookings more times than your favorite hardcore artist.
According to the Huffpost, the “Beautiful Girls” singer was arrested in California this past Thursday (May 23) on fraud charges after a SWAT team raided his Florida home and made off with a van filled with all kinds of items. To make matters even worse, Kingston’s 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner who actually did a prison bid for bank fraud after pleading guilty to stealing over $160,000 back in 2006.
How she may have been involved in this latest scheme is anyone’s guess, but their attorney, Robert Rosenblatt is confident the two will be exonerated once all the facts come to light saying “We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution for Shawn and his mother.”
Still, it seems like Sean may have once again skipped out on another bill and is now paying the price for his transgression.
The Huffpost reports:
An attorney who witnessed his mother’s arrest said the detentions are partly related to a lawsuit he filed against Kingston in February accusing him of defrauding a Florida company that installed in his home a 232-inch (5.8 meter) television — or approximately 17 feet by 9.5 feet (5 meters by 3 meters).
“It is amazing what you can get away with if you are a celebrity,” attorney Dennis Card told The Associated Press. “He creates this larger than life, ‘I am rich’ persona. His mother is a necessary component in this. He presents himself as a family-oriented guy, ‘I’m taking care of my mom,’ but she knows full well what is going on.”
In the lawsuit, Ver Ver Entertainment says Kingston contacted the company in September about purchasing the television, sold under the brand name Colossal TV, and having it installed. The system costs $150,000.
In November, Kingston paid the company $30,000 and the TV was installed, the lawsuit says. No commercials or further payments were ever made despite numerous promises, it contends.
Man, just get yourself a big screen TV at BJ’s or Costco for under $1,000 and live your life as a free man. SMH.
Kingston has commented. “People love negative energy! I am good and so is my mother!.. my lawyers are handling everything as we speak,” he wrote on Instagram.
What do y’all think of Sean Kingston’s latest legal situation? Let us know in the comments section below.
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A second home belonging to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was found flying a flag supporting the January 6th rioters.
According to reports, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was flying another flag that was carried by rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, at a vacation home that he owned in New Jersey. The flag, captured in photographs, was an “Appeal To Heaven” flag which is also known as the Pine Tree flag. It was on view as late as last year, when the Supreme Court weighed a decision on when to prosecute January 6 rioters, according to neighbors in the area on Long Beach Island where the home is located.
The “Appeal To Heaven” flag, which was first flown in the Revolutionary War by the forces of General George Washington, shows a green pine tree on a white background with the phrase “An Appeal To Heaven” inspired by British philosopher John Locke’s “right to revolution” – which encourages violence as a means – doctrine on it. It had fallen out of usage for many years until the last decade when it had become a symbol primarily for “a theological vision of what the United States should be and how it should be governed,” according to Institute of Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies scholar Matthew Taylor. The flag has recently been seen in the office of House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and has been promoted by Dutch Sheets, a man who was prominent in helping to further former President Donald Trump’s false claims of the 2020 presidential election being stolen.
The news comes days after Alito’s denial that he was responsible for flying the U.S. flag in reverse at his home in Virginia after the January 6 insurrection, which was reported by the New York Times. The conservative Supreme Court Justice has been under fire for leaking the decision that would overturn Roe V. Wade, as well as selling Bud Light stock as the company dealt with right-wing backlash over working with a trans influencer. There have been calls from Democrats in Congress for Alito to be censured for his actions, and for him to recuse himself from any January 6-related cases including the question of immunity for Donald Trump concerning his involvement in the events of January 6.