State Champ Radio Current Events
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Source: Pacific Press / Getty / Eric Adams
The federal investigation into NYC Mayor Eric Adam’s 2021 campaign continues to be a thorn in his side.
Raw Story reports that Mayor Mixxy was reportedly subpoenaed as part of the ongoing federal investigation into corruption and unlawful campaign donations.
Per Raw Story:
Three subpoenas were served in July, The New York Times reported. They seek an array of materials such as texts, documents and other communications, and reportedly seek information on the travel of Adams, his aides and others, as well as fundraising activities.
Specifically, the subpoenas were issued to Adams, City Hall and Adams’ mayoral campaign, according to CNN. The subpoena to City Hall seeks information including about his travel to Turkey.
According to the website, the feds are investigating whether Adams and his campaign were in cahoots with the Turkish government, allowing him to receive unlawful campaign donations and free flight upgrades from Turkish Airlines.
The New York Times also reports that the feds are investigating whether Mayor Adams pushed the fire department into giving the green light on a new skyscraper consulate for Turkey, raising safety concerns.
Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for Adams, spoke to CNN on the matter, saying that the NY Mayor expects everyone to cooperate and “swiftly bring this investigation to a close.”
Levy continued, “As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has been clear over the last nine months that he will cooperate with any investigation underway. Nothing has changed.”
Welp.
This latest news comes after the feds seized two of Adams’s phones, and the homes of two of his raids were the subject of raids.
We shall see if this investigation has serious consequences for the NYC Mayor.
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Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty / Beau DeMayo
Marvel Studios is notoriously known for keeping things tight-lipped at the studio, but in a rare move, it clapped back at X-Men 97 creator Beau DeMayo following claims he made on social media.
After soaking in the epicness that was X-Men 97 on Disney+, many wanted to know why DeMayo, who, to his credit, delivered a flawless first season of television, was fired. Now, we have some answers.
The answer to the million-dollar question came after Beau DeMayo took to X, formerly Twitter, claiming he would no longer get a writing credit for the second season of X-Men 97.
DeMayo claimed that the decision was just one part of the “troubling pattern” of behavior he experienced while working for the multi-billion dollar studio.
Marvel Studios saw the claim and immediately said aht aht aht, revealing in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that they gave DeMayo the boot in March following an extensive internal investigation that revealed “egregious” findings.
“Above is #XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June. On June 13, #Marvel sent a letter notifying me that they’d stripped my Season 2 credits due to the post,” DeMayo wrote in a post on X while sharing a drawing of himself as a shirtless version of the X-Men’s team leader, Cyclops.
DeMayo, who also worked on a draft of Mahershela Ali’s stalled Blade movie and Moon Knight, continued, “Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while working on #XMen97 and #Blade.”
Marvel Studios Said Hold Up, Wait A Minute Sir
In a rare move, Marvel Studios quickly rebuffed DeMayo, confirming what many speculated that DeMayo’s behavior was why he was fired.
“Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,” a Marvel spokesperson said in a statement. “Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately, and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
Sources revealed to THR that an agreement was reached between the two parties regarding tweeting about the show. DeMayo engaged with fans of the show frequently and shared insights into episodes after they aired.
Due to breaches in the agreement, Marvel Studios removed his name from the season two credits. No further details about his termination were shared, but THR reports it had something to do with “sexual misconduct.”
DeMyao did respond to THR’s reporting in a post on X, writing, “The truth will be revealed. After their Disney Plus disaster, Marvel wants to mislead with alleged contract breaches over tweets. It’s tragic it’s come to this, but unsurprising. Stay tuned.”
He added, “This is their Disney-Marvel’s usual playbook. Legal letters as well as other items to prove their long-standing pattern to follow . It’s about finding a safe outlet. Thanks for your faith and patience.”
Social media has been in a bind. They wanted to give DeMayo his flowers, some calling for his return to the show, while others were cautious because they were sensitive to the situation.
Now with this info out, they are reacting, you can see those thoughts in the gallery below.
2. Crazy, if these allegations are true
5. Accurate
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Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
On Thursday (August 15) during the evening hours, the Hip-Hop community was shocked and saddened to learn that legendary Texas artist BeatKing had suddenly passed away at the too young age of 39.
According to KHOU, BeatKing’s manager, Tasha Felder, took to Instagram to announce the sudden passing of the man born Justin Riley. Having been a part of the Texas music scene—he recently performed at Birthday Bash in Atlanta—for more than a decade, BeatKing carved a niche out for himself on the rap scene by producing some big club hits over the years before going viral with his breakout smash “Then Leave” in 2020.
Though no information is available as to his cause of death it is suspected that it was due to health issues we were not aware of. His manager took the time to give the man his flowers in the Instagram post that broke hearts all across the Hip-Hop board.
“BeatKing has been the best part of the club for over a decade,” read Felder’s caption. “He has produced and worked with so many artists, that his sound will forever live. He loved his daughters @clubgodparenting, his music and his fans. We will love him forever.”
R.I.P, Clubgodzilla.
What was your favorite BeatKing cut? Let us know in the comments section below.
This story is developing.
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Source: John Walton – PA Images / Getty
A petition calling for action against alleged misconduct by Paris Olympics breaker Raygun went viral with over 58,000 signatures.
The Paris Olympic Games have ended, but the controversy over Australian B-girl Raygun and her performance – which included a move some called a “kangaroo hop” – is ongoing. It led to an online petition that was created accusing her of “unethical conduct,” which has garnered thousands of signatures. The petition, which was created on Tuesday (Aug. 13) by an individual identifying themselves as “Someone Who hates corruption,” was on Change.org and at last report had over 58,000 signatures.
“We, the undersigned, call for immediate accountability and transparency in the recent actions of Rachel Gunn and Anna Mears in the selection process for Australia’s female breakdancer representative at the upcoming Olympics,” the petition begins. “Rachel Gunn, who set up her own governing body for breakdancing, has manipulated the selection process to her own advantage. Despite the clear talent and qualification of other outstanding female breakdancers like G Clef and Holy Molly, they were unfairly overlooked. The NT Youlong Boys, a group of incredibly talented and underprivileged youth from the Northern Territory, were denied crucial funding by Dr. Gunn to attend the qualifiers—a decision that directly impacted their chance to showcase their skills on a national stage.” The theory sprang up online after Raygun aka Rachel Gunn earned an astonishing score of zero through her three preliminary rounds of competition, which became viral across social media leading to a bevy of memes making fun of her.
The Sydney Morning Herald began their investigation into Gunn, a lecturer at the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature at Macquarie University in Sydney. They found that the claim behind the online petition wasn’t true and that Gunn advanced due to coming in first in one of three regional competitions. The Change.org petition has since been taken down after requests from the Australian Olympic Committee on Thursday (Aug. 15). AOC spokesman said in a statement that Gunn was “selected through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.”
Gunn, however, is still dealing with the international response to her Olympic showing calling it “pretty devastating” but remaining positive. “I went out there, and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all. Truly,” she said in an ESPN interview.
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Source: Kent Nishimura / Getty / Kanye West / Sunday Service
This is more bad news for Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, and Jesus won’t be able to save him.
Spotted on the U.S. Sun, Kanye West’s Sunday Service has been stripped of its charity status because the troubled rapper failed to file his tax returns with Uncle Sam, aka the IRS.
According to the publication, the popular choir gained its charity status on December 12, 2021.
West introduced the choir to the masses in January 2019 through invite-only musical events that also served as “inspirational” promotional concerts for his gospel album “Jesus Is King.”
The group, led by choir director Jason White, became a hit with fans and eventually performed at one of the biggest music festivals in the world, Coachella, as well as at the Hollywood Bowl and other events.
Speaking with Nick Cannon, the often boastful West claimed he spent $50 million on Sunday Service in his first year.
“I spent every dime that I have for marketing from Yeezy on Sunday Service. Every dollar I had,” Ye claimed.
He continued, “I spent $50 million last year on Sunday Service if you add up the operas if you add up the flights. It was 120 people going to Jamaica.”
“The Yeezys, they were selling themselves. So, instead of paying for ads, I invested it in the church. I invested in spreading [the] gospel. I invested in saying Jesus’ name on high.”
West’s involvement with the choir would become nonexistent in recent months, with the IRS sharing the bad news about the choir on its website.
Per The U.S. Sun:
But it appears he’s had little to do with the choir in recent months, and a revocation date on the IRS website is listed as May 15, 2024, confirming it has lost its charity status.
It was posted for the first time on August 12, showing it is still current.
Welp.
Kanye West has been in the news lately, but not for anything good. Whether it’s because he dresses his wife, Bianca Censori, in what he thinks are clothes or the numerous lawsuits, like the most recent one for his unauthorized use of some photos featuring him and Censori.
If there is any good news about Mr. West, his new album featuring Ty Dolla $ign is out. We don’t know how long it will be available because he can pull it at any moment.
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Source: Charley Gallay / Getty
Taraji P. Henson’s recent visit to Russell Simmons in Bali has raised the ire of social media users, who pointed out other celebs who’ve done the same.On Monday (August 12), former Def Jam founder Russell Simmons shared a photo of himself and Taraji P. Henson in a post on social media, thanking her for her friendship and for visiting his resort complex in Bali, Indonesia. “People when you have friends like this, you are truly blessed!!!! Everyone comes to Gdas for healing, some people exude healing energy. You are one of those,” Simmons wrote in the caption of the Instagram post. “You make everyone happy just with your presence. Love you baby girl, you are back home safe now and are already missed. Until we meet again darling, only love. PS, you mean so much to so many people, keep inspiring us all.”
A few who saw the post had mistakenly thought that Henson had passed, but other commenters quickly corrected them. But many more were upset that the actress was chummy with Simmons, venting their frustration in posts on X, formerly Twitter. One user, Kelezy Kae Graham wrote, “Yuh know they could take the picture and not post it? Like everything is not for the media.” Others were incredulous that she went there, and livid at other celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, MC Lyte, and Usher also making visits to Simmons at the Gdas resort.
Simmons is currently facing several lawsuits for sexual abuse, and the public perception that his living in Bali since 2018 is to avoid prosecution. He was “caught off guard” when served with papers relating to a defamation lawsuit from former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon in February. The 61-year-old has firmly denied that he’s hiding out, recently doing so in a statement in May. “People saying that I somehow can’t come home when I’m there all the time wears on you,” Simmons said. “It wears on me after a while to keep hearing the same narrative, which is false. I’m always in L.A., I’m always in New York and Miami. And I’ve never had any reason to feel unsafe in America.”
Check out the reactions to the latest Simmons post below.
1. Ishmael Mayhew
2. KeesSweat
4. Crooker T. Watchingthem
5. dejnextdoor
6. ChalibooYahh
7. HeyyDiva
8.
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Source: Carl Court / Getty
Fall is almost here thus it is time for Barack Obama’s 2024 summer playlist. The likes of 2Pac, GloRilla and Beyoncé are some of the artists who made the cut.
As reported by HipHopNMore, the 44th president of the United States has shared his yearly drop of tracks that he has been grooving to the last couple of months. On Monday, Aug. 12, he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to do the unveiling. “With summer winding down, I wanted to share some songs that I’ve been listening to lately – and it wouldn’t be my playlist if it didn’t include an eclectic mix. I hope you find something new to listen to!” his post read.
Barack Obama’s summer 2024 playlist is as follows:
Shaboozey: “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Charli XCX: “365”
Billie Eilish: “Chihiro”
Tems: “Love Me Jeje”
Artemas: “I Like the Way You Kiss Me”
Tommy Richman: “Million Dollar Baby”
Hope Tala: “I Can’t Even Cry”
Blackstreet: “No Diggity” [ft. Dr. Dre and Queen Pen]
Enny: “Charge It”
Carminho: “O Quarto (Soundtrack Version)”
Calimossa: “What’s in the Tea?”
Hubert Sumlin & Keith Richards: “I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love”
PJ Morton: “Say So” [ft. Jojo]
Cleo Sol: “Why Don’t You”
The Miracles: “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me”
H.E.R.: “Process”
2Pac: “How Do U Want It” [ft. K-Ci and Jojo]
Sting: “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free”
Lucinda Williams: “Unsuffer Me”
Jill Scott: “Golden”
The Rolling Stones: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
Saweetie: “My Best”
Charles Mingus: “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting”
Norah Jones: “Come Away With Me”
Common: “The People”
Etta James: “Don’t Cry Baby”
Chris Jedi, Gaby Music, & Dei V: “Bad Boy” [ft. Anuel AA and Ozuna]
Rema: “Yayo”
Bonny Light Horseman: “Old Dutch”
Willow: “Symptom of Life”
Moneybagg Yo: “Whiskey Whiskey” [ft. Morgan Wallen]
Myles Smith: “Stargazing”
GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion: “Wanna Be”
Tyla, Gunna, & Skillibeng: “Jump”
Bad Bunny & Feid: “Perro Negro”
Paul Russell: “Lil Boo Thang”
Digable Planets: “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”
Bob Marley & the Wailers: “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”
Nick Drake: “One of These Things First”
Bob Dylan: “Silvio”
Pharoah Sanders: “Love Is Everywhere”
The Supremes: “Where Did Our Love Go”
Beyoncé: “Texas Hold ‘Em”
Samara Joy: “Someone to Watch Over Me” [ft. Pasquale Grasso]
For years it has been speculated that Barack Obama’s staff chooses the songs, but in an interview with Hasan Minhaj the former POTUS made it clear he is the one making the selections. “People seem to think, ‘Well, he must’ve had some 20-year-old intern who was figuring out this latest cut,’” Barack said. “No, man! It’s on my iPad right now!” You can listen to the playlist here.
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Source: Helen Sloan / Helen Sloan/HBO
It’s no secret that the final season of HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones left much to be desired as it led to it’s hardcore fans campaigning for a redo of the entire six-episode season.
Now years after that lackluster of a final season has aired, the show’s standout star Kit Harington (Jon Snow) addresses the backlash that the show caught from the fans and why his Jon Snow spinoff series never came to fruition. In a recent interview with GQ Hype, Harington explained that he was surprised at the fans reaction to the final episodes saying, “I went in and everyone loved Thrones; I came out and everyone hated it,” Harington says. “I thought, What the fuck is going on?!”
Looking back on how things unfolded during that final season of Game of Thrones, Kit explains how he understands why fans might’ve felt a ways about how the series ended and pointed to fatigue on the part of the cast of the series for why everything seemingly fell apart at the end.
Per GQ Hype:
“I think if there was any fault with the end of Thrones, is that we were all so fucking tired, we couldn’t have gone on longer. And so I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them. But I’m not sure there was any alternative. I look at pictures of me in that final season and I look exhausted. I look spent. I didn’t have another season in me.” And the backlash to the final episode specifically? “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I think there were mistakes made, story-wise, towards the end maybe. I think there were some interesting choices that didn’t quite work.”
It wasn’t the acting at all, it was the writing. The writers didn’t pen a good enough ending to the saga. Just sayin.’
As for why his Jon Snow spinoff series is dead in the water, that subject is a bit more complicated. Without going into detail about what it would’ve been about and why it didn’t work out, Kit and HBO decided to play it “safe” and not give fans something else to complain about if the series turned out to be yet another struggle affair.
“I don’t really want to say,” says Harington, reticent for the first time in our conversation, “because it starts a whole thing.” Even now, the Thrones fandom can be vociferous. “What I can tell you is it was HBO that came to me and said, ‘Would you consider this?’ My first reaction was no. And then I thought there could be an interesting and important story about the soldier after the war. I felt that there might be something left to say and a story left to tell in a pretty limited way. We spent a couple of years back and forth developing it. And it just didn’t… nothing got us excited enough. In the end, I kind of backed out and said, ‘I think if we push this any further and keep developing it we could end up with something that’s not good. And that’s the last thing we all want.’”
We’re not gonna lie, we still would’ve tuned in regardless. We’re still lowkey holding out hope that HBO and it’s writers get their act together and revisit the world of Game of Thrones post-White Walkers. What other threat is out there? Could Daenerys Targaryen still be alive? So many questions that’ll probably never be answered. SMH.
What do y’all think? Should HBO still roll the dice on a Jon Snow spinoff? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Michael Kovac / Getty
Former Disney star Skai Jackson found herself in trouble with the law, and social media is shocked after learning some other details following her arrest.
TMZ exclusively reports that Skai Jackson was arrested last week for domestic battery following a public fight with her boyfriend that was broken up by security and led to the couple being detained.
Per TMZ:
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … the actress, best known for starring in the Disney shows, “Jessie” and “Bunk’d,” was arrested last week for domestic violence. We’re told deputies were called to Universal CityWalk after security spotted Jackson and her boyfriend getting into it … and the actress allegedly pushed him, and more than once.
Sources tell us security clocked the altercation and then detained the couple … until law enforcement arrived.
According to the celebrity gossip site, Jackson and her mystery boyfriend denied getting physical, adding that they are happily engaged and expecting a child together.
Law enforcement reviewed the footage of the incident and saw Jackson push her boyfriend. She was arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery, cited, and later released the website reports.
The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office will review the case to determine if further charges are warranted.
Reactions to the incident are pouring in on X, formerly Twitter, and everyone is shocked to learn that Jackson is engaged and pregnant.
We are sure this is not how Skai Jackson wanted to reveal to the world that she is getting married and having a child.
Welp.
You can see more reactions to the incident and the shocking developments in the gallery below.
4. Howling
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Donald Trump sat down with Elon Musk for an exclusive chat on the X platform’s Spaces section in support of his presidential campaign. In the chat, Donald Trump appeared to display slurred speech with listeners on X reacting to the meandering conversation in kind.
Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk didn’t begin their planned conversation on Monday (August 12) as expected with well over 800,000 attendees having to wait 40 minutes before the conversation started. As some observers on X noted, this was not the first time Musk has been met with a technical glitch using the Spaces feature with a presidential candidate. Musk claimed that there was a cyberattack on his platform leading to the delay.
The environment was certainly friendly to Donald Trump with Elon Musk asking safe questions that allowed the candidate to freely riff as he’s known to do without facing much in the way of pushback. Trump, displaying a familiar campaign talking point of being tough on immigration, promised at one point to enact the largest deportation in U.S. history. Trump is seizing on the fears of voters who have been sold an idea that illegal immigrants are funneling in drugs committing crime, and taking jobs from Americans.
Musk, a former critic of Trump, praised the business mogul at several intervals in the discussion. Trump also gushed over Musk supporting his reelection bid, saying that Musk’s “endorsement meant a lot.”
It was also a moment for Musk to cozy up further to Trump, suggesting at one point that a presidential commission is formed with a focus on government efficiency while boldly asking to be appointed to the commission. Trump seemed pleased by the idea.
Although his campaign heads are denying what others heard, there have been several replies on X noticing that the former president routinely slurred his speech. The same X users are noting that few major news outlets are pointing out the deficiencies in Trump’s speaking, an opposite position those outlets took when discussing President Joe Biden’s speech during the debate he held with Trump.
We did not hear the whole discussion in full as we only heard clips shared by users on X. However, what we did hear does confirm that Trump was struggling to speak clearly at points but the reasons are unknown to us.
Check out the reactions to Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s chat below,
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Photo: Getty
