State Champ Radio politics
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Source: Tom Williams / Getty / Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth continues to drop top-secret information in Signal chats.
Trump’s DEI hire for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, is embroiled in another scandal after details surfaced on Sunday of another Signal chat where he once again shared confidential attack plans.
A second unreported Signal chat is floating over Hegseth’s head where he shared more sensitive information about attacks on Houthi rebels, but this time he shared those details with his wife and brother, according to news reports.
Per The New York Times:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed information about forthcoming strikes in Yemen on March 15 in a private Signal group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, according to four people with knowledge of the chat.
Some of those people said that the information Mr. Hegseth shared on the Signal chat included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen — essentially the same attack plans that he shared on a separate Signal chat the same day that mistakenly included the editor of The Atlantic.
Mr. Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, is not a Defense Department employee, but she has traveled with him overseas and drawn criticism for accompanying her husband to sensitive meetings with foreign leaders.
Mr. Hegseth’s brother Phil and Tim Parlatore, who continues to serve as his personal lawyer, both have jobs in the Pentagon, but it is not clear why either would need to know about upcoming military strikes aimed at the Houthis in Yemen.
To make matters worse for Hegseth, unlike the last Signal chat, this one was created by him. Of course, this administration never takes responsibility or accountability for anything, and that behavior starts at the top.
Hegseth’s boss, Donald Trump, who will never admit that his administration is a sloppy mess, is standing by the Secretary of Defense, with the White House claiming that no sensitive information was shared, the same response they had the last time.
Social Media Is Clowning Pete Hegseth
Whiskey Leaks, aka Pete Hegseth, has been getting lit up on social media.
Senator Cory Booker wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “Pete Hegseth is clearly ill-equipped to handle the role of Secretary of Defense. His repeated failure to follow basic operational security procedures jeopardizes the safety and security of our armed forces. He should resign. It is time for my Republican colleagues to do their constitutional duty and scrutinize his and the administration’s actions in oversight hearings.”
Another post read, “When Pete Hegseth sobers up he’ll be surprised to learn he was defense secretary.”
Damn.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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After weeks of the Trump administration refusing court orders to facilitate the return of the wrongly deported, Kilmar Abrego Garcia to an infamous prison in El Salvador, many began to speculate that Garcia might’ve actually lost his life. Even Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele refused requests to let the man return home to his family.
Now, we finally have proof of life as Democratic Senator, Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland traveled to El Salvador to visit Garcia at the CECOT prison. After initially receiving the runaround the first day he arrived, prison officials finally let Van Hollen sit face-to-face with his Maryland constituent, Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
According to Newsweek, Van Hollen was finally able to meet with Garcia at the prison known for housing thousands of MS-13 and MS-18 gang members, and in the process, laid to rest any notion that Garcia had somehow lost his life in the process of being deported and wrongfully incarcerated at CECOT. Though Salvadorian officials are still denying any requests to let Garcia return to America (as the U.S. Supreme Court instructed the Trump administration to make happen), Van Hollen was at least able to confirm that Garcia is alive and well at the current moment. Unfortunately for Garcia, the Trump administration is fighting tooth and nail to keep Garcia in El Salvador regardless of the Supreme Court’s 9-0 ruling. And they don’t seem to be backing down anytime soon, if ever.
Per Newsweek:
In an order on Thursday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s plea for an emergency stay in Abrego Garcia’s case requesting that the White House should no longer be required to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return.
Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, an appointee of GOP icon former President Ronald Reagan, ripped the administration in the order, saying in part, “It is difficult in some cases to get to the very heart of the matter. But in this case, it is not hard at all. The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done.”
“This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty thatAmericans far removed from courthouses still hold dear,” Wilkinson wrote.
With the Trump administration paying Bukele $6 million a year to house hundreds of deported immigrants and asking Bukele to build five more prisons for future deportations of migrants AND American citizens who Trump deems as “criminals,” this saga is only getting started. Politicians, Americans, and Garcia’s family are demanding that the defiant Trump administration follow court orders and bring Garcia back home. They won’t.
Knowing that the public perception behind this deportation of Garcia is a horrible look for Trump’s agenda, his spokespeople and administrative officials continue to lie and label Garcia a “terrorist” and member of MS-13 even though neither the U.S. nor El Salvador can provide any evidence of such allegations in a court of law. While most people see right through the lies, MAGA supporters on social media continue to push the false narrative to justify Garcia’s detention at CECOT to further muddy the waters and paint Garcia as a “bad hombre.”
American fascism in 2025.
What do y’all think about this situation? Let us know in the comments section below.
Azealia Banks is walking back her support for Donald Trump. The “212” rapper said on Wednesday (April 16) that she regrets casting a vote for Trump in last year’s presidential election. Banks took to X and wrote that “we made a f—ing mess” voting to put Trump back on the Oval Office. “Like this is […]
Canadian musicians and music organizations are speaking out ahead of the federal election on April 28.
Indie folk artist The Weather Station took to Instagram on April 15 to make an impassioned plea to Canadians not to check out of this election. She had just returned from a tour in the U.S., supporting her new album Humanhood, and told followers that now is the time to prevent Canada from following in America’s footsteps.
“I cannot articulate the level of relief I felt this time crossing the border back into Canada,” she says. “I think we have no lived understanding of how bad things could get.”
The Weather Station, whose name is Tamara Lindeman, has previously spoken out about the U.S. administration, citing authoritarianism, threats to free speech and the right to protest, and dismantling of public services serving climate, education, health care and social security.
Trending on Billboard
In her new video, she highlights the people fighting for those issues and to build community amidst the crisis south of the border.
“Loved the shows, loved all the people we met, but it’s so incredibly painful to see what people are going through,” she says. “People feel exhausted, they feel afraid and at risk, they feel powerless…a lot of people increasingly feel kind of silenced, which is really scary.”
Speaking to Billboard Canada about why she felt compelled to share the video, Lindeman adds that when it comes to this election, the stakes couldn’t be higher. “For an avalanche of reasons — from Trump’s threats of annexation, to how misinformation and MAGA-style politics are moving across the border, to the immensity of the climate crisis, to the affordability crisis across this country,” she elaborates.
She also points out Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre‘s desire to defund the CBC as particularly concerning for musicians, given how the public broadcaster supports Canadian music through radio airplay and events.
Her post received positive comments from fellow Canadian musicians like Jill Barber and Bells Larsen. Larsen, a folk singer-songwriter, last week shared that he cannot tour in the U.S. due to changes in Visa application policy that target trans musicians, requiring legal ID to match sex assigned at birth.
Canadian music organizations have also been emphasizing the importance of this election across party affiliations, against the backdrop of American politics.
Allistair Elliott, AFM vice president from Canada, sent out a message today to American Federation of Musicians members in Canada titled “Make Your Vote Count.”
“The upcoming election is critical for Canadians — no matter your political leanings, your vote matters,” Elliott writes. “Look south of the border to understand what can happen. In the last U.S. election, 32% of votes went to Republicans and 31% to Democrats. That means 68% of U.S. voters did not vote for the current president. True democracy is achieved when everyone votes. Plan, do your research, and most importantly, vote. It really matters, can, and will make a difference.”
The message stops short of endorsing particular parties or candidates, but highlights policy areas that affect musicians and arts workers, such as generative artificial intelligence, diversity equity and inclusion, trade tariffs, and strengthening public health care.
The Canadian Live Music Association published a note last week from President Erin Benjamin, emphasizing the importance of the live music industry in Canada to both the country’s economy and its cultural identity.
Benjamin called on supporters to send a letter to federal election candidates of all parties, calling on them to leverage Canadian music for the future.
The Canadian federal election is Monday, April 28. –Rosie Long Decter
Hamilton Indie Label Sonic Unyon Launches SUM Artist Management, Headed By Wayne Pett
Hamilton-based independent label and music company Sonic Unyon Records has unveiled its latest initiative, SUM Artist Management. It’s a new arm of the company dedicated to representing and developing artists, identifying and opening opportunities to them.
Taking the helm as both director of artist management at SUM Artist Management and label operations for Sonic Unyon Records is Wayne Petti, a well-known figure on the Canadian music scene as frontman for highly-regarded roots-rockers Cuff the Duke. At SUM, Petti will work in league with Sonic Unyon owner/CEO Tim Potocic, representing a musically diverse and notable roster of clients.
That includes roots-rock singer-songwriter Terra Lightfoot, Polaris Prize-winning auteur Owen Pallett, Hamilton shoegaze combo Basement Revolver, American feminist performance artist and electro-rocker JD Samson (Le Tigre), retro cover band Born in the Eighties, multi-instrumentalist and composer Michael Peter Olsen, and three bands at the forefront of an Indigenous wave in Canadian rock, Zoon, OMBIIGIZI and Status/Non-Status.
“We’re about constant evolution,” says Potocic. “As a label, we’ve signed newcomers and longtime favourites as well as bigger bands like Danko Jones and Big Wreck. All of that is super exciting and some of the best music we’ve ever released. At the same time, this is not an industry that rewards sitting still. It’s a challenging time and a tough landscape, but opportunities still abound. We’ve always believed in the value of our artists, and artists more generally, so artist management is the natural outgrowth of that.”
In an interview with Billboard Canada, Petti notes that, “I’ve been involved in artist management for close to 10 years now. I have a unique perspective on the music business having both experienced what it’s like to be a recording artist and everything that goes along with that, plus experiencing working with artists and helping to guide them through their own careers. I’m very much an ‘artist first’ type of manager. I don’t chase things just for the money. I want the artists I work for to feel supported. I want them to focus on being creative and unique artists and I’m just there to help facilitate their vision and goals artistically.”
“Our main goal at SUM is to work with unique artists regardless of whether they are Canadian, American or from somewhere else around the world,” he continues. “I think we’re off to a great start.”
Petti previously made a major mark in artist management during eight years with Hamilton-based Straight & Narrow Management, which handles major international stars The National, as well as Broken Social Scene, Hannah Georgas, Kevin Drew and Georgia Harmer.
The creation of SUM Artist Management aligns with Sonic Unyon’s expansion into industry sectors beyond the traditional duties of a record label. Sonic Unyon Distribution was founded in 1998 to distribute Sonic Unyon and other labels in Canada, going on to build a roster that included dozens of domestic imprints and the exclusive representation of over 200 international independent labels in Canada. –Kerry Doole
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Shein and Temu shoppers in the US, we have some bad news for you: yesterday’s price will not be today’s price beginning next week when the two Chinese-based companies raise their prices.
Spotted on The Verge, the two “ultra-cheap” retailers sent a letter to customers warning them of price adjustments due to Donald Trump’s abuse of tariffs.
Orange Mussolini has been on a roll when it comes to making our lives miserable, wrecking the global economy, while sending the US stock market into a free fall when he walked out into the White House rose garden and announced a bunch of “reciprocal” tariffs on what he called “liberation day.”
While he has since paused most of the tariffs, he raised tariffs on goods imported from China to 145 percent, with his brain-dead administration claiming that tariffs on other imports, such as electric vehicles, could hit 245 percent when added to existing tariffs.
To make matters worse for both companies, the US announced it would be eliminating the de minimis exception, which allowed goods valued under $800 to avoid tariffs. As you would expect, Shein and Temu both benefited from the exception for years.
After May 2, you can expect prices to increase on the affordable toys, clothing, and home goods that companies sell.
“Until April 25, prices will stay the same, so you can shop now at today’s rates,” Shein and Temu said to shoppers on their websites. “We’re doing everything we can to keep prices low and minimize the impact on you.”
Bruh, Donald Trump can kick rocks.
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Earlier this month, the Trump administration admitted in court that they accidentally deported a man from Maryland, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, to a notorious gang prison in El Salvador. And even though the Supreme Court ordered the administration to bring Garcia back in a rare 9-0 decision, Trump is openly defying their decision with the help of El Salvador President, Nayib Bukele.
On Monday (April 14), President Bukele was welcomed to the White House by Donald Trump. When asked by reporters whether or not he’d return the wrongly deported Garcia back to the United States where his family awaits, Bukele shot down any hopes of righting the Trump administration’s wrong by saying, “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course, I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous.”
For the record, Garcia was convicted of no crime and was wrongfully accused of being a member of MS-13 by ICE when he was detained and deported last month. But with the Trump administration paying El Salvador $6 million annually to house deported immigrants in their notorious prison, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Bukele will provide cover for Trump who’s refusing to comply with the Supreme Court’s order to “facilitate” the return of Garcia.
Because of this administration’s reluctance to even attempt to persuade Bukele to return Garcia, rumors have been circulating around social media that Garcia has been killed and both parties are doing what they can to prevent that news from coming out as the detainment, deportation and death of an innocent man would be a bad look for everyone involved in the situation.
According to Crooks and Liars, a Trump official pushed back on the claim, but wouldn’t provide any evidence to support the claim.
Per Crooks and Liars:
Michael Kozak, a senior official in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said yesterday that Garcia is “alive” but will remain at the notorious mega-torture prison.
Donald once again said in the Oval Office meeting that he was open to sending American citizens convicted of violent crimes to Bukele’s prison in El Salvador.
Trump had a similar response when Bukele first offered to jail convicted American criminals in February. “I’m all for it,” Trump said, adding that his attorney general was studying whether the idea was legally feasible. “If it’s a homegrown criminal, I have no problem, no,” he said, adding: “I’m talking about violent people. I’m talking about really bad people.”
If Trump can send an innocent man with no due process to a prison in another country and claim the U.S. no longer has any jurisdiction to facilitate their return and is now saying he wants to send “homegrown” U.S. citizens there too, we’re officially entering the fascist era in American history.
Trump even encouraged Bukele to build five more prisons to house the “homegrown” criminals he plans on sending to El Salvador throughout the next few years. Y’all already know which marginalized groups of people this administration will be targeting for deportation regardless of citizen status.
Be afraid because if Trump is blatantly thumbing his nose at the Supreme Court, what’s left to stop him from carrying out his obvious fascist agenda?
What do y’all think about Trump and Bukele’s refusal to return an innocent man back to the United States? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: SOPA Images / Getty
A member of the Black Americans for Trump Coalition and a Republican strategist pondered President Donald Trump’s policies on tariffs, describing the messaging around them as “chaotic.” Melik Abdul, the Black Americans for Trump Coalition member in question, spoke with CNN about the implementation of global tariffs and the effect it’s having on the nation and the economy.
Melik Abdul was a guest on CNN’s Table For Five program discussing President Donald Trump and some of the conversations he’s been having surrounding his policies, citing that people threw their support behind the longtime mogul based on the perception of his business acumen. However, Abdul appeared to be disillusioned with President Trump’s handling of the tariffs situation and didn’t meet the expectations he and others had when they voted for him.
“It is what I can only describe as a very chaotic week. Because you’re right, a lot of the things that you pointed out, Donald Trump, they were full-throated in this, and this is the thing: it was the certainty that this is going to work,” Abdul began.
He added, “And as the market got that little bump and they say, ‘See, this is what deal-making is, this is art of the deal.’ and then we see a different story. And it is the messaging where you have Donald Trump saying one thing. You may have Ka
roline Leavitt saying another thing, you may have Lutnick saying another thing, you may have [Treasury Secretary Scott] Bessent saying another thing.”
The CNN segment and Melik Abdul’s commentary can be viewed here.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty / Stephen A. Smith
The internet is screaming at Stephen A. Smith that no one wants him to run for president.
Stephen A. Smith is growing increasingly bored with dropping sports hot takes and being mad at LeBron James.
He is now setting his sights on the world of politics, as he has been making appearances on Fox News, The View, and NewsNation to express his disdain for the current Democratic party and Republicans, especially Donald Trump.
Appearing on This Week on ABC, Smith told co-host Jonathan Karl that he is so fed up with Democrats that he has “no choice” but to consider a run for the White House.
“I have no choice, because I’ve had elected officials, and I’m not going to give their names, elected officials coming up to me. I’ve had folks who are pundits come up to me. I’ve had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature. I’m not a politician. I’ve never had a desire to be a politician,” Smtih said.
Smith claims that numerous people are, including his pastor, have come up to him, suggesting that he should run.
“Here’s the reality: People, literally people, have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud, who has said to me, ‘You don’t know what God has planned for you. At least show the respect to the people who believe in you, who respect you, who believe that you can make a difference in this country, to leave the door open for any possibilities some to three years down the line.’ And that’s what I’ve decided to do.”
https://x.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1911443893637230820
Sure Stephen.
Social Media Does Not Want Stephen A. Smith To Run For President
Following the segment, folks have hopped on X, formerly Twitter to ask WHO are these people telling screaming Stephen to run for president and to let the First Take host that no one with an ounce of common sense wants him to run for the highest office in the land.
“I’m at the gym where Fox News is on. The headline says “Stephen A. Smith leaves door open for a 2028 presidential bid.” My first reaction: Who? So I look him up,” one user on X wrote.
Author Dan Winslow wrote, “Dear @stephenasmith This country cannot afford another TV personality. Please save your BS for TV and radio.”
“If you vote for Stephen A Smith in an type of presidential race, somebody gotta shoot you in both hands dawg,” another post read.
Yeah, so basically, no, we don’t need a another loud mouth celebrity to be president.
https://x.com/2Strong2Silence/status/1911782352423911497
You can see more reactions from the gallery below.
Sen. Bernie Sanders made an unexpected appearance at Coachella 2025.
The 83-year-old Vermont independent took the stage at the Indio, California, festival on Saturday (April 12) to introduce Clairo and deliver a politically charged message.
“This country faces some very difficult challenges, and the future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation,” Sanders told the crowd, according to Time. “Now you can turn away and ignore what goes on, but if you do that, you do so at your own peril. We need you to stand up and fight for justice, to fight for economic justice, social justice, and racial justice.”
At one point, after referencing the “President of the United States,” the audience responded with boos. “I agree,” he replied.
The longtime politician went on to criticize President Donald Trump’s stance on climate change. “[Trump] thinks that climate change is a hoax. He’s dangerously wrong,” the senator said. “And you and I are going to have to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them to stop destroying this planet.”
Trending on Billboard
Sanders also addressed wealth inequality and corporate power. “We have an economy today that is working very well for the billionaire class, but not for working families,” he said, calling for action against insurance and pharmaceutical companies. “Healthcare is a human right,” he added.
The senator praised Clairo for using her platform to advocate for critical issues. “I’m here because Clairo has used her prominence to fight for women’s rights, to try to end the terrible, brutal war in Gaza, where thousands of women and children are being killed,” he said.
Later that evening, Sanders reflected on his appearance through X, posting a photo from the stage. “Thank you, Coachella. I enjoyed introducing the great @clairo tonight,” he wrote. “These are tough times. The younger generation has to help lead in the fight to combat climate change, protect women’s rights, and build an economy that works for all, not just the few.”
Earlier in the day, Sanders appeared at Los Angeles’s Gloria Molina Grand Park as part of his ongoing “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” tour alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The event also featured including Neil Young, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers.
The Sanders-AOC tour has drawn thousands at rallies across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. At a March 7 stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Sanders invited musician Laura Jane Grace to the stage to perform a provocative new song titled “Your God (God’s D—),” which sparked controversy online for its profane lyrics and religious themes.
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Source: MANDEL NGAN / Getty / Donald Trump / Cheryl Hines / Robert F Kennedy Jr. / UFC
Actress Cheryl Hines, the wife of anti-vax conspiracy theorist quack Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had a moment at a recent UFC event involving Donald Trump that would make her fictional husband on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David, laugh out loud.
Tanking the global economy, wiping away Americans’ 401Ks, “running the FBI,” firing federal employees for no good damn reason, and completely mishandling a measles outbreak is a lot of hard work. So, to blow off some steam and have some fun, Donald Trump and his cronies took a company outing to the one place they knew they would be accepted and applauded for all their hard work: a UFC event.
It’s been a week of so much “winning” going on (we’re being sarcastic, by the way) in the United States, so what better way to celebrate than to watch a bunch of men beat each other brains out?
Donald Trump, flanked by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the proxy president Elon Musk, and his two highly unqualified picks, FBI Director Kash Patel and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., attended UFC 314 in Miami, Florida.
The action in the octagon isn’t what is currently the talk of social media. It’s a moment that happened in the seats between Trump and Hines.
The aloof orange menace was doling out handshakes before the event kicked off, and he visibly snubbed Hines in what was truly an awkward moment that would have fit perfectly in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
If you look at the video in slow motion, it didn’t look like an accident either.
https://x.com/donwinslow/status/1911287559462027319
X Is Clowning Cheryl Hines For Getting Snubbed
Users on X, formerly Twitter, have been clowning Hines following the snubbing.
“Trump just totally ignored @CherylHines at UFC….love this for her,” one account said on X.
Another user wrote, “Donald Trump snubbing Cheryl Hines is literally a real life Curb Your Enthusiasm moment.”
Indeed it was.
Oh well, this is what you get when you hitch your wagon to an anti-vaxxer and a felon president who is blatantly racist.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Howling
