politics
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Jason Isbell turned Fox News‘ hyperbolic headlines into song on Thursday (Feb. 29) for a hilarious segment on The Daily Show. In a clip posted to Instagram, the singer is seen playing an acoustic guitar and singing various headlines focusing on President Joe Biden. “Blue Collar Joe Appears With Backwards Hat / Biden Appears to […]
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Source: handout / Candace Owens
Candace Owens is making some eye-raising decisions, from meeting up with Joe Budden for an upcoming interview to defending Beyoncé.Candace Owens has long positioned herself at the forefront of Black conservatism in America, quite often criticizing the Black community in the process. And that hasn’t gone unnoticed, with many Black people disparaging her for behavior that ultimately comforts the worst of white right-wingers and conservatives, such as promoting the fallacy that George Floyd wasn’t killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. But as the United States is in another tense election year, Owens seems to be shifting her stance ever so slightly within the past few days with two moves – the first being a surprise meeting with media personality and rapper Joe Budden.
Owens shared a photo of her meetup with Budden, which reportedly took place in Nashville, Tennessee to her Instagram Stories. The caption simply read, “It happened.” Budden had previously expressed admiration for Candace Owens, remarking on The Joe Budden Podcast that he doubted that she would ever call in to make an appearance. The author would respond on her own podcast last week, saying: “I’m going to take you up on your offer, publicly.”
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The news of the interview and the photo spread like wildfire across the internet, with many expressing their displeasure over the situation. HOT97 radio host Peter Rosenberg made his position plain in a post on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “So sick of the idea that conversations need to be had with bigots, trolls, and immoral a-holes …exchanging ideas among smart good people is useful … hearing a hateful hack babble on about hate is not worth anyone’s time.”
This follows a surprising position that Owens took in defending superstar singer Beyoncé’s latest single, “Texas Hold ‘Em”. from a slew of detractors believing it’s not truly a country song. “Some people are saying that this is not very country,” Owens said of Beyoncé’s new song. “I’m going to defend Beyoncé on that point because Beyoncé’s kind of always been country. She’s more country than Taylor Swift ever was for sure.” She continued: “Beyoncé is from Houston, Texas. She’s always had a twang… [Taylor Swift] put on a fake twang. Everyone was okay with it. You can’t say that Taylor Swift can do it, and Beyonce can’t.”
1. Everyone’s telling him.
Source: Noam Galai / GettyNew York City Mayor Eric Adams has been actively positioning himself as “Hip-Hop,” but a close look at his tenure thus far shows why he’s the opposite. Ever since being elected as the first Black mayor of New York City since David Dinkins, Eric Adams’s tenure has been rife with controversy, missteps, and arrogance directed back at his constituents.Mayor Adams has also earned a reputation as a party-goer, placing himself in the spotlight as a champion of Hip-Hop as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. One major example was the press conference where Hip-Hop icon KRS-One was present with the mayor to announce the city’s organizing block parties in each borough for Hip-Hop’s birthday back in August 2023.Even with such pandering, when asked if Mayor Adams is “Hip-Hop,” the answer so far has been an emphatic “no.” Here are seven reasons why that case can be made.
1. Police stops have been back on the rise.
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When Mayor Adams was elected, one of his campaign promises was to reform the New York Police Department from within. But in two years, it seems as if the promise of reform has become an afterthought. That has been underscored by recent data that shows that police traffic stops of civilians have risen to over one million since Mayor Adams took office, with 90% of those arrested after those results being Black or Latino. Pedestrian stops by the NYPD have also soared, with the same disparity – only 5% of those were white.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – 2024/01/03: Mayor Eric Adams speaks as Police Commissioner Edward Caban listens during announcement end-of-year citywide crime statistics at One Police Plaza. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
2. The migrant crisis.
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The influx of migrants directed to New York City from Republican-governed states such as Texas has been a crisis since last year. For Mayor Adams, it has caused him to be at his best – and his worst, as his administration unsuccessfully fought to suspend the city’s right-to-shelter laws amid his comments saying that the crisis would “destroy the city”. Adams has felt the ire of residents who don’t want the migrants in the city at all and from those supporting them, being told by protesters in Mexico during a trip last fall to “go back to Jersey”. The mayor has recently said he’d approve the NYPD working with Immigrations & Customs Enforcement officials to detain and deport those migrants suspected – not convicted – of criminal activity. “There’s some people that feel that they should be able to remain here, keep doing their actions until they are eventually convicted,” he said in a press conference. “I don’t subscribe to that theory.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – AUGUST 31: New York City Mayor Eric Adams hosts rally and delivers remarks calling for expedited work authorization for asylum seekers in New York, United States on August 31, 2023. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
3. Disaster response unpreparedness.
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The effects of climate change hit New York City in two vivid moments – the wildfire smoke from Canada in June giving the air a Blade Runner feel and the remnants of a tropical storm. The mayor’s office was criticized for a lack of swift response and information updates for both situations, and it was discovered soon after that he was attending gala events on both occasions – one of which was a fundraiser for his re-election campaign.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: Fivio Foreign and Mayor Eric Adams attend Universal Hip Hop Museum 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Celebrations on November 14, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
4. Chasing celebrity.
While New York City has had its fair share of mayors who have enjoyed the nightlife, Mayor Adams’ adventures around town have become a constant fixture in the media. From hanging out with rappers such as Jim Jones (whom he connected with at Drake’s concert at The Apollo in Harlem) to appearing in the Supreme Team documentary by Mass Appeal and Nas and attending his son’s album release party, Mayor Adams has been in those streets quite a bit after working hours which has some questioning his commitment to the office.
5. Delivering clapbacks.
Source:Getty
Mayor Adams has shown himself to have a bit of a sensitive side, responding harshly to those who critique his policies. The targets for his comments range from progressive Democrats to comparing a woman and Holocaust survivor to a plantation owner at a town hall meeting concerning housing advocacy. He even infamously attacked Black Lives Matter organization activists after the 2022 subway attack in Brooklyn.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: (L-R) French Montana, Mayor of New York City Eric Adams, and Melissa Gorga attend the after party at Avra for the Tribeca Festival Opening Night & World Premiere of Netflix’s Halftime on June 08, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix)
6. Extensive trip-taking.
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Before the aforementioned trip to Latin America, Mayor Adams already made a trip to Israel in August and visited the Dominican Republic when he was Mayor-elect. He also visited Athens, Greece last December and took in games at the World Cup in Doha, Qatar. He was even called out for being in the Virgin Islands as the city braced itself for a winter storm. When asked if taxpayer dollars fueled his travel by the New York Times, he replied: “It’s on my dime. When I do my dime, I can do my time and I don’t want to hear anyone whine.”
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES – 2019/09/22: Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams remarks. Hundreds of Puerto Ricans dressed in white participated on a silent procession through the streets of New York to focus the nation’s attention on this callous and craven neglect of U.S. Citizens in Puerto Rico still struggling for survival in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
7. “Backing The Blue” no matter what.
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As a former captain, it was questioned how serious would Adams be about reforming the NYPD. While he took a major step in appointing Keechant Sewell to be the force’s first Black woman Commissioner, she would step down just nine months into the role amid rumors that Adams blocked her from disciplining a top commander in the force. In addition, he has publicly sided with NYPD officers after their misconduct. He’s also touted new technological additions to the force such as drones introduced before Labor Day Weekend festivities in Brooklyn and a new patrol robot to roam the Times Square subway station.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 17: New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at the NYPD 40th Precinct on July 17, 2023 in New York City. Mayor Adams announced the appointment of First Deputy Commissioner Edward A. Caban as his new NYPD Commissioner at the precinct where his career first began making him the city’s first Latino commissioner. Adams also appointed Tania Kinsella as the new first deputy police commissioner, the first woman of color to hold the position. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Hayley Williams is calling out Republicans in the Tennessee House of Representatives after a lawmaker blocked a resolution honoring Allison Russell‘s Grammy win while allowing a similar resolution honoring Paramore to pass. In a Friday (Feb. 16) statement to local newspaper The Tennesseean, the frontwoman wrote, “Allison Russell is an incredibly talented musician and songwriter” […]
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Fani Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney who has brought an election tampering case in Georgia against former President Donald Trump, took the stand Thursday (Feb. 15) in a hearing connected to the case. Fani Willis took questions along with countering attacks on her character as Trump and his co-defendants are scrambling to have Willis dropped from the prosecution and have the matter tossed out of court.
Fani Willis is facing allegations from Trump’s defense attorney Ashley Merchant who claims that Willis used taxpayer money for personal vacations. Also at the center of questioning is Willis’ romantic relationship with special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, which Trump and his fellow co-defendants believe are grounds to have Willis and Wade removed from the case.
Willis and Wade admitted to the relationship, although testimony from those reportedly close to the pair professionally says that the timing of their relationship contradicted their recollections of their time together. When challenged on why they didn’t reveal the nature of their romance, both Willis and Wade stated that their connection was private.
In one especially tense moment of the hearing, Willis reminded the court that this was simply a hearing of facts and that she was not on trial despite the grilling she and Wade were facing. In answering why she didn’t share financial and personal records with the defense, Willis dropped one of the top zingers of the day.
“I object to you getting records. You’ve been intrusive into peoples’ personal lives. You’re confused. You think I’m on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you put me on trial,” Willis said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a live update of the hearing that can be found here.
On X, formerly Twitter, reactions are cropping in from all sides.
Read the replies below.
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Photo: Pool / Getty
Folk singer-songwriter Allison Russell made history with her first Grammy win this year for best American roots performance. While her win presents a cause to celebrate for many, some in Tennessee’s statehouse aren’t interested in congratulating the singer.
On Monday (Feb. 12), Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones criticized the House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison for blocking a resolution he proposed to honor Russell for her first win at the Grammys. While a similar resolution honoring Paramore for winning two Grammys — for best rock album and best alternative music performance, respectively — passed, Faison objected to the resolution honoring Russell, removing the resolution from the chamber’s consent calendar.
Rep. Jones vented his frustrations on X about his colleagues snubbing Russell. “Tonight my Republican colleagues blocked a resolution honoring Black American Roots artist Allison Russell for her first Grammy win,” he wrote. “[She] has worked tirelessly to foster an inclusive Nashville through her music and continues to make Black History here in Tennessee.”
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In response, Russell thanked the representative, as well as Rep. Gloria Johnson, for standing up to Faison. “That you & [Rep. Johnson] presented this resolution is a high honour,” she wrote. “That the TN GOP blocked it, I take as a compliment. Their bigotry, sadly, is on relentless display. We have a chance this year to make a real change in TN.”
Billboard has reached out to representatives for Russell for additional comment.
Both Russell and Paramore’s Hayley Williams have been outspoken against Tennessee Republicans, specifically calling out a pair of anti-LGBTQ bills that passed in March 2023, which effectively banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth throughout the state and banned public drag performances. While the so-called drag ban has since been deemed unconstitutional by a federal judge, the state’s ban of gender-affirming care was upheld by a federal court in September 2023.
In protest of the Tennessee legislature passing these anti-LGBTQ laws, Russell helped organize Love Rising, a benefit concert for the LGBTQ community that took place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on March 20. Williams served as one of the headliners for the event, alongside Russell, Maren Morris, Jason Isbell, Sheryl Crow and more.
Speaking to Billboard last year, Russell thanked Williams specifically for participating in Love Rising. “It’s people like Hayley [Williams] taking a red-eye flight to come back from opening for Taylor Swift, because she said she’d rather die than not be there to support the trans and drag community in Tennessee,” she said. “These incredible allies are so important.”
Check out Rep. Jones and Russell’s posts below:
Neighbor-to-neighbor, John Rich had a simple request for fellow country star Brad Paisley: “Hey Brad, give us a heads up next time bro.” That was the message Rich tweeted at Paisley on Monday after the “I’m Still a Guy” singer hosted a fundraiser for President Joe Biden at his Nashville home over the weekend featuring First Lady Jill Biden.
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“This visit shut down the interstate in Nashville, but I heard Jill raised a ton of money @BradPaisley’s house,” Rich wrote on X. “That traffic was brutal.” Travel by any President and First Lady often snarls local traffic due to the corona of Secret Service security that accompanies visits by the Bidens or Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Tennessean reported that the White House sent out an media advisory in advance noting that the First Lady was slated to land in Nashville on Friday afternoon for a “political event” in Franklin, Tennessee; at the time the White House did not confirm that the event would be held at Brad and Kim Paisley’s home, but local reports said the country couple hosted Dr. Biden, as well as some other A-list country stars.
It was no surprise that the Paisleys invited Biden to fund raise at their house, since the singer joined the First Lady at a vaccine site in Nashville in 2001 to promote getting the COVID-19 shot with a brief performance. Paisley played a set at the White House for the Bidens last year at a black-tie gathering of the National Governors Association that included a performance of the new song “Same Here,” which featured audio of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
At press time it did not appear that Paisley had responded to Rich, whose social media feeds are filled with tweets mocking the Biden/Harris administration. Last August, Rich released the single “I’m Offended,” which poked fun at woke culture and vaccine mandates with such lines as, “My country truck, I gas it up/ You got your fancy Tesla hooked up to a plug/ I know you’re mad, you think I’m bad/ ‘Cause I’m breathin’ free at last/ And you’re still stuck behind your mask.”
Rich — one of the only A-list artists who performed at one-term former president Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration — suggested he might pull Bud Light products from his Nashville restaurant/bar, Redneck Riviera, last year in protest after the beer brand sent a promotional, personalized six pack of cans to transgender TikTok star and influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
See Rich’s tweet below.
Donald Trump is sharing his thoughts on who Taylor Swift should support in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
The former commander-in-chief took to Truth Social ahead of Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday (Feb. 11) to express his arguments about why the pop superstar should support him as he potentially faces off against Joe Biden for president this November.
“I signed and was responsible for the Music Modernization Act for Taylor Swift and all other Musical Artists,” Trump began his post. “Joe Biden didn’t do anything for Taylor, and never will. There’s no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money.”
In 2018, then-President Trump signed into law the MMA, which alters the way songwriters and music publishers are paid certain royalties.
“The Music Modernization Act closes loopholes in our digital royalties laws to ensure that songwriters, artists and producers receive fair payment for licensing of music,” Trump said at the time of signing. “I’ve been reading about this for many years and never thought I’d be involved in it, but I got involved in it. They were treated very unfairly. They’re not going to be treated unfairly anymore.”
In his Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump also offered some complimentary words for Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who’s facing off against the San Francisco 49ers at the 2024 Super Bowl at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.
“Besides that, I like her boyfriend, Travis, even though he may be a Liberal, and probably can’t stand me!”
In October 2020, Swift revealed through Twitter (now X) that she would be voting for Biden for president in the U.S. general election. At the time, the singer-songwriter also expressed her opposition of Trump, including his comments on Black Lives Matter protestors in Minnesota and his handling of funding for the U.S. Postal Service.
“The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included,” Swift told V Magazine for the publication’s “The Thought Leaders Issue.”
“Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first. The only way we can begin to make things better is to choose leaders who are willing to face these issues and find ways to work through them.”
Earlier this year, Trump offered his thoughts on Swift and Kelce’s rumored romance. During an interview with the Daily Caller, the former president was asked for his take on the possible romance between the pop superstar and Kansas City Chiefs tight end.
“I wish the best for both of them. I hope they enjoy their life, maybe together, maybe not — most likely not,” Trump said during the sit-down, which was published Sept. 29.
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President Joe Biden has battled questions about his age and mental fitness as he prepares himself for another presidential campaign run. The president held a press conference and railed against Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report that suggested President Biden mishandled classified documents while taking shots at his ability to remember details.
As reported by the Associated Press, President Joe Biden held a press event at the White House Thursday (Feb. 7) evening aimed at addressing Hur’s report which said evidence was found that Biden held on to classified information when he was a private citizen and shared these details with a ghostwriter. However, while Hur said his findings would not bring charges against the president, there were several mentions made of the president’s ability to remember events.
Biden addressed those claims and denied that he shared classified information but he also was rendered emotional after discussing his memory of his son, Beau Biden, who died from cancer in 2015. Hur concluded that Biden’s memory was “significantly limited” and raises new questions as November looms in the distance.
Another point of contention is that former president Donald Trump has been accused of retaining highly classified documents but unlike President Biden, Trump was charged by Special Counsel Jack Smith and is demanding that the Justice Department drop those charges citing Hur’s findings.
See the remarks from President Joe Biden courtesy of C-Span below.
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Source: Brandon Bell / Getty / Nikki Haley
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley stopped by The Breakfast Club to continue her ridiculous narrative that America is not a racist country, and the morning show hosts, DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God, proved they are still inept at handling interviews with people like her.
For whatever reason, Nikki Haley was invited to The Breakfast Club to speak about her soon-to-be-dead campaign to be the GOP’s candidate for President of The United States.
Nikki Haley, who is still far behind the twice-impeached former president Donald Trump, has been in hot water due to ridiculous statements regarding America and its well-known ties to slavery and racism.
During her interview with The Breakfast Club, Haley confirmed that she is still very much delusional when it comes to this country’s past and current problems regarding race.
Haley ridiculously claimed with some minimal pushback that the racial decision, clearly exacerbated by her former boss, Donald Trump, began under former President Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House.
Haley was asked why she is so against Vice President Kamala Harris being president of the United States. One of Haley’s talking points during her campaign stops is a vote for Trump brings us one step closer to Harris becoming POTUS.
Per NewsOne:
“With Obama, if you go back. That’s when we really started to feel the division,” Haley said to The Breakfast Club hosts. “Everything was exaggerated with the Obama administration. It became more about gender, it became more about race, it became more about separating Americans instead of bringing them together,” Haley continued, claiming Obama made Americans “feel boxed in.”
It’s Everybody’s Fault, Not Just White Folks, According To Nikki Haley
She wasn’t done. Charlamagne correctly pointed to “white supremacy” as the main reason for the racial division during the Obama presidency; Haley, as expected, found a way to say everyone is to blame.
“Everybody is at fault. I’m not saying one person did this, but I’m saying under that administration, it really did cause some… You just felt — people felt like they were being put in camps through that administration,” Haley said.
Really?
The interview was a hot ass mess, where Haley did her best to separate herself from Donald Trump while trying to woo his cult-like MAGA supporters.
The Breakfast Club’s DJ Envy and *insert sarcasm* political maverick Charlamagne Tha God are also facing criticism for their lack of interviewing skills when it comes to talking to people in politics.
You can see more reactions to Nikki Haley’s Breakfast Club interview in the gallery below.