politics
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Source: Andy Wenstrand / Getty
Our “Forever FLOTUS” is addressing rumors that she and former President Barack Obama are divorcing.
In a new interview on the podcast Work in Progress with Sophia Bush, Mrs. Obama acknowledged that the rumors were largely fueled by her decision to miss both Jimmy Carter’s funeral and Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year.
Rumors varied from the beloved former first couple divorcing to even questions whether or not Mrs. Obama was ill.
Per Buzzfeed, Mrs. Obama explained that she looked at her calendar and in the case of a “real big example,” chose not to do something she was “supposed” to. “I chose to do what was best for me. Not what I had to do, not what I thought other people wanted me to do. And between you and me, it was an important test for me as a woman, as an independent person. Because like all women and a lot of people, I operate from guilt,” she continued. “What should I do? What is the best thing for everybody else?”
She did not address what the specific event was that she opted out, but explained that she is reclaiming her time.
She explains that as her daughters Sasha and Malia have reached adulthood and her husband is no longer president, she is living life on her own terms. “It’s the first time in my life all of my choices are for me.”
“But it’s also a little scary. Because as a mom and a busy person, it was always somebody else’s excuse — Why didn’t I do this? Why haven’t I gone there? Well, I have to make sure the girls are okay, or my husband’s president, so I can’t do that,” she continued.
“Now, I can’t blame my decisions and indecisions on anyone other than me,” she continued. “As a woman, I think if I’m honest with myself, I could have made a lot of these decisions years ago. But I didn’t give myself that freedom. Maybe, even as much as I let my kids lead their own lives, I used their lives as an excuse for why I couldn’t do something. And now that’s wrong.”
She added, “But the interesting thing is that when I say no, for the most part, people are like, ‘I get it.’ That’s the thing that we as women struggle with: disappointing people. So much so that this year, people couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself. They had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,” she explained. “This couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself, right? But that’s what society does to us.”
Mrs. Obama is currently hosting a podcast IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson where she and her brother take questions about life challenges.
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Source: YouTube / Live Action
Street interviews have become a trend, but one conservative reporter got more than she bargained for, resulting in her being punched in the face. The incident occurred between Savannah Craven Antao, a reporter for the pro-life media outlet Live Action, and Brianna Rivers last Friday (April 4) outside in the neighborhood of Harlem, New York.
The interview started cordially, as Craven Antao asked Rivers her thoughts on the non-profit women’s health organization Planned Parenthood.
Rivers, a Bronx native, expressed her support for the group and how they help young girls and women. “Some women just don’t have it in them, and they abandon them [their child] and abuse them and all kinds of stuff— and it’s like, girl, just get rid of it if you know you’re going to do that,” she said. Things got more intense as Craven Antao pivoted to the topic of foster care. “Why don’t they [women] just stop having sex with people they don’t want to have a child with?” she asked Rivers, who agreed but stated that she believed in a woman’s right to choose.
“You don’t get to kill the baby just because their dad didn’t want them. Should we kill the kids in foster care?” Craven Antao retorted, which made Rivers upset. “Why not? Who’s gonna take care of them? I need to know the percentage of people who take children from foster care, abuse them, and molest them, who make them like personal slaves. I need specifics before you come to talk to me about pro-life.” she replied. When Craven Antao pushed back, Rivers then punched her directly in the face. She would upload the video interview afterward, showing her reaction and bloodied face.Craven Antao would tell the New York Post a day after that the incident that she was still “stressed” about what happened. “Every time I go on my phone and I open any social media, I see the video of myself being assaulted. And it’s like I go back to the moment. It’s terrifying,” she said. Rivers took to Facebook to defend herself, apologizing but also asking for help against right-wingers online. “To Savannah, I sincerely apologize but cannot sit around and allow you to continue pushing this one-sided narrative,” Rivers wrote. “I understand hands being put on someone is never the answer, but throwing rocks and hiding hands is worse. She knows the truth and she needs to release the footage in its entirety.”
Check out the full interview above.
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Source: Anna Moneymaker / Getty / Donald Trump
Despite claiming he was proceeding with blanket tariffs on numerous countries, including our trading partners, Donald Trump has caved and is now calling for a 90-day pause on some of them following days of stock market turmoil.
The spin is currently on. His most staunch supporters call Trump’s blinking on his tariff threat “part of his plan,” or as he would say, the “art of the deal.”
Others describe Trump’s decision not to go through with his tariff stunt as caving, even though China is still on the hook for 125% tariffs. Some notable figures on Capitol Hill accuse Trump of something even more nefarious: market manipulation.
After a tumultuous week that saw trillions of dollars wiped out, everyone is now taking a step back and trying to figure out if, in fact, this was all part of Felon 47’s plan or if there was something else going on.
Well, These Posts From Donald Trump on Truth Social Are Suspicious
Before he caved, Trump told the regular Americans who have plenty to lose, along with billionaires who saw their bottom lines being affected, to “be cool” as his stupid tariffs came into play, instantly tanking the global market and turning the US economy on its head.
Literally minutes after the opening bell rang at the New York Stock Exchange, Trump hopped on his bullsh*t platform, Truth Social, telling his followers, “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!”
Four hours later, Trump did an about-face, pausing and lowering tariffs for 90 days on most of the countries he threatened while increasing tariffs on China to an astounding 125%, and the markets recovered.
Social media rarely misses when spotting the jig and is calling what Trump did a reverse “pump and dump” scheme, accusing Orange Mussolini driving stock prices down, only to scoop them up before the prices rise.
https://x.com/RepMikeLevin/status/1910062758311219299
Adam Schiff Is Not Buying What Donald Trump Is Selling
California Senator Adam Schiff is also suspicious and calling for an insider trading investigation. Schiff said that Trump “is creating giant market fluctuations with his on-again, off-again tariffs.”
He continued, “These constant gyrations in policy provide dangerous opportunities for insider trading. Who in the administration knew about Trump’s latest tariff flip flop ahead of time? Did anyone buy or sell stocks, and profit at the public’s expense? I’m writing to the White House — the public has a right to know.”
Speaking with reporters, Schiff said he wants the White House to answer the question of “Who is cashing in?”
He added, “There is all too much opportunity for people in the White House and administration to be into insider trading,” he said. “They won’t be able to hide it for good.”
https://x.com/ArtCandee/status/1910067654737670246
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. We don’t have confidence that President Trump will be held responsible because Republicans lack a spine, but we do expect Democrats to make noise on this issue for a while.
Will the American people forgive and forget? Or will they hold Trump and his supporters responsible at the voting booth in the upcoming midterms?
Until that day arrives, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
Ye (formerly Kanye West) has been staunch in his support for Donald Trump since the business mogul’s first presidential term. During a stream with Digital Nas on Tuesday (April 8), the embattled rapper claimed that Frank Ocean attempted to talk him out of supporting the twice-impeached president prior to the 2016 election.
“Frank Ocean p—y a– come over my house talking about Trump all day and how I shouldn’t support Trump,” he said. “N—a f–k you know about politics and n—a I’m your motherf—ing senior, OG, y’all used to come on tour with mea.”
Ye continued: “None of you n—-s can tell me about politics n—a. F–k you think? You read a book and now you can tell me some s–t? None of these n—-s as talented. I’m the greatest motherf—ing artist that ever existed. They can just be slightly better at one thing cause they only do that one thing.”
Billboard has reached out to Ocean’s reps for comment.
Ye — who has faced continued backlash for his ongoing hate speech — hasn’t been shy about his support for Trump over the years. He originally had a pro-Trump rant during his Saint Pablo Tour in 2016 and met up with the president at Trump Towers in December 2016 for a photo op.
He pulled up to the White House in 2018 while rocking a red MAGA hat, where he spoke about his appreciation for the president and met with Trump at the Oval Office. Ye kept the MAGA hat on throughout the year and even wore it during his appearance on Saturday Night Live.
While Ye opposed Trump in 2020 during his own brief presidential bid, he came back to support Trump — who has since been convicted on 34 felony charges in his hush money case — for the 2024 election as DT defeated Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
Around the time of the alleged conversation between Ocean and Ye in 2016, they had been collaborative on the music side. Ocean helmed “Frank’s Track” on The Life of Pablo, while West had a cameo on Blonde‘s “White Ferrari.” Ocean hasn’t released a project since.
However, West’s tune changed in March when he claimed during an explosive interview with DJ Akademiks that “Moon” from 2021’s Donda album was the end of his former collaborator’s time in music.
“Like when I made, ‘Moon,’ it basically ended Frank Ocean’s career. He ain’t have a song since then. He talking, ‘Sipping some wine.’ I knew it I heard it, I was like, ‘Oh, this n—a not gonna be able to make another album again,’” he said. “Any genre of music that anyone has, I make a better version of it. I’m 10 times stronger at music than anyone living.”
The NO FAKES Act was reintroduced to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on Wednesday (April 9) with the help of country legend Randy Travis, his wife Mary Travis and Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl.
The reintroduction of the bill, designed to protect artists against unauthorized AI deepfake impersonations, was part of the Recording Academy’s annual GRAMMYs on the Hill initiative, in which the organization visits D.C. to meet with elected officials and advocate for a variety of music-related causes. On Wednesday, the GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards celebrated Travis, along with U.S. Representatives Linda Sánchez (D-CA) and Ron Estes (R-KS), for their dedication and advocacy for the rights of music creators.
Introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4) Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1), Becca Balint (D-VT-At Large), the NO FAKES Act has also found new supporters in an unlikely place: the tech industry. The bill is now supported by tech giants like YouTube, OpenAI, IBM and Adobe, showing a rare moment of solidarity between artists and big tech in the AI age.
Trending on Billboard
The NO FAKES Act was first introduced as a draft bill in 2023, and formally introduced to the Senate in the summer of 2024. If passed, the legislation would create federal intellectual property protections for the so-called right of publicity for the first time, which adds restrictions to how someone’s name, image, likeness and voice can be used without consent. Currently, these rights are only protected at the state level, leading to a patchwork of varying laws around the nation.
Unlike some of the patchy state publicity rights laws, the federal right that the NO FAKES Act would create would not expire at death and could be controlled by a person’s heirs for 70 years after their passing. There are, however, specific carve outs for replicas used in news, parody, historical works and criticism to ensure the First Amendment right to free speech remains protected.
Over the last few years, as AI voice models have continued to develop, many artists have often found themselves on the receiving end of AI deepfakes. In 2023, the AI music craze kicked off with the so-called “fake Drake” song “Heart On My Sleeve” which featured the unauthorized AI voices of Drake and the Weeknd. Last year, Taylor Swift, for example, was the subject of a number of sexually-explicit AI deepfakes of her body; the late Tupac Shakur‘s voice was deepfaked by fellow rapper Drake in his Kendrick Lamar diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which was posted, and then deleted, on social media.
Even President Donald Trump participated in the deepfake trend, posting an unauthorized AI image of Swift allegedly endorsing him during his campaign to return to the White House.
“Recently, I was made aware that [an] AI [image] of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post soon after. “It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”
Overall, the bill has seen widespread support among the entertainment industry establishment. According to a press release about the bill’s reintroduction, it is celebrated by Sony Music, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA, Human Artistry Campaign, Motion Picture Association and more.
Mitch Glazier, chairman and CEO of the RIAA, praised the bipartisan effort, saying “this bill proves that we can prioritize the growth of AI and protecting American creativity at the same time.”
Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, added: “The Academy is proud to represent and serve creators, and for decades, GRAMMYs on the Hill has brought music makers to our nation’s capital to elevate the policy issues affecting our industry. Today’s reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act underscores our members’ commitment to advocating for the music community, and as we enter a new era of technology, we must create guardrails around AI and ensure it enhances – not replaces – human creativity.”
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Source: Getty Images / Adin Ross / Kamala Harris / Donald Trump
Adin Ross proudly did the ridiculous Trump dance while hanging with Felon 47 and sporting a MAGA hat. Now he’s crying because he’s losing money as the markets continue to nosedive due to Donald Trump’s abuse of tariffs.
Ross, a popular 23-year-old gamer and streamer, showed his love for Orange Mussolini before the election by giving him a gold Rolex watch, a MAGA-themed Tesla Cybertruck.
Now, Ross might want all the sh*t back because Trump’s tariffs are hitting Ross where it hurts, his bank account. Speaking with fellow lame DJ Akademiks, the dark room streamer Ross brought up the stock market, saying, “People are getting killed. Me too. We all are.”
Ross responded by telling Akademiks he lost “eight figures” in the stock market, with Akademiks replying, “Damn! You over here like, damn, Kamala, come back to me!”
https://x.com/FearedBuck/status/1909063947111588311
Wackademiks is referring to former Vice President Kamala Harris, who Trump narrowly defeated in the 2024 presidential election. Ross wasn’t shy about his support for Donald Trump. She also warned Ross and many other Americans about the exact nonsense Trump is doing now with his tariffs.
Ross interviewed the then-Republican candidate for President, putting the orange menace on his incredibly large platform to push his nonsense.
Now, to see him and many others who bought in the MAGA jig crying about losing money is absolutely hilarious, and quite honestly, good for them.
No One Feels Sorry For Adin Ross
Social media has been clowning Ross for effectively f***ing around and finding out, and having the audacity to complain about what’s going on.
“Adin Ross the retard of the century endorsed Trump by bringing him on his stream AND VOTED FOR HIM and is surprised by trumps actions,” one post on X, formerly Twitter read.
Another user said on X, “I wish I could bathe in Dave Portnoy’s misery right now. I would luxuriate for hours. Adin Ross too. Their financial pain is like a cool breeze in August. They did this to America. They deserve to suffer. Sadly, the rest of us deserve better.”
Welp.
You can see more of those reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: Getty Images / Donald Trump / Barack Obama
Barack Obama didn’t bite his tongue when speaking about the blatant double standards when it comes to the lack of outrage towards Donald Trump’s reckless policies and behavior.
Our forever President, Barack Obama, stated the very obvious during an on-stage interview at Hamilton College while speaking on what Trump is currently doing in their first 100 days as President.
“Imagine if I had done any of this,” Obama said Thursday during the interview, where attendees were not allowed to record, according to CNN. “It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me or a whole bunch of my predecessors.”
The gloves were off when Obama spoke explicitly about Trump using the presidency to bully private institutions to bend to his ridiculous will.
“Imagine if I had said to law firms that were representing parties that were upset with policies my administration had initiated that you will not be allowed into government buildings,” Obama continued. “We will punish you economically for dissenting from the [Obamacare] or the Iran Deal.”
He continued, “The idea that a White House can say to law firms, if you represent parties that we don’t like, we’re going to pull all our business or bar you from representing people effectively…that kind of behavior is contrary to the basic compact we have as Americans.”
Obama also revealed that he is more deeply concerned” about the Trump administration’s threats to American universities “if they don’t give up students who are exercising their right to free speech.
Obama Touched On The Stupid Tariffs
He also touched on Trump’s stupid implementation of sweeping tariffs on countries, mainly our trading partners, adding he doesn’t believe it “is going to be good for America.”
Well, he couldn’t be more correct.
Since Trump rolled his orange behind out into the Rose Garden with that board with all of the “reciprocal tariffs” in response to “trade barriers,” most economists couldn’t figure out what his administration came up with, the global stock market has been in free fall, the US economy is tanking, and talks of a worldwide recession have reached an all-time high.
But what seems to be keeping Obama up at night is the Trump administration’s continued attack on Americans’ rights.
We hope Obama continues to speak about what’s going on; his voice is always needed.
You can see more reactions to his comments in the gallery below.
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Apple / Getty Images / Donald Trump
Because of Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, your favorite consumer electronics will likely cost you a pretty penny.
In case you have been under a rock, Donald Trump has put on a masterclass in tanking the global economy and sending the US stock market into a free fall, shaving off trillions of dollars after announcing “reciprocal” tariffs on every country, mainly our allies causing a trade war.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that consumer electronics like smartwatches, smartphones, and laptops will cost more because of Donald Trump’s new round of tariffs if things don’t change. Still, if there is any silver lining in this situation, the price hikes will take some time to be implemented.
For those who don’t know, many gadgets and gizmos are not solely assembled in the US. Companies rely on other components from around the globe, and the final product is fully assembled overseas before arriving stateside.
Case in point: Nintendo recently delayed US preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 because of the 46% tariff Trump levied on Vietnam, where the console is made, and the 24% tariff on Japan, where the physical game cartridges are made.
The same tariff on Vietnam will also affect Apple, which has shifted some of its manufacturing. Therefore, if the tariffs stay in place, you can expect the price of your favorite Apple devices to increase.
We wonder if Tim Cook feels stupid after donating to Trump’s inauguration.
Per The Verge:
Barring any new exemptions or changes, you can expect every single device category to be negatively impacted, says Ryan Reith, group vice president of worldwide device trackers at IDC. But devices will be impacted differently. Smartphones, says Reith, have more wiggle room than TVs or PCs as they have a “well-established monthly hardware payment dependence.”
Other devices, like over-the-counter hearing aids, have even thinner margins and are therefore, much more vulnerable.
China has already hit back, slapping the United States with a 34% retaliatory tariff on all imported goods imported from the US. We expect other countries to do the same.
Donald Trump continues to be a hot a** mess and has no idea what he is doing. Unfortunately, regular Americans will have to pay for his nonsense, figuratively and literally.
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President Donald Trump announced a sweeping tariffs policy this week as part of the administration’s “Liberation Day” initiative, which kept with one of his top campaign aims. The tariffs will be set at 10% across the board as several nations, including allies, will face varying percentages of tariffs on imports.
As seen in outlets such as CNBC and CNN, President Donald Trump’s new reciprocal tariff would levy a 10% tariff on all global imports, with China, the EU, Vietnam, and Taiwan paying far larger tariffs. Sparking concerns among economic experts is how the White House has come up with its percentages, as some are saying the math doesn’t add up. Further, according to swirling reports and social media accounts, Trump has called for tariffs against remote unoccupied lands, one of which houses penguins, according to reports.
As seen on CNN, Trump intends to impose a 54% tariff on China, the second largest importer to the United States after Mexico, with the Asian superpower promising to respond with tariffs of their own. The network has also tallied several comments from other nation leaders who are all pushing back against the aggressive measures that have caused global markets to stumble in rapid succession.
As Trump spoke from the Rose Garden on Wednesday, the reciprocal tariffs will be calculated by putting together tariff rates and other economic factors that have impacted trade numbers, then dividing that number in half. Canada and Mexico will face 25 percent tariffs, which Trump says are centered around pushing back against the supposed flood of fentanyl across the northern and southern borders, with some exemptions on products under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
“The tariffs will be not a full reciprocal. I could have done that, I guess. But it would have been tough for a lot of countries,” Trump said.
The AP reports that the United States and global markets are in a tumble and not expected to recover by close today. S&P 500 Futures dipped 3.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.8%; Nasdaq fell 3.8%.
President Trump’s larger aim is to return manufacturing to America and end the nation’s reliance on global goods. The trade-off is that average American consumers and businesses will feel the pinch of costs being passed to them to make up for losses in what is already an economic storm underfoot.
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Photo: Source: The Washington Post / Getty
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Source: Getty Images / Susan Crawford / Elon Musk
Republicans had a bad night on Tuesday, but Elon Musk had an even worse night after failing to convince Wisconsin voters not to elect Judge Susan Crawford.
Elon Musk poured millions, $20 million to be exact, into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, even going as far as to bribe voters by handing out $1 million checks to people. One of them leads the state’s College Republicans, and many say the handout was no coincidence.
Regardless of trying to throw money at the issue, Wisconsin voters rejected Musk and the Donald Trump-backed candidate, Brad Schimel. They voted for Judge Susan Crawford, dealing a significant blow to Trump and his buddy Musk, telling Phony Stark their votes can’t be bought.
Musk held a rally in Wisconsin ahead of Tuesday night’s pivotal election. He even wore a cheesehead, his of way of pandering to the Wisconsin natives, but it was all for naught.
After the results, Musk hopped on the platform he basically sold to himself to b*tch and moan about the results writing in a post, “The long con of the left is corruption of the judiciary.”
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1907302751698084068
Social Media Lets Elon Musk Know He Lost
Musk’s post on X led to him being dragged onto the platform he reluctantly bought for $44 billion and subsequently ran into the ground, turning it into a hot mess.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Apartheid South African Nazi who spent tens of millions of dollars on the Wisconsin Supreme Court MAGA candidate loses. Suck on that, you fucking cheesehead,” one post on X read.
Another post read, “Dear Elon, Clearly, the people of Wisconsin think you are full of shit. But thanks for depositing $20 million in our economy and losing. Did I mention you lost? And people really really don’t like you? I mean really.”
We love it when Musk gets clowned, especially on his platform.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.