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President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly set to strike a deal with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to the tune of $400 million. President Trump is putting a fleet of armored Tesla Cybertrucks on order, prompting many online to call out the hypocrisy of DOGE and the White House.
As spotted on Drop Site, it appears that the State Department, now headed by Marco Rubio, was in line to receive the fleet of armored Tesla Cybertrucks with a value of $400 million and is slated to take place in the fourth quarter of the year for a period of five years. The outlet notes that the forecasted purchase was modified on Dec. 13 of last year, ahead of when Trump was officially sworn in last month.
Drop Site added that the plan was set in motion by President Joe Biden’s administration, with the aim of transforming the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s fleet of over 3,000 armored vehicles into all-electric, zero-emission vehicles by 2035.
After reports of the deal went wide, including outlets such as MSBNC and NPR, speculation pointed to the Cybertruck as the vehicle of choice after the word “Tesla” was seen in the State Department document. However, that word was removed Wednesday evening, prompting some to think that there is trickery afoot.
Elon Musk is currently spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, which has aimed efforts to cut government overspending. Critics of Musk and DOGE have aimed their concerns about the raging conflict of interest should Musk’s company retain the contract despite his pledge to cut the country’s deficit by trillions.
Cybertruck owners have recently been the target of vandalism and ridicule after Musk’s public alignment with Trump. Some owners are saying they’re being targeted while viral clips online show the vehicle marked with insults and taking surface damage.
On X, the reaction to the reports that Tesla could potentially earn $400 in government contracts for a fleet of decked-out Cybertrucks has garnered some passionate responses. We’ve got those listed below.
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Photo: Getty
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Officials in Georgia and Arizona extended Election Day hours at Black and Indigenous polling places due to multiple hoax bomb threats called in, with some linked to Russian interference.
The presidential election race between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday (November 5) became more serious as several polling sites in Georgia, Arizona, and other states were beset by bomb threats, causing them to temporarily shut down. Federal and local officials have stated that they have credible information that the threats were part of election interference operations from Russia to create voter suppression. “The FBI is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains,” the agency said in a statement released to the press. “None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far.” Other states reporting similar bomb threats include Pennsylvania,
Three polling locations in major blue areas of Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties are going to stay open later because of bomb threats originating from Russia.
MAGA clowns were celebrating the disruption until they found out folks will now be able to vote even later. #gapol pic.twitter.com/T2QHFPC8iP
— Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) November 5, 2024
“We identified the source, and it was from Russia,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “They’re up to mischief, it seems, and they don’t want us to have a smooth, fair, and accurate election. Anything that can get us to fight amongst ourselves – they can count that as a victory.” There were more than one dozen threats to polling sites alone in Georgia, predominately in majority-Black and Democratic-leaning areas in the greater Atlanta area. In DeKalb County, seven locations received threats in one hour including churches.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes also blamed Russia for several bomb threats that were called in at polling stations in Navajo Nation communities. “We also have reason to believe, although I won’t get into specifics, that this comes from one of our foreign enemies, namely Russia,” he said to reporters in a news conference. Fontes also claimed that the threats came from a “.ru” email address, but whether or not it was a spoof is yet to be determined. He did say that federal and state officials are continuing to investigate.
Georgia extended their polling hours to close at 7:45 P.M., and Arizona stated the issue wouldn’t affect their polling. Federal officials have noted that it makes sense for Russia to inflict chaos during this time and warn it could increase over the next two months. “If chaos is the point, the most opportune window to create mischief is the post-November 5th pre-certification period,” said former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs.
BREAKING – Over 40 different fake bomb threats have now been called into Democratic-leaning polling places
And they’re coming from RUSSIA
This should literally be THE story right now — it is blatant and brazen election interference to steal the election for Trump
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) November 6, 2024
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A CNN discussion fell into chaos as guest panelist Mehdi Hasan was labeled a terrorist by another guest, and social media was incensed.
On Monday night (October 28), CNN host Abby Phillip was moderating a panel discussion that devolved into chaos as one guest panelist inferred that Medhi Hasan, another panelist, was a terrorist. The discussion was centered on the controversial Donald Trump campaign rally held the day before in Madison Square Garden, including Hasan and conservative Ryan Girdusky. Hasan opined that if right-wing supporters of Trump didn’t want to be labeled as “Nazis”, they shouldn’t make anti-Semitic statements. “You’re called an anti-Semite more than anyone at this table,” Girdusky replied, to which Hasan retorted, “Yeah, by you.” As Hasan stated that his support of the Palestinian people made him susceptible to those attacks, Girdusky then said, “Well, I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” referring to the Israeli military operation targeting Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon weeks ago by setting off their pagers which contained hidden explosives.
Here’s the video of Ryan Gidursky saying to Mehdi Hasan, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.” https://t.co/Zn1B7SCI8i pic.twitter.com/5MX93GOeAe
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) October 29, 2024
Girdusky tried to continue speaking but the former MSNBC host cut him off. “Did you just say I should die? Did you just say I should be killed live on CNN?”, he asked. Girdusky then claimed he thought Hasan supported the Hamas terror organization, which Hasan denied, leading Girdusky to say, “Then, I apologize.” The other panelists were stunned as Phillip said, “Ryan, that is completely out of pocket.” The program went to commercial, and Hasan and Girdusky weren’t present. Phillip would issue an apology to Hasan and the viewers on-air.
Phillip: I want to apologize to Mehdi Hasan for what was said at this table. It was completely unacceptable when we get this discussion started, you’ll see that Ryan is not at the table… I want to apologize to the viewers at home pic.twitter.com/wyPaStHUex
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2024
CNN would issue a statement on X, formerly Twitter, banning Girdusky from appearing on the network. Girdusky attacked CNN afterward, writing in another post on X: “You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatar-funded media. Apparently you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.” The situation was met with outrage by many on social media who viewed the clip. Lawyer Qasim Rashid questioned the network’s decision to have Girdusky on in the first place: “He calls it a “joke” but his racist comment isn’t isolated. He’s a Project 2025 advisor, runs a racist PAC, & previously wrote for a Nazi—yet CNN invited him on anyway. Why?”
MAGA pundit Ryan Girdusky spewed to Hasan “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.”
He calls it a “joke” but his racist comment isn’t isolated.
He’s a Project 2025 advisor, runs a racist PAC, & previously wrote for a Nazi—yet CNN invited him on anyway. Why?🤔https://t.co/dKvLG9W7ie
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) October 29, 2024
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6. EmperorTChalla
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The civil war taking place in Sudan has been raging for over a year – we set out to examine it, and its causes.
Last April, the country of Sudan fell into a civil war during the Islamic holy period of Ramadan as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a coalition bolstered by the Janjaweed Arab nomad militia. The resulting conflict has led to intense fighting in and around the capital city of Khartoum and in the western Darfur region, where international observers have noted shocking instances of ethnic cleansing and other crimes not seen since the previous conflict in 2003. This is actually the third civil conflict in the nation – the last took place from 1983 to 2005 resulting in the creation of South Sudan as an independent nation in 2011.
The internal conflict between the SAF and the RAF began when Sudan’s strongman Omar al-Bashir (who created the RSF in 2013) was ousted in 2019 by the army, with the help of the RSF. Both factions would rule in a junta despite mediation from the African Union & international pressure, but as the SAF under Ahmed Fattah Al Burhan sought to transfer power to a democratic government, the RSF led by Mohamed “Hemedti” Hamdan Dagalo balked perceiving a Khartoum-centered administration. The RSF would attack government structures in Khartoum, and carry out attacks in Darfur which the Human Rights Watch said have been against the Massalit people and non-Arab communities specifically. The United Nations estimates that 20,000 have been killed and 33,000 injured including foreign nationals since the war began, with 7.7 million people displaced and 2.1 million who’ve fled the country as refugees.
There has also been a ramping up of sexual violence in the Darfur region to rival what took place there 21 years ago. “Men in RSF uniform and armed men affiliated with the RSF were reported to be responsible for 81% of the documented incidents,” said U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights Volker Türk in March. But the attention from world powers – outside of allegations of military involvement from Russia and the United Arab Emirates – has been sorely lacking. “Why are people not paying attention to what is happening?” U.N. envoy Alice Nderitu said in an interview. “If we do not break the cycle of impunity, then we will not be able to address the root causes of the violence and re-establish solid foundations for the future.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris defended President Joe Biden’s performance in the CNN-hosted debate, insisting he had a “strong finish”.
The first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump took place in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday night (June 27). Biden’s near-listless performance became a hot topic after it ended, and the main subject for Vice President Kamala Harris’ interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper afterward which got contentious as he pressed her about Biden’s performance at the debate hosted by his network.
“Yes, it was a slow start, but it was a strong finish,” Harris said, adding that “what became very clear through the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people on substance, on policy, on performance. Joe Biden is extraordinarily strong.” As Cooper returned to query about Biden’s showing citing the concern from some Democrats and pundits, the vice president pushed back against it. “Listen, people can debate on style points,” Harris replied. “But ultimately, this election and who is the president of the United States has to be about substance, and the contrast is clear.”
Cooper noted Harris’ own debate performance against Biden in 2019, noting “he was a very different person on stage” before asking: “Can you say that you are not concerned at all having watched the president’s performance tonight?” Harris responded firmly: “It was a slow start. That’s obvious to everyone. I’m not going to debate that point. I’m talking about the choice in November. I’m talking about one of the most important elections in our lifetime.” She stressed that point to Cooper, pivoting to talk about Biden’s “three and a half years of performance,” and pointing to what would be at stake in the November elections.
The vice president also defended Biden in another interview on MSNBC, acknowledging the slow start but insisting that his messaging was “clear” and hammering Trump on the litany of false claims he made – which were disproven in a fact-checking segment by CNN after the debate ended, which stated that Trump issued at least 30 false claims while on stage.
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A new advertisement campaign by President Joe Biden for the month of June is focusing on Donald Trump in contrast as a “convicted criminal”.
According to reports, the election campaign for President Joe Biden has made a major purchase for advertising time on television for June, to the tune of $50 million. The new commercial, entitled “Character Matters,” is set to run in advance of the anticipated first debate between the president and former President Donald Trump who is referred to as a “convicted criminal” by the narrator. The commercial will reference Trump’s recent conviction in the election interference “hush money” case last month along with the civil fraud case loss in New York City in February that saw him and the Trump Organization liable for close to $450 million.
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“In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is,” the narration in the ad begins, showing a montage of Trump in the courtroom. ”He’s been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud. Meanwhile, Joe Biden’s been working, lowering health care costs, and making big corporations pay their fair share. This election is between a convicted criminal who is only out for himself, and a president who is fighting for your families.” The commercial will run on general market television and other services in key battleground states such as Michigan, as well as national cable. The Biden campaign also announced ad buys in Black and Latino media along with those “critical channels across television, radio, print, and online” serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Trump has been vocal about calling the verdicts and the cases still pending against him politically motivated, with his legal team appealing. His election campaign team has also moved to make buys for commercial time, reportedly snapping up $39,000 worth of time on stations in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona, and Nebraska. Other funding, estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, that would normally be on hand has been going towards paying for his legal defense fees. The first debate between President Biden and Trump is set to air on June 27.
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Luxury stores are still a big target for the criminal underworld. Thieves crashed a car into the Chanel store in Paris for a heist.
As reported by Raw Story one of the brand’s most popular brick and mortar locations got hit last week. In the early hours of Monday, June 10 a team ram-raided a truck into the doors of the Chanel store located at 52 Av. des Champs-Élysées. Once the automobile had caused the structure to weaken the thieves proceed to enter the establishment and helped themselves to the goods on the sales floor. Prior to leaving the scene they set the car on fire and escaped on motorbikes.
Police and firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after and put out the blaze. “The individuals used a first vehicle to enter the establishment, smashing the window, before fleeing in a second vehicle, taking some of the shop’s merchandise with them” a police source said. Another source close the investigation says they believe the crew consisted of four individuals. Back in May a Harry Winston store suffered a similar robbery where a team of thieves stuck the place up with long weapons and left on motorbikes. Police estimate Harry Winston lost anywhere from $6.5 million and $10.8 million in jewelry.
Chanel has yet to formally comment on the matter.
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Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in his “hush money” trial in New York City in a historic verdict.
On Thursday (May 30), Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges by the jury in his trial for illegally influencing the outcome of the 2016 election by paying “hush money” to an adult film star in New York. As the jury foreperson read the verdict, Trump sat stone-faced, staring each member down. The verdict marks the first time a former American president was convicted of a crime. The crowds outside of the courthouse in lower Manhattan were of course divided – Trump supporters jeered the news while counter-protesters cheered loudly, with some chanting “Lock him up!”
The guilty verdict was reached by the jury after what some observers considered was a short time for deliberation. Trump had been accused of falsifying records to hide a $130,000 payment to adult star Stormy Daniels via his former fixer, lawyer Michael Cohen. The charges of falsifying records carry a potential prison sentence of four years, but Judge Juan Merchan has not signaled that he would impose such a punishment even if the prosecution requests it. The sentencing was set for July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Trump’s conviction will not prevent him from campaigning to return to the White House, and his legal team has stated that they would appeal. However, if he were to become president again he couldn’t pardon himself as this was a state case.
Trump’s conviction in the case is also significant as this case was considered the most convoluted as the other trials – local and federal cases in Washington D.C. and Atlanta alleging his interference with the 2020 presidential election results as well as a federal indictment case claiming he hoarded highly-classified documents in Florida – are stalled and won’t go to trial before the Nov. 5 election.
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,” Trump told reporters after leaving the courtroom, somewhat less boisterous than in previous post-trial appearances. “The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here.” At a press conference held later that evening, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg offered brief remarks. Acknowledging the barrage of criticism his office has faced from Trump supporters, he stated that the “only voice that matters is the voice of the jury, and the jury has spoken.”
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One thing to know about former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland is that she is not the one—or the two, three, four or five. In fact, you might as well just stop counting.
Source: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Getty
On Tuesday, the Mea Culpa actor—who let it be known in February that she won’t be hosting any network’s little TV show if her dressing room isn’t up to par and her needs aren’t being met—also let it be known that she won’t be treated any kind of way by a security guard at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
Here’s what happened, according to HuffPost:
Unverified video showed what apparently riled up the “Mea Culpa” actor. Rowland, beaming in an eye-catching red dress, smiled, waved and played to fans and photographers.
She’s motioned by one crowd-control person to move on and Rowland continues to enjoy the attention. Again the guard motions for her to move forward.
Rowland climbs the stairs and takes the hand of a companion and turns back to wave to fans again. Two other security guards close in to hasten her ascent and Rowland appears to touch the shoulder of one of them as if to tell her to back off.
She then points at her and continues to reprimand her. Another security guard intervenes as Rowland appears to talk firmly and point. Finally, she enters the Palais.
On one hand, security guards do have a job to do, and if the crowd is getting moved along, celebrities shouldn’t be exempt. On the other hand, they probably wouldn’t have tried to do Beyonce like that while she was interacting with fans, and there are certainly a lot of—how should I say it—melanin-deficient celebrities who security also would have likely been more accommodating for.
Also—come on y’all—look how fine she was in that red gown.
Nah—go on and let Kelly strut, security.
Now, some people might be debating whether or not Rowland was out of line, but when it comes to the collection of digital Black voices formerly known as Black Twitter, there really is no debate. Kelly Rowland is just one of those people we don’t play about.
Here are some of the best responses in support of Kelly. Yeah, we rock with Kelly over here. Y’all better stop trying her.
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An Iranian court issued a death sentence to a popular rapper who was jailed for over a year after backing nationwide protests.
On Wednesday (April 24), rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death by a court in Iran for his support of protests that swept through the country two years ago, according to his lawyer. “Branch 1 of Isfahan Revolutionary Court… sentenced Toomaj Salehi to death on the charge of corruption on Earth,” Salem’s lawyer Amir Raisian said in a statement, adding “that in an unprecedented move, emphasized its independence and did not implement the Supreme Court’s ruling”. Salehi had been imprisoned in Isfahan in solitary confinement after reportedly being violently rearrested by Iranian police last year for 252 days, according to a report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The rapper has been highly critical of the Revolutionary Government in the past and was initially arrested in October 2022 for “assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots” after protests over the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini the month before. Amini, 22, was an Iranian-Kurdish woman who had been detained for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women. Raisian stated that “We will certainly appeal against the sentence”. Iranian state media reported that Salehi’s sentence would be subject to a reduction by a pardoning committee upon appeal. Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yasin was also detained by Iranian police and given a prison sentence after the protests.
The news prompted multiple expressions of outrage. “We strongly condemn Toomaj Salehi’s death sentence and the five-year sentence for Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yasin. We call for their immediate release,” the United States’ Office of the Special Envoy for Iran said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “These are the latest examples of the regime’s brutal abuse of its own citizens, disregard for human rights, and fear of the democratic change the Iranian people seek.”
Ye-One Rhie, a member of the German Parliament and Salehi’s sponsor, also called for Salehi’s release. “It is still completely unclear how this verdict came about,” she posted on X on Wednesday. “It is unbelievable how irresponsibly and arbitrarily the Iranian regime treats defendants. It is impossible to recognize the rule of law in the chaos of the courts in charge.”