Source: bluecinema / Getty Just when you thought the world couldn’t get anymore disgusting, it does. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman ruled that the U.S. law banning female genital mutilation was unconstitutional and dismissed charges against several doctors in Michigan who carried out the procedure on underage girls as part Muslim sect’s religious practice. The Detroit Free Press reports: The judge’s ruling also dismissed charges against three mothers, including two Minnesota women whom prosecutors said tricked their 7 -year-old daughters into thinking they were coming to metro Detroit for a girls’ weekend, but instead had their genitals cut at a Livonia clinic as part of a religious procedure. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman concluded that “as despicable as this practice may be,” Congress did not have the authority to pass the 22-year-old federal law that criminalizes female genital mutilation, and that FGM is for the states to regulate. FGM is banned worldwide and has been outlawed in more than 30 countries, though the U.S. statute had never been tested before this case. Female Genital Mutilation is punishable by up to 15 years behind bars in 27 states, including Michigan. But Judge Friedman’s ruling could have an unfortunate ripple effect, normalizing the horrid procedure and causing other states to follow suit. SMH.
Source: Tetra Images / Getty Bergen County, NJ Swears In First African-American Sheriff Things they are a-changing in New Jersey . According to NorthJersey, Anthony Crueton was sworn in as Bergen County’s very first African-American sheriff. Anthony Cureton was sworn in today as Bergen County Sheriff, on the steps of the county courthouse in Hackensack. by Tariq Zehawi, @spotnewsphotog More photos: https://t.co/TKhlrNpdyE pic.twitter.com/B8e7wC8a4l — NorthJersey.com (@northjersey) November 20, 2018 In an emotional ceremony, Crueton spoke to the gathered crowd about his historic position: “Two weeks ago, the spirit of Bergen County burned bright,” Cureton, a Democrat, told a crowd of about 200 elected officials, community leaders and well-wishers. “I stand here humbled at this moment, aware of the great responsibilities I now carry.” Crueton has a difficult job ahead of him. The previous sheriff, Michael Saudino, left the department mired in scandal upon his resignation in September when tapes were released him making extremely racist and homophobic comments. Additionally, there are a mounting pile of lawsuits against the police department and bitter division among officers and unions. Congrats, sir. Now get to work.
Source: Joe Skipper / Getty Andrew Gillum Officially Concedes Florida Governor’s Race According to CNN , Florida Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Gillum officially conceded to Republican Ron DeSantis, two days after a machine recount ended . The machine recount had DeSantis still leading by over 3,000 votes. The Tallahassee mayor congratulated DeSantis on becoming the next governor of Florida. Gillum conceded on Election Night, but later retracted it after the margin of votes between him and DeSantis shrunk within the level of a legally required recount and there was a chance at a runoff. Donald Trump congratulated DeSantis on his victory, and called Gillum a “strong Democrat warrior long into the future – a force to reckon with!”
T allahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum shot down President Donald Trump ’s election fraud claim and his call to name GOP candidate Ron DeSantis the winner of Florida’s gubernatorial race. SEE ALSO: Black America ‘Did The Thing’ With High Voter Turnout On Election Day Gillum rallied supporters Monday night at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church in Boynton Beach, Florida, saying that Trump and current Republican Gov. Rick Scott are trying to rush the recount process, WPEC-TV reported. “If we don’t swear in a new governor until January, what is the rush for you? Count every vote,” Gillum said. “They’re claiming voter fraud because supervisors of elections are counting votes.” That statement was in response to Trump’s tweet on Monday morning. The president stated, “The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!” Rick Scott is using every stunt within his power to suppress the vote. Keep fighting, Andrew Gillum! https://t.co/PVSZ72RJrv — NewsOne (@newsone) November 12, 2018 Gillum continues his fight to become Florida’s first African-American governor in a race that was too close to call. Unofficial results showed that DeSantis led Gillum by 0.41 percent, ABC News reported. Under Florida law, election officials ordered a machine recount on Saturday because the vote margin was less than 0.5 percent. All 67 counties face a state-ordered deadline of Thursday to finish their recounts. Meanwhile, Gillum isn’t alone in calling out Trump. Circuit Chief Judge Jack Tuter declared on Monday that there’s no evidence of voter fraud in the recount. However, Gillum told his audience that there were voter suppression issues during the election, as well as some irregularities . In one instance, a heavily Republican district allowed 150 voters to scan and email their ballots, which violated state law. “Regardless of what the outcome of what this race is, we want every single vote in all 67 counties — Republican, Democrat or otherwise — that every single vote be counted,” he said. SEE ALSO: Stacey Abrams Campaign Files Federal Lawsuit For Every Vote To Be Counted Watch Racist White Women Harass An Andrew Gillum Supporter: ‘Go Back To Africa!’ [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3835670″ overlay=”true”]
Image via Wilfredo Lee-Pool/Getty Images Florida Gubernatorial Race In Recount Range There could be a mandatory recount in the Florida Gubernatorial race. As previously reported Andrew Gillum conceded to Republican ” Ron DeSantis Tuesday and tearfully told his supporters he was “disappointed” that he couldn’t bring in a win in the Sunshine State. At the end of election day, Gillum secured 48.9% of the vote to Desantis’ 49.9% thus causing his concession. Now, however, the Democrat’s seemingly taking it back amid reports that the race was “too close to call” and a recount could be on hand. His campaign released a statement saying that they’re dedicated to making sure EVERY vote is counted, no matter what. “On Tuesday night, the Gillum for Governor campaign operated with the best information available about the number of outstanding ballots left to count. Since that time, it has become clear there are many more uncounted ballots than was originally reported. Our campaign, along with our attorney Barry Richard, is monitoring the situation closely and is ready for any outcome, including a state-mandated recount. Mayor Gillum started his campaign for the people, and we are committed to ensuring every single vote in Florida is counted.” USA Today reports that Thursday afternoon the unofficial count gave Republican nominee Ron DeSantis a 38,000-vote lead. That number puts Gillum and DeSantis in the 0.5 percent margin that requires an automatic machine recount once the count is certified. Secretary of State Ken Detzner will officially determine Saturday which Florida races are over and which fall within the recount margin. Prayers up for the Gillum campaign, he’s an excellent candidate for sure and deserves to have every single vote counted.
F ormer national teacher of the year Jahana Hayes has been declared the winner of her congressional race in Connecticut, paving the way for her to become the Constitution State’s first Black woman ever elected to Congress. Jahana Hayes wins the House race for Connecticut's Fifth District. #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/aErMwTQ8Lb — Vox (@voxdotcom) November 7, 2018 “People have said to me: ‘She doesn’t have what it takes,’” Hayes, 45, said in declaring victory. “Not only am I built for this, I’m Brass City built for this.” She continued: “You … believe that we have to protect the future that we promised for our kids. You also believe that we have an obligation to be of service to someone else, … that true leaders lead from the front and lead by example, and reject all of this hate and intolerance and this indescribable fear that does not define who we are.” With the election, Hayes added to a number of historic results for a large group of African-American candidates running in the midterm elections across the country. The former national teacher of the year was still teaching full-time in the months leading up to Election Day. What will soon be her former profession has really helped inform the way she approaches politics, she told the Hartford Courant recently. “When you’re a teacher, you don’t pick and choose who you advocate for. You don’t choose who comes to your class. You don’t ask kids, ‘Is your mom a Republican or a Democrat,’ because that’s how I’m gonna decide how hard I’m gonna work for you,” Hayes said . “They come to you and you have a responsibility to leave them better than when they came. I think that’s what government should be doing.” Not unlike other Black women running for key state-wide elected seats, Hayes encountered her fair share of resistance from Democratic Party insiders who initially favored other candidates. Because of some creative maneuvering by the Connecticut state Democrats, Hayes didn’t get the party’s nomination. Still, she won the primary in August and forced Democrats to support her as the party’s nominee. That phenomenon was similar to those we saw for other Black women who were still able to win their respective primaries with little or no help from Democrats. Hayes explained why she was running for Congress when she declared in July. “Who will speak for them?” Hayes recalled asking herself one day while looking at her students. Thanks to the voters of Connecticut, that question has been answered, and then some. SEE ALSO: Blue Party: Say Hello To The Black Wave Black Women Candidates Feel Forgotten By Democrats [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3826898″ overlay=”true”]
A yanna Pressley on Tuesday night officially became the first Black women to represent Massachusetts in Congress after officials confirmed her inevitable victory. The Democrat ran unchallenged in the general election after she unseated the incumbent, 10-term Rep. Michael Capuano, in a seemingly improbable upset that was all part of a larger “Blue wave” of Black women candidates winning primaries across the country. #BREAKING : Democrat Ayanna Pressley is projected to win in Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District, becoming the first African-American woman to be elected to Congress in state history. https://t.co/aEbQQMVVRY pic.twitter.com/OMj07Vx4RW — NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) November 7, 2018 Pressley, who was set to take over the Seventh Congressional District, told NewsOne shortly before her landmark victory in September that her years serving on the Boston City Council as its first African-American woman prepared her for this moment. She was especially nonplussed by how the Democratic Party hadn’t been rallying around her. “I was not surprised, mostly because I knew what I was embarking upon, that this would likely be a lonely, uphill, and bruising journey,” Pressley said at the time . “We’re doing something disruptive, challenging conventional wisdom, narratives and norms about who has a right to run, when you can run, and whether or not you can win.” Pressley was now on the precipice of stepping into the same congressional seat once occupied by John F. Kennedy ahead of his run for president in the 1960s. Providing some much needed political perspective in the era of Donald Trump, Pressley told the New York Times that she was cautiously optimistic for the future. “With our rights under assault, with our freedoms under siege, it’s not just good enough to see the Democrats back in power, but it matters who those Democrats are,” she said. “Change isn’t waiting any longer. We have arrived, change is coming and the future belongs to all of us.” SEE ALSO: The Power Of The Black Vote And How To Make Each One Count Stacey Abrams’ Unapologetically Black Journey To The Doorstep Of History [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3835357″ overlay=”true”]
Source: David Livingston/Paras Griffin / David Livingston/Paras Griffin Oprah Winfrey made her own little history on Thursday. For the second time in her career, the media mogul endorsed a politician running for office. Her first was Former President Obama and now her second is Stacey Abrams , the Black Democratic candidate running to be Georgia’s next Governor. If Abrams win she will be the first Black woman to do so in American history . The creator of the OWN network, who is also a registered Independent, told a crowd today (Nov 1) at a Cobb County town hall, that she believes in Abrams and believes that she is the future of the state of Georgia. “I am here today because Stacey Abrams cares about the things that matter,” Winfrey told a cheering crowd , citing Abrams’ stance on environmental protection, healthcare and gun control. Adding that Abrams keeps “standing strong for the values that matter to me and the values that matter to Georgians all over this state.” Winfrey added that “if you’re woke just a little bit, you know everyone is not treated equally.” “Georgia, you've been on my mind!” Oprah Winfrey says while participating in a campaign event for Democrat Stacey Abrams. “You all are on the very precipice of a historical election.” https://t.co/an3bkmclCP pic.twitter.com/DM3ZgRQoWT — ABC News (@ABC) November 1, 2018 The 64-year-old 60 Minutes special correspondent made sure she let the crowd know that she wasn’t there because she plans on running for President in 2020 or because the Democrats paid her. “I came for myself,” she asserted. “I want to tell you…no one paid for me to come here. No one asked me to come here. I’ve earned the right to think for myself…I don’t want any party and I don’t want any kind of partisan influence telling me what decisions I get to make for myself” “I want to make it very clear,” Oprah Winfrey says while campaigning for Stacey Abrams. “I don't want to run, okay? I'm not trying to test any waters. Don't want to go in those waters.” https://t.co/an3bklUKLh pic.twitter.com/Vy6WkdzgVa — ABC News (@ABC) November 1, 2018 Winfrey also encouraged the women in the audience to vote their values and for politicians that have their best interests in mind. “Vote your values,” she emphasized. “Vote your conscience … the vitriol and the ads, they are designed to confuse and confound you with fear … When you know the right thing, and you can feel it … you can’t be influenced by propaganda and fear.” According to NBC News , Abrams is in a super tight race with her Republican opponent Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Last week, an NBC News/Marist poll found that the race is tied, with likely voters favoring Kemp by a 49 percent to 47 percent spread, a number within the poll’s margin of error. However, Abrams has some other serious backup coming in soon too. Former President Obama will be stumping for her on Friday. BEAUTIES: Don’t forget that the 2018 midterms are right around the corner on November 6. Will you be casting your vote this year? RELATED NEWS: He’s Baaaack! Obama Endorses Stacey Abrams In Bid For Georgia Governor He’s Baaaack…Former President Obama Rips Trump In Powerful New Speech Stacey Abrams Just Made History, Secured Bid To Become First Black Female Governor In U.S. [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3016322″ overlay=”true”]
Alec Baldwin is taking some heat for saying something kind of dumb to The Hollywood Reporter. Okay, actually: Alec Baldwin is taking A LOT of heat for saying something VERY dumb to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor is featured on the latest cover of this publication, touching on nearly every topic of his personal and professional life in the feature story. But it’s one story he tells in particular, along with his reaction to that story, that has nearly all of Twitter rolling its collective eyes. At one point while speaking to Baldwin, writer Lacey Rose says that an African-American man named Tyrone approaches Baldwin and compliments him for his role of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live. Writes Rose of the encounter: “Though he’s waving and pointing and causing something of a scene, the often-irritable Baldwin doesn’t mind a bit. “In fact, he calls Tyrone over and the two begin cracking each other up. It’s hard to tell who’s enjoying the other more.” Baldwin says this sort of interaction happens “incessantly” these days, elaborating in annoying detail: I don’t know how to say this and I don’t want to get it wrong either, because everything is a minefield of bombs going off, but ever since I played Trump, black people love me. They love me. Everywhere I go, black people go crazy. I think it’s because they’re most afraid of Trump. I’m not going to paint every African-American person with the same brush, but a significant number of them are sitting there going, ‘This is going to be bad for black folks.'” Almost as soon after the article was published online Wednesday, Baldwin was met with major backlash on Twitter. He may not have wanted to paint every African-American with the same brush — but then maybe he should have tried not doing exactly that. Alec Baldwin needs to stop talking for black people , reads one tweet, while another agrees: When liberal white men get too comfortable
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Robin Hood) Bloomberg Considering Presidential Run? On Wednesday former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he has registered as a Democrat and posted on social media that it’s “because we need Democrats to provide the checks and balance our nation so badly needs.” While Bloomberg has not decided whether he will be officially running against 45 in the 2020 election, Time suggests he has put major dollars behind the Democratic party attacking Republicans on policies such as abortion and gun laws. Would ya’ll be here for Michael Bloomberg as an official presidential candidate against Agent Orange?
