If you weren’t aware, the FBI has labeled certain Black activists as possible “domestic terrorists” seeking to incite and execute violent acts against police. Yes, you read that correct…that African Americans are supposedly posing a violent threat to police officers, and NOT the other way around . Organized actions such as self-defense training courses, safe weapons training, and open-carry neighborhood patrols in their own communities have “tipped off” the FBI for leaders of movements such as these to be seen as a threat. Vice follows the plight of Rakem Balogun, the Dallas man taken in by the FBI on weapons suspicions as a “Black Identity Extremist” and eventually freed without charges. SMH, what do you think of the FBI’s focus on groups like these as “potential terrorists?” Getty/YouTube
U tah’s Republican Rep. Mia Love , who’s Black, is doing everything to defend her congressional seat in a tight race—including playing the race card against Democrats. See Also: Mo’ Money? GOP’s Mia Love Reportedly Wants To Keep More Campaign Dollars Despite Breaking Law Love went on Fox News radio Monday and accused the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee of targeting her seat because she’s Black, Roll Call reported. “They do not like the fact that I am a Black female Republican doing everything I possibly can to talk about the issues that help people go from the lowest common denominator up,” Love said in the interview. Utah Rep Mia Love is reportedly in hot water. Here's why https://t.co/g1XC06oFHg pic.twitter.com/m8ewCQwsTE — NewsOne (@newsone) September 12, 2018 Love, seeking her third term in Congress, has found herself in a tight race. Utah is a red state, but many residents of the 4th District have been showing love to the congresswoman’s opponent, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams . A Salt Lake Tribune poll in June found that Love had just a six-point lead over McAdams. The congresswoman was fighting for her political life while embroiled in a campaign finance scandal . Love was in hot water with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) over her team improperly raising more than a million dollars for a primary election that was never expected to happen. During the Fox interview, Love lashed out about the political ads against her. “They want to just do character assassination, and I’m telling you what Brian, I’m not going to allow them to do that,” she told host Brian Kilmeade . “This is absolutely — it’s below me. … This is something that’s happening not just to me, but around the country. This is the way that they’re trying to win. They will buy, they will cheat, they will assassinate your character to try and win.” But Love has also fired off negative ads, tying McAdams to President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton in one of them. SEE ALSO: The One Story – Blue Party: Say Hello To The Black Wave President Of The Dallas Police Association Slams Chief Renee Hall For Firing Amber Guyger [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3825613″ overlay=”true”]
D eputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein ’s job was in jeopardy Monday, as he awaits a meeting with President Donald Trump that could end with the White House in deeper turmoil. See Also: Here’s Everyone Charged In The Trump Russia Investigation Rosenstein will remain in his post for now and meet with Trump on Thursday, the Washington Post reported. The number-two person at the U.S. Justice Department, who’s overseeing the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, was expected earlier on Monday to be removed from his post, according to USA Today . Trump, who has long sought to fire Rosenstein over special counsel Robert Mueller ’s Russia probe, could set off a series of events that ends in his impeachment if he decides to fire the deputy attorney general, USA Today note. Rod J. Rosenstein to stay in job, will meet with Trump on Thursday, White House says https://t.co/ZmfCXTPy8B — Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 24, 2018 This all stems from an explosive New York Times report on Friday, which said Rosenstein, in 2017, had suggested wearing a wire while meeting with the president to possibly invoking the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which spells out the procedures for removing a president who’s unfit for office. Rosenstein denied the claims from anonymous sources in Times’ report. His suggestion to wear a wire reportedly came in the aftermath of the chaos from Trump’s controversial decision to fire FBI Director James Comey , who was leading the Russian collusion investigation. After Trump dismissed Comey in May 2017, Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel in charge of the Russia investigation. The removal of Comey was seen as possible obstruction of justice evidence against Trump. The deputy attorney general began overseeing Mueller’s probe because Trump’s former political ally, Attorney General Jeff Sessions , recused himself in 2017 from the case. Rosenstein has defender Mueller every time the president has hinted at firing the special counsel. Removing Rosenstein has been viewed by many as a first step to replacing him with someone who will follow the president’s wishes to end the Mueller investigation. But there could be political fallout from replacing Rosenstein. Even some Republicans have urged the president not to make that move, especially ahead of the midterm elections. It would be seen by many voters as the president’s attempt to end the Russia probe and lead to calls from the left and right for his impeachment. If Trump does fire Rosenstein, Solicitor General Noel Francisco would assume oversight of the Russia investigation, according to the Times. Francisco was a partner at Jones Day in 2016. The law firm represented the president’s 2016 campaign. Consequently, there could be a conflict of interest if Francisco oversees the Russia probe. SEE ALSO: Amber Guyger Is Fired For Killing Botham Jean Is His Own Dallas Apartment Michelle Obama Warns That ‘Other Folks’ Still Show Up At The Polls If We Don’t [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3825613″ overlay=”true”]
Image via Splash/Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office Amber Guyger Fired After Botham Jean Shooting The officer who took the life of innocent Botham Jean has finally been fired. Officer Amber Guyger was terminated, Monday, September 24, by Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall for “engaging in adverse conduct” when she was charged with manslaughter. pic.twitter.com/Bvt4ixHGsl — Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) September 24, 2018 The news comes after Chief Hall said she wouldn’t fire Guyger “yet” and continued to keep her on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. “As an employer, DPD can compel Officer Guyger to provide a statement during a DPD administrative investigation and those statements given to DPD could potentially compromise the criminal investigation,” Hall said in a written statement. No word yet on when Guyger will be tried for gunning down Botham Jean September 6 in his apartment—but this is a well overdue move. We’re far from satisfied however as we await a conviction.
O n Monday, Bill Cosby will be sentenced for his conviction on all three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging Andrea Constand before he sexually assaulted her at his Philadelphia home in 2004. The legendary comedian might be headed to prison that same day. READ MORE: Full Coverage Of Bill Cosby’s Retrial For Sexual Assault After he was found guilty in April , prosecutors asked for Cosby to be incarcerated immediately, but the judge released him on $1 million bail and ordered him to stay his home until the sentencing. Now, according to TMZ , “Authorities connected to the case tell TMZ … prosecutors will push for the disgraced comedian/felon to be immediately hauled off to prison once the judge sentences him Monday AM.” Cosby will be sentenced at Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas and the 81-year-old is facing 30 years in prison. Over several decades, he has been accused of assaulting over 60 women. Constand and at least five other accusers will be at the sentencing but they will not be able to testify. According to NBC News , “Cosby’s lawyers opposed the request for additional accusers to testify at the sentencing hearing. Judge O’Neill agreed, writing in his order that in an ‘exhaustive review’ of state case law he found nothing allowing him to consider ‘uncharged conduct” at the sentencing.” Cosby’s legal team is appealing the verdict and if he is allowed to be released while fighting for an appeal, he will more than likely never be in prison. SEE ALSO: Social Media Says It Has Identified The Dallas Cop Who Shot And Killed A Black Man In His Own Home Meet Jogger Joe, The Man Who Took Racist Cue From BBQ Becky In Tossing Homeless Man’s Clothes This Colin Kaepernick Retweet Says Everything You Need To Know About The NFL Players’ Anthem Grievance [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3747391″ overlay=”true”]
I t’s no secret that Black voter turnout was low during the 2016 presidential campaign. Part of the reason was Democrats taking the Black vote for granted, rarely hiring African-Americans at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and poor messaging. For the 2018 midterms, the Black vote was again expected to be key, as it helped power Doug Jones past Roy Moore during the Alabama U.S. Senate race. In addition, Andrew Gillum of Florida and Stacey Abrams of Georgia secured their Democratic nominations for governor. Now, one Democrat was putting his money where his mouth is. SEE ALSO: Texas Cop Shoots Unarmed Black Man For Entering His Own Truck Billionaire Tom Steyer , most known for his calls to impeach 45, was donating $1 million to an initiative to increase turnout among Black youth, especially in the 2018 midterm elections, Axios.com reported . Black Lives Rising works directly with Color of Change PAC and Black Futures Lab. Arisha Hatch, director of Color of Change PAC, said they are avoiding “a transactional engagement with Black voters.” They will focus on Black non-voters and Black irregular voters — meaning voters who voted for President Barack Obama but haven’t felt compelled to vote in midterm elections. “For too long, Black youth have been denied a seat at the table, but with the rise of young black leaders … a new era of inclusive politics is emerging,” Steyer said in a statement. Clearly, Steyer knows the key to winning elections is the Black vote. Let’s see if other so-called progressive millionaires and billionaires follow his lead. SEE ALSO: Social Media Says It Has Identified The Dallas Cop Who Shot And Killed A Black Man In His Own Home Meet Jogger Joe, The Man Who Took Racist Cue From BBQ Becky In Tossing Homeless Man’s Clothes This Colin Kaepernick Retweet Says Everything You Need To Know About The NFL Players’ Anthem Grievance [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3825613″ overlay=”true”]
Image via Joel Saget/Getty Botham Jean’s Mother Speaks Out Against Smear Campaign F**k the police . Periodt. Botham Jean ‘s mother is sick and tired of the f***ery that is currently taking place within the Dallas Police Department. The boys and girls in blue are doing everything in their power to besmirch Botham’s good name. A name that, according to what family lawyer Lee Merritt told CNN , had never once been associated with crime or arrest in his 26 years of life. “The Dallas Police Department investigators were interested specifically in finding information that could help assassinate his character,” attorney Lee Merritt told reporters. “Twenty-six years on this earth he lived his life without a blemish. It took being murdered by a Dallas police officer for Botham Jean to suddenly become a criminal.” Jean’s mother also had words for the people who are protecting the woman who murdered her son. “I’m calling on the Dallas officials … please come clean. Give me justice for my son because he does not deserve what he got,” Allison Jean said. There aren’t even proper words to describe the unbridled anger that we feel toward cops when things like this happen. Then they have the nerve to chide Black folks for wearing socks with pigs on them…
We all know that Rihanna is one for the glitz and glam, and her 4th annual Diamond Ball event absolutely lived up to that bill. Check out this post from Hot New Hip Hop , and don’t forget to scroll through those photos from IG! Via | HotNewHipHop Check out pictures from Rihanna’s 4th annual Diamond Ball event in NYC Thursday night. Rihanna ’s fourth annual Diamond Ball fundrasier is taking place Thursday night at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, where Issa Rae will serve as the host & Childish Gambino as the night’s entertainment. The black-tie event is meant to benefit Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, which “supports and funds groundbreaking and effective education, health and emergency response programs around the world.”
G un violence across the nation has reached a human rights crisis level: from the out-of-control situations in Chicago and Baltimore to tragedies like the Parkland, Florida , school shooting and most recently the Dallas cop who killed an unarmed Black man in his own apartment. NewsOne spoke with Philadelphia-based Black Lives Matter (BLM) national organizer and activist Asa Khalif about his grassroots effort to help stem the crisis in Philadelphia, where shootings have increased by 10 percent this year and homicides in southwest Philadelphia have surged by 26 percent . See Also: Heartbreaking: Chicago Mourns Gun Violence Activist As City Sees 21 People Shot Amnesty International released a new report on Wednesday that examined how the U.S. government has allowed gun violence to become a human rights crisis “on a massive scale” and accuses the powers that be of violating international human rights standards. U.S. officials are required to comply with certain global treaties that touch on the right to live free of violence, including the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, the global human rights organization said. But gun violence has disproportionately affected Black communities. African-Americans represented approximately 13 percent of the population in 2016, yet they constituted nearly 60 percent of gun homicides nationwide. Naomi Wadler—the 11-year-old activist who delivered a poignant speech about gun violence at the March for Our Lives demonstration in March—will be honored by the NAACP. https://t.co/ofDM1xm1El pic.twitter.com/1egG1Cei3g — NewsOne (@newsone) July 15, 2018 Khalif said he supported Amnesty International designating gun violence a human rights crisis. Last year, He and other activists started an initiative in Philadelphia last year to reach out to young people in the community. He said they see themselves as uniquely positioned to contribute to a solution through preventing potentially violent situations from getting worse. NewsOne (NO): How is BLM organized to combat gun violence in Philadelphia? Asa Khalif (AK): We have defused and de-escalated at least 25 to 30 incidents last year, and 45 this summer. We know the players because we live in the community. When we get information, word on the street that there will be beef, often through Instagram or Facebook, it’s very easy for us to approach ‘Raheem’ and say, “Can I talk to you? I heard there’s a misunderstanding, could we have a conversation before it gets to a certain level.” A lot of this violence comes from misunderstandings. A lot of times the brothers don’t even want to engage in violence. A lot of it is ego, peer pressure, false pride. And they’re looking for a way out. Intervening helps both parties to save face and walk away without looking like a quote, punk. We are concerned about this issue. We live in the community. The myth is we only show up when there’s a police shooting. We are on the front lines when it comes to gun violence because it affects us. We have loved ones who have been victims. NO: The interventions you described are important, but what’s the bigger solution? AK: Gun violence is a virus in our community. We know the virus; we’ve detected the virus, and we know where that virus is coming from. It’s up to us, organizers and people in the community. We have the cure. We have to come together as people of color to make sure gun violence is not an issue in our community. There’s a church on every block in our community, and those churches go behind safe walls and preach to themselves. It’s time now for ministers and congregations to link up with the activists, and not be afraid of BLM activists who have been deemed militant. As I’ve said when the movie Black Panther was playing, we–the activists, community leaders and mothers and fathers who are standing in our communities–are the superheroes. Black Panther, Wonder Woman, Batman, those are people who don’t exist and are not coming to save our community, and so we have to pick up the torch. In #Philadelphia we #WearOrange , we march and we say #Enough to Gun Violence @MomsDemand pic.twitter.com/aGkcyWXa5R — Jme B GunSafety (@archymomjaime) June 2, 2018 NO: Do you share Amnesty International’s view that the government bears a lot of blame for the gun violence? Aside from the legislative failures toward achieving gun control, has other government policies contributed to the problem? AK: I’ve been extremely critical of the federal government, which has always had a hand in the flow of guns into the community. We have to hold the government and gun dealerships accountable. We need to call on law enforcement, instead of occupying our community and shooting us in the back, to do the job you were sworn to do. If you’re going to rush into our community, make sure the busts you do are the gun dealers, the ones who are making the big dollars, not ‘Raheem’ who sold a gun for 50 bucks. The government is also 99 percent to blame in setting the conditions that make gun violence an issue. We have poverty in our community, unemployment, our schools are not as well-funded as white counterparts. It all gives a sense of hopelessness. When you have those conditions and you have no self-worth, it’s very easy to pick up a gun and shoot someone who looks like you because you don’t value yourself. If you give people hope, you’ll see a turnaround. Give a man a job and you’ll see a drop in crime. Young people need a place to go and a purpose, an alternative to standing on the corner and selling drugs. SEE ALSO: Black Pastor Praises Dallas Police Chief For How She Is Handling Amber Guyger Killing Botham Jean In His Home White Man Pulls Gun On HBCU Students After Entering Apartment Building [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3825237″ overlay=”true”]
We have shocking news to report from the world of Married at First Sight: One of the couples featured on this Lifetime reality series has called it quits. Why is this so surprising, considering the finale of each Married at First Sight season ends with twosomes deciding to give their love an extended shot … or to go their separate ways? Because this break-up has taken place during the season. Indeed, with new Season 7 installments airing every Tuesday night, Mia Bally and Tristan Thompson* have announced that they can’t pretend any longer. They can’t spend another moment as husband and wife. They are getting a divorce. (*No, not that Tristan Thompson ; not the basketball player who has scarcely met an Instagram model he didn’t want to bend over and simply pound. We’re talking about this other one.) According to People Magazine, Bally filed for this legal split in Dallas County, Texas, on September 4. It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who’s been watching Married at First Sight that this relationship has come to a conclusion. It’s only unexpected that Bally is the one who has filed the paperwork. Over the course of the past few weeks, Thompson has been struggling with a few issues from Mia’s past, specificially that she was arrested years ago on a charge of stalking . This information came to light after Mia was detained and questioned at the airport while the newlyweds were set to embark on their honeymoon. Later on, Tristan learned that Bally was still active on a dating app, even while the two were married. That was yet another major bump in the romantic road, but Thompson (on air, at least) had been willing to try and overlook the obstacles and remained committing to his union. That said, there were very clear signs of tension. All of this is piling up, and now I’m sitting here not knowing who I just married,” Thompson said at one point. He added during another scene: “This entire marriage I feel like I’ve been completely honest with Mia, and I’ve told her to just give me the truth, and it seems like she’s gone out of her way to hide things from me. “I honestly don’t know what to feel or what to believe right now. I thought we were done with all the secrets and lies.” Like we said: it’s no surprise these two didn’t work out. We’re just taken aback that Mia is the one to have pulled the plug. But we guess Tristan just didn’t live up to the expectations she had in mind for a husband. “I feel like I lead a simple life,” she said in the past, explaining: “I do go to church every Sunday. “I am part of a Bible study group on Tuesdays. So that’s what I want is a man to lead me closer to Christ, or even a goal, us have a goal together, and he leads me towards those same motivational values that we have.” Oh well. Better luck next time, guys! Married at First Sight airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on Lifetime.
