Unarmed Man Paralyzed By Police Wants Charges Dropped A black man who was unarmed when a police officer shot and injured him causing paralysis wants all charges dropped against him. Edward Brown of Phoneix, Arizona says he was racially profiled and the victim of brutality after he was shot in the back. According to ABC 15, on August 5 police responded to a suspicious call about “possible drug activity” in an alley and Brown ran away because of a felony warrant. A chase ensued and an officer claims that he caught Brown trying to hop a fence before he began to walk towards him and then “charged at him.” The officer alleges that Brown made a “swipe for his gun to grab it,” and claims he “felt the tip of his gun get grazed.” Brown says, however, that’s untrue and is using the bullet that was lodged into his back as proof. “If Edward had been trying to take a gun away from the police officer, as has been alleged, as it has come from the police department, he would’ve been shot in the front, not in the back,” said Brown’s lawyer. When Brown was questioned by police at the hospital, he said his back was toward the officer. His family has since launched a GoFundMe to help with legal fees as he fights the case and sues the department. Click HERE to see it.
Young Thug’s booking photo from Sept. 11 2018. Photo courtesy of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Young Thug Turned Himself In Following Indictment On Felony Drug Possession Prosecutors are trying to keep rapper Young Thug locked up for good as he faces drug trafficking and possession charges, BOSSIP can reveal. Officials from the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion Sept. 11 to revoke Young Thug’s bond. Prosecutors from the DA’s Office are scheduled to appear in court Sept. 13 to argue why he should go back behind bars until his case is resolved. The flamboyant artist and his lawyer have also filed a motion for bond and will argue why he should go free while his case is pending. Young Thug- whose real name is Jeffery Williams – turned himself into the DeKalb County Sheriffs Department Sept. 11 after a Grand Jury indicted him on several counts of violating the state’s controlled substance act. Cops arrested the “Gain Clout” rapper last year during a traffic stop after they allegedly found a gun, hydrocodone, a generic form of Xanax, marijuana and codeine. He is still being held in the Dekalb County Jail, according to a Sheriff’s Department spokesperson. It’s not clear why the DA want’s the rapper to languish in the county jail, but it may have to do with the fact that he took almost two weeks to turn himself in after law enforcement issued a warrant for his arrest. We reached out to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, but a spokesperson declined to comment. Young Thug is scheduled to be arraigned next month.
Caucasian woman recycling cans Trump Administration Proposes Food Boxes Instead Of “Free” SNAP Benefits The Trump administration is pressed to “save billions” and they think forcing low-income families to eat from a box of government-picked, nonperishable foods every month will be the solution instead of using the SNAP aka food stamp model in place now, where low income families, veterans and seniors can spend on produce and cold foods freely wherever it’s accepted. According to Politico , White House OMB Director Mick Mulvaney on Monday said the idea as one that” kept up with the modern era”, calling it a “Blue Apron-type program” (a high-end meal kit delivery company that reportedly had one of the worst stock debuts in 2017 and has struggled to hold onto customers.) Mulvaney says that non-perishable food boxes instead of freedom to purchase foods with EBT would offer more nutritious options. (Also implying– damn you raw vegans to your graves, if you’re poor.) This proposal was hidden in the White House’s fiscal 2019 budget. Trump’s administration aims to replace about half of the money most families receive via food stamps with what the Department of Agriculture is calling “America’s Harvest Box.” The USDA contends this new model would save over $129 billion over 10 years, but it’s not very comparable to startup meal-delivery companies like Blue Apron. The Trump administration’s proposal doesn’t include fresh items, like produce or meat, which are the core of Blue Apron and its competitors. Such products perish quickly and are incredibly expensive to ship. Needless to say, folks are not happy about the proposed changes to SNAP. Reportedly grocery retailers are also unhappy at the proposal, including the Food Marketing Institute — which represents major retailers like Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons, where tens of billions of dollars in SNAP benefits are spent each year. The industry argues that government-packed food boxes would simply be inefficient. Touche. It’s up to Congress to make this proposal real, and experts are saying that ain’t gonna happen. So have a seat, GOP goons. Continue reading →
D emocratic Senators Kamala Harris of California and New Jersey’s Cory Booker were appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the The Hill reported. As the first African-American member of the committee since the 1990s, there are a few pressing issues for them to address. SEE ALSO: Illinois Lawsuit Underscores 5 Ways Trump Is Reversing Obama-Era Justice System Reforms Booker vowed to serve as a “check and balance” on President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions . “The Trump administration has repeatedly demonstrated its hostility to the ideals of civil rights and equal justice for all,” he added. Senate Judiciary Committee — Out: Franken, In: Booker, Harris https://t.co/Dz5uCtnaVG — Axios (@axios) January 9, 2018 Among its several tasks, the Judiciary Committee provides oversight of the Department of Justice and the agencies that report to the department, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The members also consider the president’s judicial nominees. Harris is now the second African-American woman to sit on the committee after former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun , a Democrat from Illinois. Booker is the first Black man to serve on the powerful panel. Here are a few issues that Booker and Harris could give voice to on the committee: 1. Oppose Thomas Farr’s judicial nomination Trump nominated Thomas Farr for a lifetime seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. His nomination has drawn widespread criticism . He has a long history of defending laws that weaken voting rights for African Americans and was part of a scheme by North Carolina’s former GOP Sen. Jesse Helms to intimidate Black voters. Looking forward to hearing Thomas Farr’s answers when @SenKamalaHarris & @CoryBooker hold him accountable for suppressing voters. #StopFarr pic.twitter.com/f9wDbCB1y5 — Let America Vote (@letamericavote) January 9, 2018 2. Restore federal oversight of police reform Under President Barack Obama , the Department of Justice investigated police departments and used its leverage to reach agreements to reform departments that had patterns of racially biased policing. Sessions has directed his department in a memo to review those agreements to ensure they align with Trump’s law-and-order policy. Ferguson is undermining Jeff Sessions' argument against DOJ-led police reform https://t.co/2ZRlnzcF8N pic.twitter.com/ZKkDSykEIE — HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) October 30, 2017 3. End excessive court fines on poor people Sessions revoked 25 Justice Department guidance documents on a range of federal laws. One of them was from President Obama’s DOJ that called on courts to stop trapping poor people in cycles of fines, debt and jail. https://t.co/HPLCStepfC attorney Jeff sessions his rescinded a obama-era law that prevented cities from going after blacks and other poor people over excessive court fines. — The Observation Man (@William53604792) December 26, 2017 4. Block voter suppression efforts Republican controlled states continue to employ a myriad of schemes to suppress voter turnout among racial minorities, poor people and other groups that tend to support Democrats. Those efforts include cutbacks on early voting, ID requirements and banning ex-felon from casting a ballot. On Tuesday, new concerns were raised after a federal judge lifted a decades-old ban on the Republican National Committee from engaging in voter intimidation. In 1981 RNC used off-duty police officers with badges & weapons to monitor polls in black & Latino areas of NJ. Court order blocking these voter suppression efforts just expired. This is very bad news for voting rights https://t.co/LGYJv7sj9Y — Ari Berman (@AriBerman) January 9, 2018 5. Oppose efforts to renew the War on Drugs Sessions has signaled a return to the racially biased “war on drugs” policy that led to mass incarceration that will include stepping up drug and gun prosecutions, as well as enforcing mandatory minimum sentences. He revoked Obama-era policies on marijuana Thursday that is widely viewed as a major step in that direction. The war on drugs didn’t stop drug usage; it just ruined a lot of lives. Jeff Sessions is reviving it because he believes in using the criminal justice system as an instrument of racial and economic control of poor people and brown people. https://t.co/XRd8OldE2N — Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) January 4, 2018 SOURCE: The Hill SEE ALSO: Ben Carson Kicks Out 66-Year-Old Chicago Resident Of ‘Closed’ Meeting For Asking About Fair Housing CNN’s Angela Rye Rips Into Rick Santorum For ‘Talking Down’ To Her [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3358541″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Robert Alexander / Getty Trump Tower in Manhattan caught fire early Monday morning, causing the top floor to burn. According to The Fire Department of New York, the tower caught fire before 7am and no injures were reported. Authorities say they took control of the fire around 8am Monday morning and are looking into what caused the fire. Click to read more
A lthough an upcoming White House summit where President Donald Trump will meet with the leaders of historically Black colleges and universities has drawn a lot of criticism, several HBCU leaders say that they are committed to moving forward with the meeting, reports USA Today . Some HBCU presidents gearing up for White House summit https://t.co/zmu3R1pUn5 via @USATODAY — Walter M. Kimbrough (@HipHopPrez) September 16, 2017 While some HBCU presidents have made the decision to pull out of the event—which is slated to take place on Monday—those who still plan on attending believe that it’s crucial to meet with the president so that they can voice their concerns, the news outlet writes. “It’s important that we be at the table,” David Beckley , president of Rust College, told USA Today. “We have to be there to express our concerns. I’m willing to try again. I’m not sure how many more times I’ll go — based on results of this trip.” But will a seat at the table guarantee that their concerns will be addressed? In February, President Trump met with a collective of HBCU presidents to discuss the financial needs of Black institutions and an executive order which moved the HBCU initiative from the Department of Education to the White House. Following the meeting, then-Morehouse president, John Wilson Jr. shared that the exchange was “troubling.” Not to mention, the attention was diverted from their concerns to a viral photo of Kellyanne Conway sitting awkwardly during the meeting. In a piece featured on Medium , Dillard University President Dr. Walter Kimbrough shared that the meeting turned out to be a photo-op for the president. “There was very little listening to HBCU presidents today- we were only given about 2 minutes each, and that was cut to one minute, so only about 7 of maybe 15 or so speakers were given an opportunity today,” he wrote. Since that meeting went awry, things have gone downhill between Trump’s administration and HBCUs. Around the same time that the meeting took place, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos came under fire for making uninformed, ignorant remarks about HBCUs being “pioneers of school choice.” In May, while signing a government spending bill , Trump implied that federal financing for historically Black colleges and universities was unconstitutional. According to NPR , this week Tim Scott —the only Black Republican in the Senate—sat down with Trump to discuss his failure to condemn White supremacists during the Charlottesville chaos. The meeting proved to be ineffective after Trump still blamed “both sides” for the events that took place. What are your thoughts about the upcoming meeting? Sound off in the comments. SOURCE: USA Today , Medium , NPR SEE ALSO: Roland Martin Slams Trump HBCU Funding Flip Flop Finally, DeVos Backtracks On Tone-Deaf HBCU ‘School Choice’ Comments [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3478918″ overlay=”true”]
A dash cam video has emerged of a police officer making racially charged remarks in reference to police violence. The video shows Lt. Greg Abbott of the Cobb County (Georgia) Police Department asking a woman to pick up her phone during a DUI stop. The woman said she’s afraid to put her hands down because she’s “seen too many videos of cops.” “But you’re not Black,” Abbott says on video . “Remember we only shoot Black people. Yeah. We kill Black people right?” An internal investigation was opened on Aug. 25 and Abbott has been assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation. Cobb County police chief Mike Register denounced the incident, saying that “no matter what context it was said, it shouldn’t have been said.” “We’re not making any excuses,” Register added. “We’re meeting this head-on and we’re going to deal with it.” As expected, Abbott’s attorney issued a statement via WSB-TV Atlanta that was dismissive of the response to his client’s words: “Lt. Greg Abbott is a highly respected 28-year veteran of the Cobb County Police Department. He is cooperating with the department’s internal investigation and will continue to do so. His comments will be observed in their totality to understand their context. He was attempting to de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger. In context, his comments were clearly aimed at attempting to gain compliance by using the passenger’s own statements and reasoning to avoid making an arrest.” Those in positions of power, like Register’s, know these racist, violent systems exist as much as we do. Many of them wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the blood shed by Black and brown bodies. It’s only when someone says it out loud that it then becomes a problem. You can watch the video below. SOURCE: WSB-TV SEE ALSO: Dashcam Video Raises Doubt About Police Version Of Cop Beating Black Driver Dashcam Shows Police Searching Black Woman’s Vagina During Traffic Stop [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3478918″ overlay=”true”]
ATLiens, Future and Young Thug just may be working on new material after the Dirty Sprite rapper posted several pictures of the two at a studio. Future and Young Thug recently collaborated on a track titled, “Relationship” which appeared on Thug’s latest mixtape, Beautiful Thugger Girls. Lalaa Shepard @lalaashep
Atlanta ranks 5th in the country in new HIV infections The Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness wants to get a prevention drug to people who are most at risk of getting HIV. Truvada is about 92% effective in keep HIV negative people from getting the infection. Truvada is expensive and without insurance it […]
Investigation Launched Into Strippers At South African Prison Looks like the corrections system is a LOT different overseas. For one, it seems they get the occasional perks …like shake-dancers on the yard, for instance. Photos have gone viral depicting several prisoners in a South African prison getting booty butt cheeks rubbed all over them while having recess. Thing is, the correctional facility in question apparently holds some of the worst offenders and most hardened criminals in South Africa. James Smalberger, the national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, admitted that the inmates do indeed get a celebration around this time of year…but professional booty-clappers were NOT a part of the agreement. Via CNN : “The pictures taken were of an event hosted in line with June Youth Month celebrations on the 21st of June, but the form of entertainment as depicted on social media was not approved and not in line with Correctional Services policies and procedures.” He assured that a full investigation was underway to figure out just whose bright idea it was to let the ladies deal dances on the prison yard. Wow, this prison is lax. Not only do they get dances, but clear enough cameras to document it and social media access to spread the news… Creative Commons
