The usually very white and boring Oscars were shockingly enjoyable this year with a hilarious host (Ellen), unforgettable moments and endless hilarity on Twitter. Hit the jump for the funniest tweets from the 2014 Oscars.
Black Pastors Launch Petition To Impeach Eric Holder Over Gay Marriage Support Attorney General Eric Holder is the latest in the Obama cabinet to face backlash for not pushing states to enforce laws banning same-sex marriage. via CBS Local A coalition of African-American civil rights leaders and pastors announced a campaign to gather 1 million signatures to impeach Attorney General Eric Holder for attempting to undermine states’ authority to “coerce states to fall in line with same-sex marriage.” Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, the Coalition of African-American Pastors (CAAP) is calling for Holder’s impeachment for “attempting to impose ‘same-sex marriage’ throughout the nation despite federal law, rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, and state constitutional amendments to the contrary,” reads the online petition. “What we have in Attorney General Holder is a man so political in his zeal to redefine marriage that he is willing to run roughshod over the rulings of the Supreme Court, binging federal law, and the United States Constitution along with the constitutions of a majority of states,” the Rev. Bill Owens, founder and president of CAAP, said in a statement. This comes as Holder announced on Tuesday that state attorney generals are not obligated to defend laws in their states that ban same-sex marriage if they do not believe in such legislation. A million signatures is a pretty tall order and given that the country is all but divided on this debate, we’d be surprised if they reached their goal.
We don’t know where all these old-faced babies are popping up from but it’s Twitter’s latest (hilarious) obsession. Hit the jump for another old-face baby gallery.
Trouble follows Chris Brown wherever he goes. Chris Brown Says He Is Being Extorted By Alleged Assault Victim If Breezy isn’t fawking up in rehab , he’s being sued for putting them paws on people. He can’t seem to catch a break. According to TMZ: Chris Brown is the victim of EXTORTION … and his lawyer is about to blow the whistle on the alleged evildoer … so claims Brown’s famous lawyer. Malcolm Ausbon filed a lawsuit against Chris, claiming the rapper and 3 of his goons beat the crap out of him during a pick-up basketball game at 24-Hour Fitness. TMZ has obtained a letter Ausbon’s lawyer sent to Chris’ legal eagle, Mark Geragos, demanding $250,000 from Chris … OR ELSE. As for the “or else” … the lawyer says if Brown doesn’t pay, “Mr. Ausbon is placed in a position by the LAPD where he needs to decide whether he will press charges.” The lawyer continues, “He would rather be compensated.” THAT, Mark Geragos tells TMZ, is EXTORTION … cleverly worded extortion, but extortion nonetheless. Geragos says he’s going after Ausbon by filing a police report. And, by the way, a lawyer in Geragos’ office says he met with Ausbon’s attorney back in August and the guy admitted Brown never touched his client. Geragos’ lawyer says the other attorney said the guy who struck his client had dreadlocks and it was all captured on video. Unfortunately, Chris’ prior bad behavior has made him a target for people looking for a come up. Poor Thang.
Gay H8 is alive and well in Africa … Ugandan President Agrees To Sign Anti-Gay Bill Via NY Times reports: Gay rights in Africa suffered another setback when President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda told members of his party on Friday that he would sign a bill imposing harsh sentences for homosexual acts, including life imprisonment in some cases. The measure would criminalize “the promotion or recognition” of homosexual relations. After a first conviction, offenders face a 14-year prison sentence. Subsequent convictions of “aggravated homosexuality” could bring a penalty of life in prison. The announcement of the president’s intentions came during a conference of Mr. Museveni’s party, the National Resistance Movement, according to a government spokesman. “The NRM caucus has welcomed the development as a measure to protect Ugandans from social deviants,” said the spokesman, Ofwono Opondo, in a post on Twitter on Friday. According to Amnesty International, homosexuality is illegal in 38 of 54 African countries. Homosexual acts can be punished by death sentences in Mauritania, southern Somalia, Sudan and northern Nigeria, where justice is carried out according to a version of Shariah law. After President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria signed a law criminalizing homosexuality throughout the country last month, arrests of gay people have multiplied amid demands for a crackdown. Colonial-era Ugandan law already prohibits homosexual acts. An earlier version of the bill, first introduced in 2009 and then withdrawn, included the death penalty in some instances. An international outcry helped scuttle that version, but legislators pushed ahead with a revised one. The Ugandan Parliament passed the most recent version of the antigay legislation in December. Later that month, Mr. Museveni wrote a letter to Parliament saying that lawmakers had made procedural errors in passing the bill and that in-depth study was needed before it could be taken up again. Mr. Museveni said at the time that he would seek further expert opinions. First Nigeria and now this? Do you think African countries are wrong for banning homosexuality? Shouldn’t these countries be more worried about rebuilding infrastructure, warfare, poverty and education??
We think the U.S. justice system is pretty racist to begin with — and the laws against felons voting is just another way to rob black people from being heard — isn’t it? We’re not the only ones who feel this way. Attorney General Eric Holder is currently speaking up about how states need to repeal laws that keep felons from voting after being released from prison and he’s making quite a point if you ask us. Via WaPo reports : Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday called on states to repeal laws that prohibit felons from voting after their release from prison, urging changes that could allow millions more across the country to cast ballots. In a speech at Georgetown University Law Center, Holder said, “It is time to fundamentally reconsider laws that permanently disenfranchise people who are no longer under federal or state supervision.” Holder said that current laws forbidding felons from voting make it harder for them to reintegrate into society. He pointed to a recent study that showed that felons in Florida who were granted the right to vote again had a lower recidivism rate. “These restrictions are not only unnecessary and unjust, they are also counterproductive,” Holder said. “By perpetuating the stigma and isolation imposed on formerly incarcerated individuals, these laws increase the likelihood they will commit future crimes.” Holder does not have the authority to force states to change their laws, but his request could influence the debate to restore voting rights. His appeal is part of a broader effort underway by the Justice Department to overhaul the criminal justice system, which U.S. officials say often treats minority groups unfairly. The attorney general said that after the Civil War, laws that prohibit felons from voting were a way for post-Reconstruction states to keep blacks from casting ballots. Today, an estimated 5.8 million Americans are not allowed to vote because of current or previous felony convictions. Of those, nearly 38 percent are black. The Justice Department said that 23 states since 1997 have enacted voting rights overhauls. They include Nebraska, Nevada, Texas and Washington state. What do you think about this proposition? We want to hear your thoughts! Shutterstock
Check out this new banger ! D Lux Featuring Ace Hood “Bomb Bomb” Milwaukee’s own D Lux is set to shake up the music world in a major way. The R&B crooner splashed onto the music scene today with a smooth new banger called “Bomb Bomb” featuring Miami rapper Ace Hood… Daryl Lux aka D Lux is proving that he’s 2014’s new R&B prince with the launch of his hit R&B Single ‘Bomb Bomb’ featuring YMCMB/Wethebest artist Ace Hood.” Not since RNB icons “Keith Sweat” or “Jodeci” has there been an American singer with such passionate and sexy music, the kind with the potential to capture the ears and hearts of so many fans around the globe. At the helm of D Lux’s audacious project is his production/writing team, Pacal “Dj Pain 1″ Bayley, and Fred “Traxx Sanders,” a duo called TheBadGuyz. Their collaborative efforts have developed into an ingenious yet sexy sound heard on “No Filters Chapter 1”, D Lux’s highly anticipated debut mixtape. With “Bomb Bomb’s” head knocking production and tastefully brazen lyrics, this song is set to heat up clubs and social media charts alike, placing D Lux in the favor of both traditional RNB and Hip-Hop Fans. Hate it or love it?!? Instagram: @dluxmusic Twitter: @dluxmusic Website: www.dluxmusic.com
Yandy , please save ya open letters. SMH. We had a pretty good idea that a lot of reality TV is FAKE, but we’d never expect them to pretend someone was jailed when they weren’t. But now “Love & Hip-Hop New York” cast member Yandy Smith has some serious explaining to do! The folks at UPTOWN did some digging and they’ve discovered that Yandy’s man Mendeecees is not currently in federal custody: In January 2013 Mendeecees Harris was arrested and charged with narcotics conspiracy and money laundering. Specifically, Mr. Harris was charged with knowingly, willfully and unlawfully combining and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine (Schedule I Substance) and 1 kilogram of heroin (Schedule II Substance). Such narcotics charges are punishable by a sentence of 10 years to life in prison, plus fines. While the laundering charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years, plus fines. In conjunction with the documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, the Court seized specific assets from Mr. Harris and his co-conspirators, including such valuables as a Hublot “King Power” in 18kt rose gold ($45,000) and Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date Chronometer in 18kt yellow gold ($40,000). All in all, federal authorities seized over $406,950 in jewelry. Authorities also seized countless sums from various safe deposit boxes (e.g. $488,900 in a Sovereign Bank safe deposit box, $300,200 in a Bank of America safe deposit box and $122,000 in a Chase safe deposit box). In December 2013, Harris’ co-defendant Ronald Walker (aka Kellz) pled guilty to the narcotics conspiracy and money laundering charges. He admitted to arranging for the distribution of at least 40 kilograms of cocaine and at least 1 kilogram of heroin through Mendeecees (aka Uno) and others. He also admitted to laundering millions of dollars through corporations in his name. Consistent with his plea agreement, Walker was sentenced to the minimum 10 years of imprisonment, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. As a result of Walker’s conviction, $2.5 million worth of assets seized in connection with the investigation were forfeited to the government, including cash and homes in Queens, New York and Fulton County, Georgia. But where do things stand with Mendeecees’ case? Apparently as of November 2013, no public docket entries have been made by the Court Clerk. Both the Bureau of Prisons and Harris’ attorney report that Mendeecees is currently not in federal custody, but do not offer any additional information or comment. The most recent activity in Mendeecees’ case was an order requiring the parties to inform the Court by November 15, 2013 as to whether the defendant would be requesting that infamous detention hearing. Curiously, no public filings appear on record thereafter. If a detention hearing is eventually scheduled and held, the Court will hear testimony and determine whether there is probable cause that Harris committed the alleged offenses. If so, the judge must then decide whether any conditions of release would adequately ensure that the defendant is not a risk of flight or a danger to the community. However, with confirmation that Mendeecees is currently not in federal custody and no recent court filings, there is a likelihood that the case has already been resolved and the details of that resolution are sealed. That’s a lot of money and a lot of weight. Homeboy should be doing a lot of time. So Yandy… Where’s ya man? Thought “Nobody Sposed To Be Here”? Did he get that talk and walk deal? Is he in witness protection? What happened to that boy?