Source: Kris Connor / Getty Authorities have recovered two new suspicious packages addressed to a political figure and Oscar-Winning actor. A suspicious package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden at a mail facility in New Castle, Delaware. This morning another package was found, addressed to actor Robert Deniro. Source: Michael Wright/WENN.com / WENN Both Biden and Deniro are critics of Donald Trump. On Wednesday, explosive packages were sent to Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, former CIA director John Brennan at CNN’s New York bureau office, Rep. Maxine Waters, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and former Attorney General Eric Holder. On Monday an explosive package was found, addressed to George Soros. RELATED: Update: Potential Bombs Mailed To The Homes Of The Clinton, Obama Families, CNN & The White House [ione_media_gallery src=”https://woldcnews.com” id=”1634480″ overlay=”true”]
S tories of racism involving political candidates in several races have come out ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. The stories have undoubtedly sparked controversy for white male candidates such as Brian Kemp, Ron DeSantis and JB Pritzker . RELATED: Ron DeSantis’ Racist History Didn’t Just Begin With His ‘Monkey’ Attack On Andrew Gillum Pritzker, who is running for Illinois governor, is the subject of a federal racial discrimination lawsuit. Ten Black and Latinx campaign workers for the candidate, who already has some racist blemishes on his record, are seeking $7.5 million and several reform measures, they said in the suit filed on Wednesday (Oct. 17), reported the Chicago Sun-Times The candidate is running a campaign that is a “cesspool of racial discrimination and harassment,” they said. Specifically, Pritzker promoted racial discrimination by “herding” Black and Latino workers into “less desirable jobs than white staffers” with no options for promotions, they said. Organizers of color were sent into the field to perform “racist tasks” such as being told to “go round up 40 Black guys” for an event as part of the campaign, according to the suit. African American and Latino campaign workers sue @JBPritzker alleging “discrimination and harassment”. @ABC7Chicago pic.twitter.com/Jcpf87eNLI — Craig Wall ABC 7 (@craigrwall) October 17, 2018 Pritzker, unsurprisingly, denounced the suit as false. The lawsuit brings up racism wounds from the candidate’s past: In February, the Chicago Tribune released recordings of an FBI wiretapped conversation that Pritzker had with incarcerated former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Pritzker referred to Secretary of State Jesse White as the “least offensive” of possible African-American candidates for Barack Obama ’s Senate seat in one taped call from Nov. 14, 2008. The candidate also then hinted that Blagojevich should consider White to replace Obama because “it covers you on the African-American thing.” Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp , who is running for state govenor against Stacey Abrams , has been called out for reported controversial behavior as well. Civil rights groups are suing Kemp for allegedly trying to suppress the Black vote , a practice that has disproportionately affected African Americans. In Florida, Ron DeSantis , the GOP’s gubernatiorial candidate opposing Andrew Gillum , sparked outrage after he told Florida voters not to “ monkey up ” the election by supporting Gillum. The comment took on a racist undertone by using the word, “monkey,” a derogatory insult historically meant to target Black people. The stories of racism among political candidates are seemingly neverending. SEE ALSO: Woman Who Tried To Block A Black Man From Entering His Own Apartment Building Doubles Down, ‘I Didn’t Do Anything Wrong ‘ Georgia Police Department Sparks More Outrage After Cop Drags Black Boy On Video [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3832050″ overlay=”true”]
B arack Obama took the stage for his farewell speech mere days after Donald Trump had been elected president of the United States in 2016. The 44th president tried his best to instill hope and faith in his followers who had been dealt a blow of fear and despair. He spoke about civil action and voicing our concerns when the government fails us. At one point, when Obama mentioned the future President Donald Trump, members of the crowd started to boo. His response was short, off-the-cuff and enlightening about the outgoing president’s ideals: “Don’t boo, vote.” This has been Obama’s doctrine for more than a decade, and to be fair, a go-to one-stop solution offered up mostly to minority populations as the ways to initiate change in America. This isn’t new. One of the pillars of the civil rights movement was making sure that African-Americans could secure the right to vote. An incalculable amount of men and women died for that right to cast ballots in elections. My father risked his life fighting for voting rights. I understand the vast importance of the changes that can occur in America if people have a passion for voting. But I also understand that acting like voting is the final solution to the problems poisoning America is an oversimplified dismissal of what Black people have had to endure to simply survive. READ MORE: Here’s What Millennials Think About Voting For A Black Candidate Having faith in voting is, in effect, having faith in the fairness of America’s so-called democracy. And having faith in America’s so-called democracy is an act of naïveté and self-sabotage. American politics doesn’t act on fairness. It never has, and as soon as Black people secured the right to vote, the country worked overtime to find ways to take those rights away, either by stripping that right via mass incarceration or straight-up changing rules to nullify the impacts of Black votes. In short, the war against Black voting rights never ended and the weeks and days leading up to the 2018 midterms is a testament to how much this country – namely the GOP – wants to make Black voting ineffective. In Georgia, for instance, Republican Secretary Of State and GOP candidate for governor, Brian Kemp, has purged 53,000 names from voter registration lists – more than 70 percent of those were African-American despite the fact the state is a little more than 30 percent Black. Since 2014, the state has shut down 214 polling places, mostly in predominately Black counties. Florida is suppressing more than half a million voters . A study from the Brennan Center For Justice found that New York, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida have engaged in illegal purges, while Arizona, Alabama, Maine and Indiana have put rules on the books that violate the Civil Rights Act in order to suppress votes. Officials at polling places no longer have to make potential voters ask how many bubbles are on a bar of soap anymore as policies achieving the same purpose are now baked into official laws across the country. But what happens if we do actually get to cast a ballot on Election Day? American policy has failsafes in place to minimize the impact of Black votes. The electoral college was instituted as a compromise to give southern states heightened voting power to account for their population of slaves. That same electoral college allowed the last two Republican presidential candidates to ascend to the White House despite the fact they didn’t win the popular vote. The Senate, which allocates two votes per state, dilutes popular votes, as well. By 2040 , two-thirds of the Senate will represent a mere 30 percent of the U.S. population. Think about this: Due to the population differences between Alaska and California and the fact they each still get the same amount of Senate representatives, a Senate vote in Alaska is worth more than 50 times a vote in California. READ MORE: Kavanaugh Brings His Voter Suppression Record To A Court That Just Upheld A State’s ID Law Voting is a vastly important method of changing the country when we are dissatisfied with those in charge. However, the narrative around voting needs to change. Black people, for the most part, don’t pass on voting because they are lazy or complacent. Voting numbers are rarely if ever a reflection of how much Black people care. On the contrary, voting numbers are reflections of the continued effort to suppress Black people’s rights to have a say in what happens in regards to American policy. Every Black vote is a testament to perseverance and overcoming a system that doesn’t want us stepping foot in voting booths. Every missed Black vote is a reflection of the country succeeding in suppression. When Obama admonished to “don’t boo, vote,” he was displaying the faith he has in America – the same faith that got him elected and the same faith that kept him from believing Donald Trump could be president until it was too late. However, “just” voting isn’t enough. Don’t boo, vote. Don’t boo, resist. Don’t boo, march. Don’t boo, speak up. Don’t boo, live. This is how we survive in America. SEE ALSO: Georgia Removed Scores Of Voter From Its Rolls As Stacey Abrams Tries To Make History, Lawsuit Says Stacey Abrams May Be Reason Why Georgia’s Black Voters Want More Absentee Ballots [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3826898″ overlay=”true”]
R on DeSantis ’ campaign for Florida governor hit a new low with the revelation that he authored a book that defended slavery. See Also: Ron DeSantis’ Racist History Didn’t Just Begin With His ‘Monkey’ Attack On Andrew Gillum In his 2011 book Dreams from Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama , DeSantis excused the Founding Fathers for ratifying slavery in the Constitution and launched attacks on President Barack Obama , American Ledger reported. This news comes as DeSantis continues to deny that he’s a racist, despite multiple incidents that suggest otherwise. For example, less than 24 hours after winning his party’s nomination, DeSantis blew a racist dog whistle when he warned voters not to “monkey this up” by electing his rival, Mayor Andrew Gillum , who is African-American. That’s just one example on a long list . NewsOne contacted DeSantis’ campaign for comments but received no immediate response. Ron DeSantis, GOP Gov candidate in FL, wrote a racially charged book that excused slavery. If you’re like us, you’re losing track of all the times @RonDeSantisFL has had to declare he’s “not a racist”. #flgov #flapol https://t.co/QttweT7LXZ — American Bridge (@American_Bridge) October 9, 2018 DeSantis argues in his book, which he wrote while running for Congress, that the founders had no other choice but to permit slavery to establish the nation, and he describes the dehumanizing three-fifths compromise as “anti-slavery.” Under that rule, slaves were considered three-fifths of a person in census counts used to determine how many congressional seats were allotted to each state. DeSantis is far from the only Republican to defend slavery by downplaying its evils. Roy Moore , Alabama’s unsuccessful GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, told a Black audience member at a 2017 rally that America was last great during slavery, according to the Washington Post . “I think it was great at the time when families were united — even though we had slavery — they cared for one another,” Moore said. Disgraced Fox News political commentator Bill O’Reilly defended the working conditions for the slaves who built the White House. “Slaves that worked there were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government, which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802,” he stated. Even Black Republicans at times fail to denounce slavery. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson described slaves as “immigrants” in a 2017 speech to his staff. “That’s what America is about, a land of dreams and opportunity,’’ he said. “There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less.” SEE ALSO: Meet Kim Jackson, Brett Kavanaugh’s Black Supreme Court Law Clerk Policy That Terrorized Black People Expected To Be Supported By Trump And Kavanaugh [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3829976″ overlay=”true”]
T he conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports claimed that 35 percent of African-Americans approve of President Donald Trump ‘s job performance. Through this survey, the politically biased pollster is supporting Trump’s myth that he’s done a lot for Black people. See Also: Canceled! Millennials Pick Obama As Best President Over Trash-Talking Trump In a report released on Friday, Rasmussen placed Trump’s overall approval rating at 51 percent among likely voters. “This is Trump’s highest Presidential Approval Index rating since early March of last year, shortly after he first took office,” Rasmussen stated. One day earlier, Rasmussen tweeted about the suspiciously high level of Black voter support for the president. Good day for @realDonaldTrump job approval… https://t.co/mazBCW77nY All Voters: 50% approve Black Voters: 35% approve pic.twitter.com/MKP85IGRYU — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) October 4, 2018 Rasmussen raised eyebrows in August when its polling first suggested that there was an increase of Black voter support for Trump. The Washington Post called that claim “far-fetched,” given the president’s long history of racial insensitivity. The newspaper pointed out that Gallup surveys have consistently polled African-American approval of Trump at around 10 percent through 2018. This new poll comes as Trump tries to rally his base and help the GOP scrape together as many Black votes as possible to hold on to Congress. At rallies, Trump has been trying to convince people that he’s accomplished great things for African-Americans in his two years in office. Among his claims is that Black median income has reached a high point under his administration. That’s not true, according to the Associated Press . Census Bureau data shows that the median income in 2017 for an African-American household was $40,258. That’s below a 2000 peak of $42,348 and also statistically no better than 2016, which was President Barack Obama ’s last year in office, the AP said. It’s no surprise that Rasmussen appears to help Trump promote the myth of Black support, given its connection with the GOP . To achieve its ends, Rasmussen Reports uses research techniques that make its polls favor Republicans, Ipsos Public Affairs research director Mallory Newall told The Hill . SEE ALSO: 12-Year-Old Student On A Mission To End Racist Bullying After Classmate Called Him The N-Word ‘We’re Here For Justice,’ Demands Protester At A Demonstration Against The Police Killing Of Patrick Kimmons [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3829244″ overlay=”true”]
Y oungster Mari Copeny hasn’t even entered her teens yet, but she has already left an indelible mark in the realm of social activism. Two years after the now 11-year-old activist brought attention to the Flint water crisis, she will be honored by the toy company Lottie Dolls with her own doll, EBONY reported. Mari Copeny AKA Little Miss Flint was known around Flint, Michigan for her activism. She became a viral star for the letter she wrote to Barack Obama requesting a meeting about the Flint water crisis! The Kid Activist doll reminds us, #KIDSVOICESMATTER ! https://t.co/uX2Jr1AoaS — EBONY MAGAZINE (@EBONYMag) October 3, 2018 The company, based in Ireland, created a doll called “Kid Activist” which was inspired by Copeny, the news outlet writes. Copeny garnered national attention after she penned a letter to former President Barack Obama asking him to meet with her so that they can figure out a solution to overcome the water crisis. “I am one of the children that is effected by this water, and I’ve been doing my best to march in protest and to speak out for all the kids that live here in Flint. This Thursday I will be riding a bus to Washington, D.C. to watch the congressional hearings of our Governor Rick Snyder . I know this is probably an odd request but I would love for a chance to meet you or your wife,” she wrote in the letter, according to the Los Angeles Times . Copeny, who is known as “Little Miss Flint,” got the opportunity to meet the president in May 2016. The Kid Activist doll dons a beautiful full afro, a jacket that says “Stand Up,” and a protest sign that bears the words “Kids Voices Matter.” The doll is priced at $24.95. Copeny took to Twitter to share the news about the doll’s release. For those that have been waiting….my doll has finally launched. #BlackGirlMagic #RepresentationMatters #Mari2044 https://t.co/4VCRCSKNmo — Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) September 28, 2018 Representation is everything. Several toy companies are creating dolls in which Black and brown children can see themselves reflected. In an effort to be a beacon of light for young Black girls battling with depression, entrepreneur TiffanyJ created Super Beauty Dolls to empower girls to be comfortable in their own skin. SEE ALSO: Entrepreneur Creates Line Of Dolls To Help Black Girls Who Suffer From Depression 11-Year-Old Naomi Wadler To Be Honored By NAACP For Anti-Gun Violence Activism [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3829244″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Pool / Getty Malia Obama is in her sophomore year at Harvard University and seems to be enjoying it. We’ve seen her walk around campus with her alleged boo, go to concerts and now she’s making appearances in music videos. According to TMZ , Malia can be found in a video for a band called New Dakotas . Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit The band members feature different people showing off their dancing and musical talent in different shots of the video for their song, “Walking on Air.” New Dakotas is made up of 4 member and all of them attend Harvard. Malia can be found during the 1:41 mark as well as at 2:01 dancing and playing the harmonica. RELATED: Pro-Trumpers Are Spreading Lies About Malia Obama While She Is Living Her Best Life At Harvard All the guys in the video are seniors set to graduate this year. Malia wants to work in the television and film industry. She interned as a production assistant for Harvey Weinstein’s company years ago. From the looks of the video she has some moves like her parents! Let us know what you think of the music video. RELATED: 3 Facts About Malia Obama’s Rumored Boyfriend RELATED: Malia Obama And Rumored Boyfriend Live It Up In The Big Apple [PHOTOS] [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1924743″ overlay=”true”]
CNN analyst, Angela Rye never holds her tongue when it comes to politics and has been taking over the internet with several viral interviews, sayings and more. She spoke with “ The Rickey Smiley Morning Show ” about registering to vote and is currently on the road for the new initiative with Michelle Obama , “When We All Vote,” encouraging people to do their civic duty. This week was National Registration Day and Rye is determined to make sure everyone that is eligible to vote does so. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit During the interview she talked about voting and said, “It’s one freedom of power where we’re all equal.” She is so happy to be joining forces with Obama and others as we go into the midterm elections. While on the show she also discussed Brett Kavanaugh . RELATED: How Common Wronged Angela Rye [EXCLUSIVE] She believed his testimony was a disaster. Rye spoke about him crying but never seeing tears and the lack of Kavanaugh not answering questions. She also doesn’t like the fact that the other woman that want to testify that he allegedly sexually assaulted them won’t be able to speak. RELATED: Angela Rye Destroys A Republican Who Defended The Alton Sterling Ruling: “You Are Out Your Damn Mind!” [VIDEO] RELATED: Angela Rye On Whether Or Not Trump Will Ever Be Impeached [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1793296″ overlay=”true”] The Latest : Dinah Jane Talks New Single, Ghosting People And Finding Her Voice [EXCLUSIVE] New Music: Lil Wayne “Tha Carter V” [AUDIO] Bill Cosby Called ‘Serial Rapist’ As Walk Of Fame Star Is Vandalized, Again Sunken Place Black Fox News Contributor Is Fired After Trashing Kavanaugh’s Accusers ‘Girls Trip’ Director Malcolm D. Lee Working On An Old School Hip-Hop Comedy Lil Wayne Announces ‘Carter V’ Merchandise, Teams With 14 Designers Bill Cosby Sued by Ex Attorneys Over Legal Fees A Musical Diary — Marsha Ambrosius Releases Her Third Album, ‘Nyla’ Lil Wayne Actually Releases ‘Tha Carter V’ [Listen] Kevin Hart & Tiffany Haddish React To The Flat Earth Theory
Source: Paul Morigi / Getty Michelle Obama can officially add “wedding officiant” to her long list of titles after helping a couple tie the knot over the weekend. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit In the video obtained by TMZ , the former First Lady was seen assisting in a ceremony for Joel Sircus and Stephanie Rivkin at the Theater on the Lake in their Chicago hometown. Who, you ask? Rivkin is the daughter of Robert S. Rivkin, the deputy mayor of Chicago, and Penny Pritzker, the president of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation who served as a commerce secretary on the Obama administration . The officiating news comes at the heel of Michelle Obama’s 10-city book tour announcement promoting her upcoming memoir, Becoming, so she may be popping up in a city near you, as well! SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama Announces 10-City Book Tour For Candid Memoir Tina Newman, an attendee at the wedding, shared video that has since been deleted on Instagram in a post that read, “Holy Moly. That moment when Michelle Obama officiated at your (cousin’s) wedding!” Take a look at the couple Michelle Obama wed below. SEE ALSO: 5 Things We Hope To Learn In Michelle Obama’s Intimate Memoir, “Becoming” READ MORE STORIES ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Here’s What Polls Are Showing About Black Candidates In Key Races Bill Cosby Might Be In Prison On Monday Rickey Smiley & Eva Marcille Run Down 10 Rules To Cellphone Etiquette [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1752020″ overlay=”true”] Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Joseph Okpako / Getty Waka Flocka is just one of a slew of celebrities who has voiced their opinions about the NFL within the past year. Between people being upset about Colin Kaepernick being black listed from the league to the NFL actually implementing the no kneel rule to for the anthem people are TIRED! Reports surfaced that pop band Maroon 5 were rumored to be this years Super Bowl’s halftime act…and people weren’t feeling it. People took to social media to discuss how tone deaf the NFL’s pick was considering all that’s happened in the past two years. It tipped people over the edge especially because the Super Bowl is in Atlanta this year and there were several home town acts to choose from. A brief list of musicians more fitting for Atlanta's Super Bowl than Maroon 5 pic.twitter.com/TF8oTEkADa — Jason Kirk (@JasonKirkSBN) September 19, 2018 Atlanta, home of Outkast, T.I., Future, Ludacris, Usher, etc., gets Maroon 5 to play the damn Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/KHpGNRsJGX — Jake Reuse (@ReuseRecruiting) September 19, 2018 The Oh Let’s Do It rapper sounded off about the NFL’s decision and he said IT AIN’T RIGHT! Waka said there’s too many talented Atlanta artists to choose from to go with Maroon 5. The NFL has not confirmed if Maroon 5 is their actual half time act but typically when rumors speculate that’s usually their performer. Waka ultimately believes their decision says a lot about their tone deaf tendencies. Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit The Latest Music, Celebrities and Interviews Follow @quicksilvashow
