by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 12, 2023

Stephen A. Smith: Donald Trump is ‘Not Against Black People’

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith raised a couple of eyebrows Monday when he said that former president of the United States, Donald Trump is “not against black people.”

“I knew Trump before he ran for the presidency,” Smith told the audience at the Semafor Media Summit. “I thoroughly enjoyed talking to him. He was a huge sports fan. He used to throw a lot of events at … you know, at his casinos and stuff like that, and I genuinely liked him,” Smith said before adding, “I didn’t know who this guy was running for president.

“I think he’s changed, but I will tell you this: I think when people call him racist and stuff like that, I’ve never thought of Trump that way,” Smith continued. “He’s not against Black people, he’s against all things not named Trump. There’s a difference.”

Smith also admitted to also having conservative views and that he is not “beyond voting Republican” but he also clarified that, “I am beyond voting for Trump.”

He mentioned that his feelings about Trump are not because of the former president’s politics but because the presidency required “statesmanship.” He feels that the president shouldn’t divide the country but that person should want to galvanize it.

Although Trump has thrown his hat into the ring to run for the presidency again, he is facing multiple court challenges that threaten his freedom to take office if he is elected.

Last week, Trump, 76, became the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in a case stemming from a 2016 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump also faces a separate criminal probe by a Democratic local prosecutor in Georgia into whether he unlawfully tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the state. He also faces two U.S. Justice Department investigations led by a special counsel into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.

As It Should Be: USC Renames Track And Field Home After Olympian Allyson Felix
by Iman Milner

April 12, 2023

As It Should Be: USC Renames Track And Field Home After Olympian Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix may have officially retired from track and field but what she accomplished will live on forever, especially at her alma mater, University of Southern California.

Felix, the most decorated female track and field athlete in Olympic history, was overcome with joy at the official renaming ceremony earlier this week.

“I hope that students, athletes come to this field and they come at the beginning of their journey and they experience something like I did — getting a foundation, being prepared to face the world,” she said.

The Los Angeles native’s career is unparalleled. Felix, who competed in 100-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter races in five Olympics between 2004 and 2020, won seven gold medals, three silvers and a bronze. She won at least one medal in each of her five appearances.

In the 2020 Olympics, her last, at age 34, she won a bronze medal in the 400-meter and a gold in the 4 x 400 meter team competition. It was her medal in 4x 400 that put her ahead of track legend Carl Lewis as the most decorated track and field athlete.

Felix also holds the record in World Championships. She won 20 medals between 2005 and 2022, including 14 golds. The medals include seven from individual events and 13 from team relays. ”

We’re incredibly honored and excited to recognize one of our greatest ambassadors and the most decorated U.S. track and field athlete of all time,” USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn said.

Though her talent as an athlete is well-documented, it is what she’s done off the field for women’s sports that truly sets her apart from the rest.

She famously took on Nike when the company refused to provide adequate maternity benefits and salary guarantees in the wake of her wanting to start a family with husband, fellow athleteKenneth Ferguson. She gave birth in 2018 and returned to dominance less than two years later.

Felix said the renaming was a truly special moment for her because the honor is usually reserved for those providing substantial financial donations.

“To have discussions about the renaming [of the track] because of my character, my integrity, and for fighting for women is something that doesn’t happen,” she said, according to USC News. “It just really shows what USC values. I feel proud of the things that I’ve stood for, and it makes me proud to be an alumna because of the direction that the school is going.”

And You Say Chi-City: Chicago To Host 2024 Democratic National Convention
by Iman Milner

April 12, 2023

And You Say Chi-City: Chicago To Host 2024 Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention is headed back to the Windy City.

Returning to Chicago for the first time since 1996, the DNC will take place next year from Aug 19-22 at the United Center.

It is expected to draw 5,000 to 7,000 delegates and attract up to 50,000 visitors to Chicago. The city beat out bids from both Atlanta and New York for hosting duties.

President Barack Obama expressed his joy his hometown bestowed with the honor saying, “There’s no place like Chicago! Michelle and I are thrilled to have the Democratic National Convention return to our hometown next year,” said in a tweet, which featured a photo of he and the former First Lady admiring the Chicago skyline.

About 30 hotels in the city will provide accommodations to delegates who will, no doubt, come in droves in such a pivotal election year. For more than a year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, (D-IL)., a co-chair of the Democratic National Committee, and former Mayor Lori Lightfoot have led the charge for Chicago to host the Democrats in 2024.

The price tag for the winning bid is said to have been $80 million.

President Joe Biden phoned Gov. Pritzker to inform him of the city’s victory Tuesday morning and DNC Chair Jamie Harrison made his way to Chicago to meet with Duckworth, Pritzker, Lightfoot and mayor-elect Brandon Johnson this morning.

By selecting Chicago for the convention, Democrats seem to be highlighting the importance of the Midwest “Blue Wall” states—Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. The governors in these states, all Democrats, were all reelected in 2022. With the exception of Illinois, the other three have been considered “battleground states” that Democrats desperately need to win in the 2024 Presidential election.

The convention will place a spotlight on the Biden agenda’s values as well as the president’s accomplishments. Vice President Kamala Harris started the year with a visit to Chicago in which she announced $144 million in federal funding to help rehabilitate the Illinois International Port Calumet River Bridges.

Chicago has now hosted the most political conventions of any major city

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 12, 2023

Paul Pierce Still Wonders Why ESPN Fired Him: ‘I Mean, What Did I Do Wrong?’

Over two years ago, Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce was terminated from his ESPN analyst gig after he posted a video clip on his Instagram Live of him partying with a group of strippers and getting a haircut.

He still doesn’t feel he should have been let go for “having some entertainment.”

On a recent episode of I Am Athlete, he peered into the camera and said, “I got fired for what?” The podcast’s hosts, former NFL players Brandon Marshall, Channing Crowder, and Chad Johnson, laugh at his remarks and remind Pierce he was fired in the same way Ice Cube‘s character in Friday was terminated—on his day off.

“I got fired for having some entertainment,” Pierce said. “I’m playing cards. It’s my boy’s birthday. It’s girls dancing, and we’re blowing some trees. I mean, what did I do wrong?”

Someone asked Pierce who recorded the video. He said he did.

As Pierce recalled the incident, he bragged that he was also getting a haircut as all of the shenanigans are going down. He then used his “hood” background to justify his actions at the time.

He also reenacted the phone call he received from an ESPN executive after the incident.

“They hit me, and it was a higher-up,” Pierce recalled. “It was a lady. I’m like, ‘Hello?’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re doing an investigation. Could you tell us what happened?’ I’m like, ‘You didn’t see it?’ I was just hanging out, playing cards. It wasn’t my house. I mean, it was self-explanatory.”

He explained that although he did nothing illegal, ESPN is a Disney property. “At the end of the day, it’s Disney, and they have a morals clause, and they just said it was immoral,” Pierce said.

CBC Members Urge Transportation Secretary Buttigieg To Reform Racist Traffic Stops
by Iman Milner

April 12, 2023

CBC Members Urge Transportation Secretary Buttigieg To Reform Racist Traffic Stops

Many members of the Congressional Black Caucus have drawn up a statement urging the Department of Transportation to reform the “unjust and discriminatory status quo” of traffic enforcement.

Twenty-seven members of the CBC, including Democratic Reps. Cori Bush (Mo.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) sent a letter addressed to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, expressing “grave concern for the wellbeing of Black drivers.”

According to The Hill, the inequality in how Black drivers, who are less likely to have access to a vehicle but almost twice as likely to be stopped for a traffic violation, has become national news as these run-ins with law enforcement have turned deadly.

“On our nation’s roads and highways, Black motorists have experienced disproportionate scrutiny and excessive force under the guise of traffic enforcement. As Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), we urge you to condemn the status quo of traffic enforcement and develop reforms to reduce racial inequities in traffic stops,” the lawmakers said in the letter.

They also highlighted how racial profiling significantly affects how and with whom traffic violations are enforced. “For example, the use of racial profiling causes Black drivers to be intentionally stopped for minor traffic violations as pretexts for police to question them and search their vehicles in hopes of discovering contraband….,” they said. “Instead, racist traffic enforcement stigmatizes Black people and undermines DOT’s focus on transit equity.”

The problem is more than just a racial issue and is rooted in how officers are trained to respond to aggressive situations. In 2022, more than 175 people were killed after being pulled over for a traffic violation—a staggering number considering that these are the more minor and usually non-violent interactions between civilians and law enforcement. It is no wonder why the CBC has increased concerns about what this means for Black drivers. “Historians have traced the roots of policing Black mobility and physical freedom to our nation’s legacy of slavery and bondage of Black bodies,” reads the letter.

The CBC hopes that Buttigieg, who has often taken a liberal approach to equality issues, will prioritize this under his leadership. “It is critical that the Department of Transportation recognizes the social context of traffic enforcement disparities and identifies solutions to redress the harms,” the letter said.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 12, 2023

Nick Cannon Tells Howard Stern He’d Open to Having a Baby with Taylor Swift

While promoting his latest venture, The Daily Cannon, entertainer Nick Cannon agreed with legendary talk show host Howard Stern about his selection of his next “baby mama.”

It’s no secret Cannon is the father of 12 children to multiple women over the past several years. The question Cannon gets often is will there be another child for him in the future? Usually, he doesn’t give a direct response when that inquiry is placed to him.

So, Stern took a different approach when he broached the subject to Cannon on a recent show.

After bluntly asking Cannon if he was done after 12 children, the Wild N’ Out creator said, “I”m happy currently with my dozen that I have now.” But Stern then asked if someone would put up with the children and the kids’ mothers he already has, who would it be?

He then asked Cannon, “If Taylor Swift wants to have a baby with you…” Cannon immediately responded, laughing, “Absolutely, I’m in! Let’s go! That’s the one! I’m all in.”

Why?

“First of all, she’s an amazing songwriter,” Cannon explained. “What I do love about Taylor Swift is the fact that she has been so vulnerable and open with all of her music since she was a young girl.”

He then compared her public life with his; the two of them have “dated a lot of people in the public eye.”

“She’s kind of like me. Me and Taylor’s numbers are very similar when we talk about being in these streets, so I think she would relate to me very well based on like, ‘Yo, you dated a lot of people in the public eye, so have I.’ We’d probably really understand each other.”

Check out the video clip below:

Cannon recently talked with BLACK ENTERPRISE about his upcoming morning show on AMP, The Daily Cannon. Check out the interview here.

Republican Senator Tim Scott Launches Presidential Exploratory Committee
by Sharelle B. McNair

April 12, 2023

Republican Senator Tim Scott Launches Presidential Exploratory Committee

The 2024 Presidential bids are starting to come in.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, announced on Twitter this morning that he’s launching a presidential exploratory committee that will allow him to raise money that could then be transferred to an official presidential campaign.

“America’s soul put to the test and we prevailed…Joe Biden and the radical left have chosen a culture of grievance over greatness. They are promoting victimhood over personal responsibility,” Scott said. “And they are indoctrinating our children to believe we live in an evil country.”

CNN reports Scott, 57, has been testing the campaign waters for a while, starting a listening tour in February that focused on “Faith in America.” He is scheduled to host events in Iowa, a battleground state, starting today. He won reelection to the Senate last year, ending the year with over $21 million in his campaign account, which he could use for a presidential bid.

In the video, Scott walks the grounds of where the first shots of the Civil War occurred at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. He openly talks about Democrats’ attacks on him.

“When I fought back against their liberal agenda, they called me a prop, a token, because I disrupt their narrative,” Scott said. “I threaten their control. They know the truth of my life disproves their lies.”

If he decides to officially throw his hat in the ring for the Oval Office, NPR reports he joins former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, and Donald Trump in the Republican primary field.

FBI: Hackers Targeting Public Phone Charging Stations
by Booker Jones

April 12, 2023

FBI: Hackers Targeting Public Phone Charging Stations

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is warning citizens that phone, tablet, and computer hackers are targeting public charging stations. 

According to NBC News, hackers have figured out how to infect phones with malware at public stations. 

“Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels, or shopping centers,” the FBI’s Denver field office shared in a tweet. “Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead.”

The FBI, which also posted a similar warning on its website, has not made public recent cases involving hackers infecting phones, tablets, or laptops with malware. 

“Consumer devices with compromised USB cables can be hijacked through software that can then siphon off usernames and passwords, NBC News wrote. 

The Washington Post reported the practice of infecting devices with malware is known as “Juice Jacking,” which enables hackers to use USB ports to steal valuable information, mostly credit card numbers or passports.  

Ritesh Chugh, professor, and technology and society at Central Queensland University, revealed told the Post that charging stations are a hazard to one’s privacy: “[A]s little as one minute of charging time may be adequate for compromising a user’s phone,” 

Tony Coulson, executive director of the Cybersecurity Center at California State University at San Bernardino, advised that citizens should view cell phones, laptops, and tablets as credit. “You don’t just go anywhere and start plopping your debit card in,” Coulson told the Post. 

“There’s no fail-safe in between, and once you’re plugged in—if data talks, then data talks,” he added. 

Report: Four Months into the New Year and There Have Been More Mass Shootings In 2023 Than Days
by Sharelle B. McNair

April 12, 2023

Report: Four Months into the New Year and There Have Been More Mass Shootings In 2023 Than Days

We were hoping 2023 would be different.

ABC News reports the number of mass shootings in 2023 supersedes the number of days seen this year. According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 146 mass shootings this year alone—with only 102 days into the year. That’s less than the 647 mass shootings in 2022 and 690 in 2021.

Approximately 15 mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. in the first 10 days of April.

The archive defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more victims are shot or killed. Americans have been continually mourning after gun violence occurred in Nashville, at Michigan State University, at Monterey Park, and most recently, in Louisville, Kentucky. Earlier this week, five people died, and eight others were injured after a man opened fire in a bank downtown. These victims add to a recorded 11,521 deaths related to gun violence.

While President Biden signed an executive order last month to boost the number of background checks for gun purchases, some experts don’t think that will be enough to stop these mass casualties. Kelly Drane, research director at Giffords Law Center, expects to see numbers similar to 2021 and 2022. “It’s a little bit hard to say at this point that it’s gonna result in massive changes in the overall landscape of mass shootings,” Drane said, reported by Insider.

She also wants Americans to focus on gun violence as a whole. Giffords Law Center states Americans are 25 times more likely to die from a gun homicide than citizens in other high-income countries. “Americans are much more likely to die from gun suicide or to be shot in other forms of gun violence outside of mass shootings,” Drane claims. “Mass shootings, particularly like the one that we saw this past weekend, they represent a very, very small fraction of gun deaths in this country.”

 

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