thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-02--Black Workers Allege Employment Discrimination At Facebook

The complaint , filed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission , centers the experiences of three individuals ― one current Black employee and two Black prospective employees who were not hired ― to allege the social media company permits a “ workplace culture and structure that are hostile to Black people , draw on harmful racial stereotypes , fail to provide assistance to improve their skills , and question them as professionals.
” The filing demands Facebook end racial discrimination ― “ not just in society , but in Facebook ’ s own workplace ” ― and requests an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violations at the social media company .
The three complainants listed are Oscar Veneszee Jr. , a Black operations program manager currently working at the company , as well as Howard Winns Jr. and Jazsmin Smith , two Black job applicants who the filing says are well qualified but were never hired .
Veneszee , a 46-year-old former Naval officer who served decades in the Navy and was a senior official for several years , said he was hired in 2017 to work out of Facebook ’ s Washington , D.C. , office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But in Thursday ’ s filing he claimed the company has assigned him to several different managers in the time since , only recently granted him direct reports to assist him , chastised him for recommending the company do more to connect with historically Black colleges and universities and used the company ’ s strong emphasis on “ culture fit , ” a phrase without clear definition , to allegedly deny him and others promotions or job opportunities .
In one instance recounted to HuffPost , Veneszee said a manager who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referred to him as “ a slick one ” when asked about his job performance .
He told HuffPost he interpreted the comment as a management figure using coded language to advance the racist stereotype of Black people being untrustworthy and concerned solely with advancing a personal agenda .
Despite reportedly recommending seven qualified candidates for open positions , Veneszee said none of his recommendations was hired .
“ I saw quickly that my opinion and my value within the culture was not represented , ” said Veneszee , who also claimed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uttered in Facebook ’ s office .
The filing alleges Facebook “ arbitrates all racial discrimination and harassment claims in a secret forum where all rulings are ‘ confidential and not available to the public , ’ while waiving this requirement for certain types of sex discrimination claims , ” a policy the complaint says subordinates claims of racial discrimination .
When Facebook employees have tried to voice their concerns publicly , as with an anonymous op-ed written late last year by employees blowing the whistle on racism at the company , Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been “ mocked , criticized , and investigated for sharing concerns about the lack of diversity and the poor treatment of people of color at Facebook.
” Veneszee and the two other complainants say they see Facebook as a valuable company , but that it has a long way to go to be considered hospitable to Black employees .
“ There are some spaces where you can communicate about your real self , to a certain extent , ” Veneszee said , “ but I think most Black employees realize that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most people can ’ t tolerate that.
” Smith , who lives in Maryland , applied for several jobs at the company over the past eight years and has not been hired despite receiving “ excellent performance evaluations ” and meeting all of the minimum and preferred qualifications , according to the filing .
She says a Facebook recruiter contacted her after Smith applied for an HR position in April .
The recruiter allegedly told her she was well qualified for several positions at the company , but the recruiter also mentioned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture fit ” was very important for any incoming employees .
Winns was referred by a current Facebook employee for two of the three positions he applied for between March and June of this year .
He was invited to interview for one of the three positions , the suit claims , and despite a recruiter and interviewer saying he was a “ strong fit ” for the role , he was not hired .
“ The other Facebook employees who are currently in the same position that Mr. Winns , Jr. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or education than Mr. Winns , Jr. and all of them are white , ” Thursday ’ s filing says .

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On Thursday, multiple people filed a complaint alleging discriminatory hiring and promotion practices that harm Black employees at Facebook.
The complaint, filed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, centers the experiences of three individuals ― one current Black employee and two Black prospective employees who were not hired ― to allege the social media company permits a “workplace culture and structure that are hostile to Black people, draw on harmful racial stereotypes, fail to provide assistance to improve their skills, and question them as professionals.”
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“There may be Black Lives Matter posters on Facebook’s walls,” the complaint reads, “but Black workers don’t see that phrase reflecting how they are treated in Facebook’s own workplace.”
The filing demands Facebook end racial discrimination ― “not just in society, but in Facebook’s own workplace” ― and requests an investigation by the EEOC into potential civil rights violations at the social media company. The three complainants listed are Oscar Veneszee Jr., a Black operations program manager currently working at the company, as well as Howard Winns Jr. and Jazsmin Smith, two Black job applicants who the filing says are well qualified but were never hired.
I saw quickly that my opinion and my value within the culture was not represented. Oscar Veneszee Jr.
Veneszee, a 46-year-old former Naval officer who served decades in the Navy and was a senior official for several years, said he was hired in 2017 to work out of Facebook’s Washington, D.C., office and support its initiatives geared toward veterans. But in Thursday’s filing he claimed the company has assigned him to several different managers in the time since, only recently granted him direct reports to assist him, chastised him for recommending the company do more to connect with historically Black colleges and universities and used the company’s strong emphasis on “culture fit,” a phrase without clear definition, to allegedly deny him and others promotions or job opportunities.
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In one instance recounted to HuffPost, Veneszee said a manager who’d helped bring him to the company referred to him as “a slick one” when asked about his job performance. He told HuffPost he interpreted the comment as a management figure using coded language to advance the racist stereotype of Black people being untrustworthy and concerned solely with advancing a personal agenda. Despite reportedly recommending seven qualified candidates for open positions, Veneszee said none of his recommendations was hired.
“I saw quickly that my opinion and my value within the culture was not represented,” said Veneszee, who also claimed in the filing he has heard the N-word uttered in Facebook’s office.
The filing alleges Facebook “arbitrates all racial discrimination and harassment claims in a secret forum where all rulings are ‘confidential and not available to the public,’ while waiving this requirement for certain types of sex discrimination claims,” a policy the complaint says subordinates claims of racial discrimination.
When Facebook employees have tried to voice their concerns publicly, as with an anonymous op-ed written late last year by employees blowing the whistle on racism at the company, Thursday’s filing says the concerned employees have been “mocked, criticized, and investigated for sharing concerns about the lack of diversity and the poor treatment of people of color at Facebook.”
Veneszee and the two other complainants say they see Facebook as a valuable company, but that it has a long way to go to be considered hospitable to Black employees.
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“There are some spaces where you can communicate about your real self, to a certain extent,” Veneszee said, “but I think most Black employees realize that you can’t really be yourself. Most people can’t tolerate that.”
This isn’t putting a man on the moon in 1969. Peter Romer-Friedman, Principal attorney, Gupta Wessler PLLC
The two other complainants — Smith, 31, and Winns, 30 — both believe they were not hired at Facebook because they are Black.
Smith, who lives in Maryland, applied for several jobs at the company over the past eight years and has not been hired despite receiving “excellent performance evaluations” and meeting all of the minimum and preferred qualifications, according to the filing. She says a Facebook recruiter contacted her after Smith applied for an HR position in April. The recruiter allegedly told her she was well qualified for several positions at the company, but the recruiter also mentioned that people in charge of hiring think “culture fit” was very important for any incoming employees.
Smith wasn’t given a chance to interview for any of the open positions.
Winns was referred by a current Facebook employee for two of the three positions he applied for between March and June of this year. He was invited to interview for one of the three positions, the suit claims, and despite a recruiter and interviewer saying he was a “strong fit” for the role, he was not hired.
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“The other Facebook employees who are currently in the same position that Mr. Winns, Jr., applied for have comparable or less experience or education than Mr. Winns, Jr. and all of them are white,” Thursday’s filing says.
“We hope having Oscar speak out publicly like this, in a constructive way, will advance this dialogue both externally and internally, at Facebook,” said Peter Romer-Friedman, Principal lawyer for Gupta Wessler PLLC, the firm handling the complaint.
“This isn’t putting a man on the moon in 1969,” he added. “You can move the needle quickly on hiring and promotions; you’ve just got to double down on the commitment to it and find good strategies to get it done.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-02--Duffy Accuses Netflix Film '365 Days' Of Glamorizing Kidnap And Rape

Earlier this year , the Grammy-winning star shared an Instagram post in which she explained her years-long absence from the music industry , revealing she ’ d been drugged , kidnapped and then sexually abused a decade earlier .
The film follows the imprisonment of a young Polish woman ( played by Anna-Maria Sieklucka ) by a Sicilian man ( played by Michele Morrone ) who gives her a year to fall in love with him , and features graphic depictions of BDSM .
“ 365 Days glamorizes the brutal reality of sex trafficking , kidnapping and rape , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be anyone ’ s idea of entertainment , nor should it be described as such , or be commercialized in this manner .
“ I write these words ( ones I can not believe I am writing in 2020 , with so much hope and progress gained in recent years ) , as an estimated 25 million people are currently trafficked around the world , not to mention the untold amounts of people uncounted.
” Duffy , whose full name is Aimee Anne Duffy , added : “ It grieves me that Netflix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ , that eroticizes kidnapping and distorts sexual violence and trafficking as a ‘ sexy ’ movie .
Duffy also urged Netflix and film-makers to produce and broadcast content that portrays “ the truth of the harsh and desperate reality ” of kidnap and rape .
365 Days was released at the Polish box office in February , debuting on Netflix last month .
While it has been critically panned , it made the streaming service ’ s top three requested titles in various territories , including the UK and US .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the movie to reflect on the reality of kidnapping and trafficking , of force and sexual exploitation , and of an experience that is the polar opposite of the glossy fantasy depicted in 365 Days.
” Duffy previously told of how she was drugged at a restaurant on her birthday a decade ago , before being held against her will first at her own home , and later being taken to a foreign country .
At the time , she said she was sharing her story because we are living in “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am no longer ashamed that something deeply hurt me , anymore .
I believe that if you speak from the heart within you , the heart within others will answer .
“ As dark as my story is , I do speak from my heart , for my life , and for the life of others , whom have suffered the same .
“ I have no shame in telling you either I had spent almost ten years completely alone and it still burns my heart to write it .
I owe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel obliged to explain how challenging recovering truly was and to finally disclose it .
I hope it comforts you to feel less ashamed if you feel alone .
”

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This article contains details of sexual abuse.
Duffy has criticized Netflix’s “irresponsible” decision to stream the film 365 Days, claiming it glamorizes “the brutal reality of sex trafficking, kidnapping and rape.”
Earlier this year, the Grammy-winning star shared an Instagram post in which she explained her years-long absence from the music industry, revealing she’d been drugged, kidnapped and then sexually abused a decade earlier.
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In a letter to Netflix’s chief executive, Reed Hastings, Duffy said the streaming service’s decision to feature the film was “careless, insensitive, and dangerous.”
The film follows the imprisonment of a young Polish woman (played by Anna-Maria Sieklucka) by a Sicilian man (played by Michele Morrone) who gives her a year to fall in love with him, and features graphic depictions of BDSM.
“365 Days glamorizes the brutal reality of sex trafficking, kidnapping and rape,” Duffy wrote. “This should not be anyone’s idea of entertainment, nor should it be described as such, or be commercialized in this manner.
“I write these words (ones I cannot believe I am writing in 2020, with so much hope and progress gained in recent years), as an estimated 25 million people are currently trafficked around the world, not to mention the untold amounts of people uncounted.”
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Duffy, whose full name is Aimee Anne Duffy, added: “It grieves me that Netflix provides a platform for such ‘cinema’, that eroticizes kidnapping and distorts sexual violence and trafficking as a ‘sexy’ movie.
“I just can’t imagine how Netflix could overlook how careless, insensitive, and dangerous this is.
“It has even prompted some young women, recently, to jovially ask Michele Morrone, the lead actor in the film, to kidnap them.”
Duffy also urged Netflix and film-makers to produce and broadcast content that portrays “the truth of the harsh and desperate reality” of kidnap and rape.
365 Days was released at the Polish box office in February, debuting on Netflix last month. While it has been critically panned, it made the streaming service’s top three requested titles in various territories, including the UK and US.
Addressing the film’s fans, she added: “And because 365 Days has proved enormously popular, I also address this letter to viewers directly.
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“I encourage the millions who have enjoyed the movie to reflect on the reality of kidnapping and trafficking, of force and sexual exploitation, and of an experience that is the polar opposite of the glossy fantasy depicted in 365 Days.”
Duffy previously told of how she was drugged at a restaurant on her birthday a decade ago, before being held against her will first at her own home, and later being taken to a foreign country.
At the time, she said she was sharing her story because we are living in “a hurting world,” saying: “I am no longer ashamed that something deeply hurt me, anymore. I believe that if you speak from the heart within you, the heart within others will answer.
“As dark as my story is, I do speak from my heart, for my life, and for the life of others, whom have suffered the same.
“I have no shame in telling you either I had spent almost ten years completely alone and it still burns my heart to write it. I owe it to myself to say it, I feel obliged to explain how challenging recovering truly was and to finally disclose it. I hope it comforts you to feel less ashamed if you feel alone.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-02--Epstein’s Top Confidante Arrested

Epstein’s Top Confidante Arrested

Ghislaine Maxwell , a longtime friend of Jeffrey Epstein , has been arrested .

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-02--Jeffrey Epstein Confidante Ghislaine Maxwell Arrested

Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in Bradford , New Hampshire , on Thursday morning and is expected to appear in federal court later in the day , an FBI spokesperson told HuffPost .
Prosecutors say she conspired to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein in as early as 1994 , according to an indictment filed in New York and obtained by HuffPost .
“ Maxwell assisted , facilitated , and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein ’ s abuse of minor girls by , among other things , helping Epstein to recruit , groom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Epstein to be under the age of 18 , ” a copy of the indictment reads .
“ In some instances , Maxwell was present for and participated in the sexual abuse of minor victims.
” In some cases , prosecutors say Maxwell would befriend the minor victims by taking them to the movies or to go shopping .
She would attempt to normalize sexual abuse around them and pay for their travel and/or other opportunities which would make the victims “ feel indebted.
” She faces six counts in all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts , and two counts of perjury over testimony she gave before the Southern District of New York in 2016 about her role and knowledge of the sexual abuse .
Maxwell has previously denied allegations of having a role in Epstein ’ s crimes , including allegations that she helped recruit young girls and women for him .
She has not faced charges until now .
Audrey Strauss , acting U.S. attorney in New York , said Thursday that the majority of charges stem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1994 and 1997 .
Maxwell ’ s perjury charges are from a 2016 testimony in which she allegedly repeatedly lied under oath .
“ She pretended to be a woman [ victims ] could trust .
All the while , she was setting them up to be sexually abused by Epstein and in some cases by Maxwell herself , ” Strauss added .
Epstein , who was convicted in 2008 on an underage prostitution charge , has been accused by dozens of women of sexual abuse — some when they were as young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by suicide , a medical examiner ruled , while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking last August in New York .
One of Epstein ’ s alleged victims , Jennifer Araoz , filed a lawsuit against Epstein ’ s estate shortly after his death that implicated Maxwell in his crimes .
Araoz said she personally did not have contact with Maxwell but that Maxwell was among those in his inner circle who was “ maintaining and concealing the sex trafficking ring that Mr. Epstein was involved in , ” her attorney has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuffre has also accused Maxwell of having trafficked her to places around the world with Epstein , starting when she was a young teen , where she would be sexually abused .
Giuffre has repeatedly alleged that Britain ’ s Prince Andrew took part in her sexual abuse .
Andrew has denied the allegations , but attorney Strauss said prosecutors would “ welcome Prince Andrew coming in to talk to us.
” “ Ghislaine Maxwell was complicit in Epstein ’ s wicked crimes that targeted vulnerable , young girls for their disgusting trafficking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement to HuffPost .
“ Epstein got a crooked , sweetheart deal years ago that protected his coconspirators , like Maxwell .
Maxwell has been on the run for months because she too hoped to escape justice .
We can ’ t let that happen again ― her victims deserve their day in court .
”

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Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite who has been accused of helping multimillionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse girls as his top confidant, has been arrested in relation to Epstein’s sex crimes, authorities announced.
Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in Bradford, New Hampshire, on Thursday morning and is expected to appear in federal court later in the day, an FBI spokesperson told HuffPost.
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Prosecutors say she conspired to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein in as early as 1994, according to an indictment filed in New York and obtained by HuffPost.
“Maxwell assisted, facilitated, and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to Maxwell and Epstein to be under the age of 18,” a copy of the indictment reads. “In some instances, Maxwell was present for and participated in the sexual abuse of minor victims.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, seen here in 2016, was arrested this week in relation to Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes. Sylvain Gaboury via Getty Images
In some cases, prosecutors say Maxwell would befriend the minor victims by taking them to the movies or to go shopping. She would attempt to normalize sexual abuse around them and pay for their travel and/or other opportunities which would make the victims “feel indebted.”
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She faces six counts in all, including conspiracy, enticement and transportation of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, and two counts of perjury over testimony she gave before the Southern District of New York in 2016 about her role and knowledge of the sexual abuse.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2005. Maxwell has previously denied allegations of having a role in Epstein’s sex crimes. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Maxwell has previously denied allegations of having a role in Epstein’s crimes, including allegations that she helped recruit young girls and women for him. She has not faced charges until now.
Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney in New York, said Thursday that the majority of charges stem from Maxwell’s alleged involvement between 1994 and 1997. Maxwell’s perjury charges are from a 2016 testimony in which she allegedly repeatedly lied under oath.
“Maxwell lied because the truth as alleged was almost unspeakable,” Strauss said at a news conference.
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“She pretended to be a woman [victims] could trust. All the while, she was setting them up to be sexually abused by Epstein and in some cases by Maxwell herself,” Strauss added.
Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 on an underage prostitution charge, has been accused by dozens of women of sexual abuse — some when they were as young as 14 years old. He died by suicide, a medical examiner ruled, while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking last August in New York.
One of Epstein’s alleged victims, Jennifer Araoz, filed a lawsuit against Epstein’s estate shortly after his death that implicated Maxwell in his crimes. Araoz said she personally did not have contact with Maxwell but that Maxwell was among those in his inner circle who was “maintaining and concealing the sex trafficking ring that Mr. Epstein was involved in,” her attorney has said.
Fellow Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre has also accused Maxwell of having trafficked her to places around the world with Epstein, starting when she was a young teen, where she would be sexually abused.
“Their whole entire lives revolved around sex,” Giuffre said of Epstein and Maxwell in a defamation suit released to the public last August.
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Epstein victims Sarah Ransome, Virginia Roberts Giuffre and Marijke Chartouni (from left) talk about their abuse during an interview in August 2019. Miami Herald via Getty Images
Giuffre has repeatedly alleged that Britain’s Prince Andrew took part in her sexual abuse. Andrew has denied the allegations, but attorney Strauss said prosecutors would “welcome Prince Andrew coming in to talk to us.”
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee who has pressed for a federal investigation into Epstein’s 2008 “sweetheart” plea deal that allowed him to largely escape prosecution, demanded justice for Epstein’s victims in a statement Thursday.
“Ghislaine Maxwell was complicit in Epstein’s wicked crimes that targeted vulnerable, young girls for their disgusting trafficking ring,” he said in a statement to HuffPost. “Epstein got a crooked, sweetheart deal years ago that protected his coconspirators, like Maxwell. Maxwell has been on the run for months because she too hoped to escape justice. We can’t let that happen again ― her victims deserve their day in court.”
Maxwell is in the custody of U.S. Marshals and will be moved from New Hampshire to have future hearings in the Southern District of New York.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Eric Trump Deletes Tweet After Getting A Savage Reminder About His Father

Eric Trump ’ s latest attempt at Twitter trolling went so poorly that he had to delete the message .
Trump , a son of President Donald Trump , shared an image of former President Bill Clinton at the 2010 wedding of his daughter , Chelsea .
Circled in the background was Ghislaine Maxwell , the longtime associate of late pedophile sex offender Jeffrey Epstein .
She was arrested Thursday .
“ Birds of a feather , ” Trump wrote as he shared the image .
Just one problem : President Trump has also been seen with Maxwell on numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t shy about sharing images of those events , causing Eric Trump ’ s name to trend on Twitter .
He deleted the tweet without explaining why ― but it likely had something to do with the response : Eric Trump , who tweeted earlier about Bill Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell , was literally himself on his dad ’ s private jet with her .
FFS .
You can not make this stuff up .
https : //t.co/dz7jo9H002 — Mehdi Hasan ( @ mehdirhasan ) July 3 , 2020 So Eric Trump posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton ’ s wedding , forgetting that there are like a billion pictures of Ghislaine with his dad ?
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 ( @ MollyJongFast ) July 3 , 2020 This is a great example of why I think so little of Eric Trump ( and the other one ) .
https : //t.co/vuq41FQtPQ — Jonah Goldberg ( @ JonahDispatch ) July 3 , 2020 Looks like @ EricTrump deleted this tweet .
Maybe it did n't get the reaction he hoped ?
pic.twitter.com/qvYCxN3YRw — Nary Trump ( @ unRealMaryTrump ) July 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t think this one through .
Like father like son ... idiot .
😂😂😂😂 # TweetDelete # EricTrumpSoDumb pic.twitter.com/ZwLGt7ZjS9 — Eren ( @ miyuki_kitty29 ) July 3 , 2020 lol @ EricTrump deleted this after getting 12K replies reminding him that his dad and Epstein were BFFs .
pic.twitter.com/6RAuCVKZj4 — Chris Jackson ( @ ChrisCJackson ) July 3 , 2020 Hey @ EricTrump , you dropped this Must have found all the photos of her with your dad , huh ?
pic.twitter.com/nkGj8zdw51 — Angry Staffer ( @ AngrierWHStaff ) July 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not know that there are photos of Donald Trump with Maxwell ?
— Kyle Griffin ( @ kylegriffin1 ) July 2 , 2020 Eric Trump posted a picture of Ghislaine Maxwell , Jeffrey Epstein ’ s former gf and right-hand , with Bill Clinton .
Hey @ EricTrump , I made this for you !
https : //t.co/RG9ds7LnI1 pic.twitter.com/lg3tSNaxMl — Linz DeFranco ( @ LinzDeFranco ) July 3 , 2020

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Eric Trump’s latest attempt at Twitter trolling went so poorly that he had to delete the message.
Trump, a son of President Donald Trump, shared an image of former President Bill Clinton at the 2010 wedding of his daughter, Chelsea. Circled in the background was Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of late pedophile sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She was arrested Thursday.
“Birds of a feather,” Trump wrote as he shared the image.
Just one problem: President Trump has also been seen with Maxwell on numerous occasions, and Twitter users weren’t shy about sharing images of those events, causing Eric Trump’s name to trend on Twitter.
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He deleted the tweet without explaining why ― but it likely had something to do with the response:
Eric Trump, who tweeted earlier about Bill Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell, was literally himself on his dad’s private jet with her. FFS. You cannot make this stuff up. https://t.co/dz7jo9H002 — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 3, 2020
So Eric Trump posted a picture of Ghislaine Maxwell at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding, forgetting that there are like a billion pictures of Ghislaine with his dad? — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) July 3, 2020
This is a great example of why I think so little of Eric Trump (and the other one). https://t.co/vuq41FQtPQ — Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) July 3, 2020
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Looks like @EricTrump deleted this tweet.
Maybe it didn't get the reaction he hoped? pic.twitter.com/qvYCxN3YRw — Nary Trump (@unRealMaryTrump) July 3, 2020
lol @EricTrump deleted this after getting 12K replies reminding him that his dad and Epstein were BFFs. pic.twitter.com/6RAuCVKZj4 — Chris Jackson (@ChrisCJackson) July 3, 2020
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Hey @EricTrump, you dropped this
Must have found all the photos of her with your dad, huh? pic.twitter.com/nkGj8zdw51 — Angry Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) July 3, 2020
Eric Trump, American Gaslighter pic.twitter.com/5YjE8dUQl9 — Eric Schmidt (@ericschmidtdp) July 3, 2020
it's like it's eric's first day on earth. pic.twitter.com/W8ZVFZj3oz — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) July 2, 2020
Does the president's son not know that there are photos of Donald Trump with Maxwell? — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 2, 2020
Eric Trump posted a picture of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former gf and right-hand, with Bill Clinton.
Hey @EricTrump, I made this for you! https://t.co/RG9ds7LnI1 pic.twitter.com/lg3tSNaxMl — Linz DeFranco (@LinzDeFranco) July 3, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Ticked-Off Florida Seniors Turn On Trump In Scathing CNN Segment: 'He Blew It'

President Donald Trump could be facing trouble in Florida as he falls behind presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the @ @ @ @ @ defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton there in 2016 , polls show him trailing @ @ @ @ @ an average of 7.1 % , according to FiveThirtyEight ( though it ’ s worth @ @ @ @ @ by a similar margin in Florida in July 2016 ) .
Now , a new @ @ @ @ @ Trump might be having problems , as longtime Florida Republicans ― including some who voted @ @ @ @ @ sound off .
One interviewee sums it up : “ He blew it.
” Important @ @ @ @ @ Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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President Donald Trump could be facing trouble in Florida as he falls behind presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the Sunshine State.
While Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton there in 2016, polls show him trailing the former vice president by an average of 7.1%, according to FiveThirtyEight (though it’s worth noting that Trump trailed Clinton by a similar margin in Florida in July 2016).
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Now, a new video from CNN shows why Trump might be having problems, as longtime Florida Republicans ― including some who voted for him in 2016 ― sound off. One interviewee sums it up: “He blew it.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Chris Hayes Explains Why Donald Trump's America Is 'Laughingstock' Around The World

The United States is “ a laughingstock or the subject of pity around the world ” because of the Trump administration ’ s disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic , MSNBC ’ s Chris Hayes said Thursday .
“ Our cases are skyrocketing .
Our government ’ s response is a failure .
We are living in this tragedy , this national humiliation for all to see , ” Hayes continued , noting how COVID-19 is again spiking at record levels across the country .
Hayes explained how some of the nations that had been hardest hit by the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now transitioning to some sort of normality after successfully flattening the curve of new infections .
“ No other country is struggling with the virus like we are , ” he said .
Hayes slammed the Trump administration ’ s depiction of the virus as “ embers.
” “ That is not us .
No .
We are way past the embers stage , ” he said .
“ The country is on fire .
It is in flames .
We can not stomp it out .
And the rest of the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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The United States is “a laughingstock or the subject of pity around the world” because of the Trump administration’s disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes said Thursday.
“Our cases are skyrocketing. Our government’s response is a failure. We are living in this tragedy, this national humiliation for all to see,” Hayes continued, noting how COVID-19 is again spiking at record levels across the country.
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Hayes explained how some of the nations that had been hardest hit by the global health crisis in March and April were now transitioning to some sort of normality after successfully flattening the curve of new infections.
“No other country is struggling with the virus like we are,” he said.
Hayes slammed the Trump administration’s depiction of the virus as “embers.”
“That is not us. No. We are way past the embers stage,” he said. “The country is on fire. It is in flames. We cannot stomp it out. And the rest of the world is looking on in horror.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Biden Makes A Mockery Of Trump’s ‘We’re Going To Win So Much’ Boasts In New Ad

Donald Trump ’ s boast on the 2016 campaign trail that the United States would “ win so much , @ @ @ @ @ be sick and tired of winning ” if he was elected president is turned against @ @ @ @ @ s latest attack ad .
In the video , Trump makes his audacious claims alongside @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus is spiraling out of control in America , unlike other countries who ’ @ @ @ @ @ further mass outbreaks .
“ Mr .
President , it ’ s too much , @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign team captioned the clip : The ad was shared on social media @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to surge across the country .
At least 50,000 people @ @ @ @ @ the contagion every day .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute @ @ @ @ @ , warned this week that the daily case count could soon pass 100,000 .
Important @ @ @ @ @ Add your voice !
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Donald Trump’s boast on the 2016 campaign trail that the United States would “win so much, you’re going to be sick and tired of winning” if he was elected president is turned against him in Joe Biden’s latest attack ad.
In the video, Trump makes his audacious claims alongside an animated graph showing how the coronavirus is spiraling out of control in America, unlike other countries that have largely managed to curb further mass outbreaks.
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“Mr. President, it’s too much,” the presumptive Democratic nominee’s campaign team captioned the clip:
The ad was shared on social media Thursday as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to surge across the country.
At least 50,000 people are now testing positive for the virus every day.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned this week that the daily case count could soon pass 100,000.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Washington Post Editorial Board Spells Out A Stark Truth About The Coronavirus To Trump

The Washington Post editorial board laid out a painful truth about the coronavirus to President Donald Trump in its latest @ @ @ @ @ is that the virus is not under control ; it is in control , ” @ @ @ @ @ wrote in its editorial Thursday that denounced Trump ’ s ongoing attempts to downplay the @ @ @ @ @ states nationwide .
The board called out Trump ’ s “ magical thinking ” on @ @ @ @ @ responsibility “ for encouraging governors to loosen the restrictions too early , ” it added @ @ @ @ @ bad miscalculation , ” said the board , which called Trump ’ s claim to @ @ @ @ @ lives ” with his widely criticized handling of the public health crisis as a “ @ @ @ @ @ has consequences in human lives.
” Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice @ @ @ @ @

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The Washington Post editorial board laid out a painful truth about the coronavirus to President Donald Trump in its latest column.
“The reality is that the virus is not under control; it is in control,” the newspaper’s board wrote in its editorial Thursday that denounced Trump’s ongoing attempts to downplay the rapid resurgence of COVID-19 in states nationwide.
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The board called out Trump’s “magical thinking” on the pandemic.
Trump bore responsibility “for encouraging governors to loosen the restrictions too early,” it added.
“It was a bad miscalculation,” said the board, which called Trump’s claim to have saved “millions of lives” with his widely criticized handling of the public health crisis a “historic delusion, and it has consequences in human lives.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-02--Trump's Use Of His Old Slogan Leads To A Quick Reality Check

President Donald Trump has tweeted something his critics can get behind .
Amid a resurgence of the pandemic that ’ s killed more than 128,000 people in the U.S. , a struggling economy and nationwide unrest over racism and police violence , Trump ’ s key 2020 reelection slogan , “ Keep America Great , ” hardly seems appropriate .
So when Trump opted instead to tweet his 2016 campaign slogan on Thursday , “ Make America Great Again , ” Twitter users agreed that would be a good idea .
It comes as his campaign reportedly scrambles for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the triumphant “ Keep America Great ” slogan .
Critics Thursday reminded Trump he ’ s had almost a full term to “ Make America Great Again ” and suggested the best way for the country to do so : Finally , the current occupant of the White House and I agree .
Time to Make America Great Again .
We do that by firing you and electing @ JoeBiden .
https : //t.co/0uBj3lC3dm — Fred Guttenberg ( @ fred_guttenberg ) July 3 , 2020 We were doing a helluva lot better before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Don Winslow ( @ donwinslow ) July 3 , 2020 This isn ’ t really a good slogan for an incumbent .
Just saying .
https : //t.co/WXdkMyPEKH — George Conway ( @ gtconway3d ) July 3 , 2020 You will notice the Trump campaign has abandoned the slogan “ Keep America Great , ” because they made America suck and realize it .
So they reverted back to 2016 .
— Mrs. Krassenstein ( @ HKrassenstein ) July 3 , 2020 Why doesn ’ t any Trump supporters realize Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because America didn ’ t actually improve , and he knows he can ’ t say “ Keep America Great , ” without making people laugh .
— Mrs. Krassenstein ( @ HKrassenstein ) July 3 , 2020 “ The problem for Trump is that his presidency has no point .
It is as devoid of purpose as his days are of work .
He doesn ’ t want to make America great .
He wants America to make him feel great.
” https : //t.co/Z6lKzQLv8M https : //t.co/d1lp47EEHW — Windsor Mann ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You were already hired to make America great .
And you failed .
You need a new slogan , sweetie .
— The Lincoln Project ( @ ProjectLincoln ) July 3 , 2020 The ONLY way to Make America Great Again is to remove trump from office .
He has RUINED us .
— BrooklynDad_Defiant !
( @ mmpadellan ) July 3 , 2020

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President Donald Trump has tweeted something his critics can get behind.
Amid a resurgence of the pandemic that’s killed more than 128,000 people in the U.S., a struggling economy and nationwide unrest over racism and police violence, Trump’s key 2020 reelection slogan, “Keep America Great,” hardly seems appropriate. So when Trump opted instead to tweet his 2016 campaign slogan on Thursday, “Make America Great Again,” Twitter users agreed that would be a good idea.
It comes as his campaign reportedly scrambles for a new catchphrase as it increasingly backs off the triumphant “Keep America Great” slogan.
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Critics Thursday reminded Trump he’s had almost a full term to “Make America Great Again” and suggested the best way for the country to do so:
Finally, the current occupant of the White House and I agree. Time to Make America Great Again. We do that by firing you and electing @JoeBiden. https://t.co/0uBj3lC3dm — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) July 3, 2020
Final Month Under Obama/Biden:
4.7% unemployment.
After 3.5 Years Under Trump/Pence:
11.1% unemployment.
Make America Great Again:
Vote Biden — David Rothschild (@DavMicRot) July 3, 2020
We were doing a helluva lot better before you came along. https://t.co/avBKcTUZaw — Don Winslow (@donwinslow) July 3, 2020
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This isn’t really a good slogan for an incumbent. Just saying. https://t.co/WXdkMyPEKH — George Conway (@gtconway3d) July 3, 2020
You will notice the Trump campaign has abandoned the slogan “Keep America Great,” because they made America suck and realize it. So they reverted back to 2016. — Mrs. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) July 3, 2020
Why doesn’t any Trump supporters realize Trump has reverted back to his campaign of 2016 because America didn’t actually improve, and he knows he can’t say “Keep America Great,” without making people laugh. — Mrs. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) July 3, 2020
“The problem for Trump is that his presidency has no point. It is as devoid of purpose as his days are of work. He doesn’t want to make America great. He wants America to make him feel great.” https://t.co/Z6lKzQLv8M https://t.co/d1lp47EEHW — Windsor Mann (@WindsorMann) July 3, 2020
You were already hired to make America great. And you failed. You need a new slogan, sweetie. — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 3, 2020
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YOUR RESIGNATION WOULD BE A GREAT START — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) July 3, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--‘One Last Chance To Save This Country’: Powerful New Video Shows What’s At Stake

A new video going viral on social media shows what ’ s on the line in this year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden .
“ This November , America has one @ @ @ @ @ country , ” the text on the screen reads .
The footage contrasts Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ , including the administration ’ s flawed response to the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ comments from fed-up voters along with the hashtag # VoteForOurLives .
Made by Eleven Films @ @ @ @ @ , the video says it is paid for by “ the resistance ” and is @ @ @ @ @ “ The Dangerous Ones ” by Kasey Anderson .
Federal Election Commission databases show that @ @ @ @ @ from Democratic super PACs , including one expenditure last year from the Biden-aligned Unite the @ @ @ @ @ happening now .
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A new video going viral on social media shows what’s on the line in this year’s presidential race between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
“This November, America has one last chance to save this country,” the text on the screen reads.
The footage contrasts Trump’s words to current events, including the administration’s flawed response to the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests, and includes comments from fed-up voters along with the hashtag #VoteForOurLives.
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Made by Eleven Films, an Oregon-based media company, the video says it is paid for by “the resistance” and is set to a song called “The Dangerous Ones” by Kasey Anderson.
Federal Election Commission databases show that Eleven Films has gotten funding from Democratic super PACs, including one expenditure last year from the Biden-aligned Unite the Country.
See the video below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Fox News' Tucker Carlson Says Black Lives Matter 'Is Poison'

Fox News ’ Tucker Carlson continued his campaign against Black Lives Matter in a new podcast released Thursday , in which he called the movement “ poison.
” “ You know , I know plenty of people who are for Black Lives Matter .
A lot of them are nice people , ” Carlson said on the latest episode of conservative website The Federalist ’ s “ Federalist Radio Hour ” show .
“ I ’ m not mad at them .
I disagree , ” he continued .
“ I think Black Lives Matter is poison .
OK , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s alright.
” Carlson ’ s “ poison ” comment drew anger on Twitter , where critics referenced his past racist rhetoric. Says the guy on the most toxic network ever .
https : //t.co/jXylqUZIOG — Rocky Mountain Mike ( @ RockyMntnMike ) July 2 , 2020 Carlson has ramped up his on-air attacks on BLM in recent weeks .
On Wednesday , he used his primetime “ Tucker Carlson Tonight ” show to lash out at what he defined as the “ hysteria ” surrounding the movement .
Carlson likened it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our Wuhan.
” Last month , Carlson falsely claimed anti-racism protesters removing statues of racist historical figures “ are the armed militia of the Democratic Party.
” He also scaremongered viewers by alleging a BLM “ mob ” is coming for them .
Important conversations are happening now .
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Fox News’ Tucker Carlson continued his campaign against Black Lives Matter in a new podcast released Thursday, in which he called the movement “poison.”
“You know, I know plenty of people who are for Black Lives Matter. A lot of them are nice people,” Carlson said on the latest episode of conservative website The Federalist’s “Federalist Radio Hour” show.
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“I’m not mad at them. I disagree,” he continued. “I think Black Lives Matter is poison. OK, they have another view. That’s all right.”
Carlson’s “poison” comment drew anger on Twitter, where critics referenced his past racist rhetoric.
Racists do, yes. That’s the problem — MJ 🇬🇧🇨🇦🇺🇸 #IAmAntifa (@MJ_StormBorn) July 3, 2020
Says the guy on the most toxic network ever. https://t.co/jXylqUZIOG — Rocky Mountain Mike (@RockyMntnMike) July 2, 2020
Carlson has ramped up his on-air attacks on BLM in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, he used his primetime “Tucker Carlson Tonight” show to lash out at what he defined as the “hysteria” surrounding the movement.
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Carlson likened it to a pandemic and said “Minneapolis was our Wuhan.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--After ‘Very Disturbing Week,’ Dr. Anthony Fauci Says Country Heading In Wrong Direction

“ Right now , if you look at the number of cases , it ’ s quite disturbing , ” Fauci said during a livestream with the American Medical Association .
“ We ’ re setting records , practically every day , of new cases in the numbers that are reported .
That clearly is not the right direction.
” His comments come amid a series of trouble records amid the ongoing pandemic .
Daily cases skyrocketed past 50,000 in the U.S. for the first time this week , and only 14 states are showing declines in the rate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single-day records on Thursday , and the situation has grown so dire that some Republicans who have long resisted safety measures , such as requiring masks , have reversed course .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) reversed his own stance on Thursday , making face masks mandatory in most areas of the state just a day after health officials said over 8,000 more people had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Fauci said Thursday that such figures made it “ pretty obvious that we are not going in the right direction.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country where they were at a level that is difficult and disturbing , ” the doctor said .
“ Then when one tries to open up , even in situations where governors and mayors were trying to abide by the guidelines… that there is this , among some , there ’ s this feeling of an all-or-none phenomenon where you ’ re either under lockdown or say , you know , the devil may care .
Fauci went on to say when bars and restaurants reopened with limited social distancing , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to get into trouble.
” Earlier this week , at a Senate committee hearing , Fauci warned that the U.S. could reach 100,000 cases per day if states that are seeing cases surge don ’ t take stronger measures to rein in infections .
“ I can ’ t make an accurate prediction , but it is going to be very disturbing , I can guarantee you that , ” Fauci told Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
on Tuesday .
“ Because when you have an outbreak in one part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other parts of the country they ’ re doing well , they are vulnerable.
” Despite the bleak infection rates , Fauci urged Americans to continue to follow public health advice before the pandemic grows even more dire across the country .
“ We are all in this together .
There ’ s no blame here , ” he said .
“ We need to realize that if we do not adhere to the guidelines , we are going to be in some serious difficulty .
”

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said the recent days of surging coronavirus cases reflected a “very disturbing week” for the United States.
“Right now, if you look at the number of cases, it’s quite disturbing,” Fauci said during a livestream with the American Medical Association. “We’re setting records, practically every day, of new cases in the numbers that are reported. That clearly is not the right direction.”
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His comments come amid a series of trouble records amid the ongoing pandemic. Daily cases skyrocketed past 50,000 in the U.S. for the first time this week, and only 14 states are showing declines in the rate of infections. At least six states showed single-day records on Thursday, and the situation has grown so dire that some Republicans who have long resisted safety measures, such as requiring masks, have reversed course.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) reversed his own stance on Thursday, making face masks mandatory in most areas of the state just a day after health officials said over 8,000 more people had tested positive for COVID-19.
Fauci said Thursday that such figures made it “pretty obvious that we are not going in the right direction.”
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“We have areas of the country where they were at a level that is difficult and disturbing,” the doctor said. “Then when one tries to open up, even in situations where governors and mayors were trying to abide by the guidelines… that there is this, among some, there’s this feeling of an all-or-none phenomenon where you’re either under lockdown or say, you know, the devil may care.
Fauci went on to say when bars and restaurants reopened with limited social distancing, it was “highly predictable that you’re going to get into trouble.”
Earlier this week, at a Senate committee hearing, Fauci warned that the U.S. could reach 100,000 cases per day if states that are seeing cases surge don’t take stronger measures to rein in infections.
“I can’t make an accurate prediction, but it is going to be very disturbing, I can guarantee you that,” Fauci told Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Tuesday. “Because when you have an outbreak in one part of the country, even though in other parts of the country they’re doing well, they are vulnerable.”
Despite the bleak infection rates, Fauci urged Americans to continue to follow public health advice before the pandemic grows even more dire across the country.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-02--FedEx Calls On Washington Redskins To Change Team's Racist Name

FedEx is the Washington Redskin ’ s first corporate sponsor to call on the NFL team to change its racist name .
In a brief statement published to the league ’ s website on Thursday , FedEx said : “ We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.
” The shipping giant owns the naming rights to the Redskin ’ s home stadium in Washington .
The FedEx Corp. paid for the rights in 1998 , and its contract with the stadium lasts through 2025 , ESPN reported .
Native American groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Redskins to change the name , a racial slur used against Native Americans , as well as its team logo , which features an illustration of a Native American face .
Change the Mascot , a campaign launched by the Oneida Nation in 2013 , issued a statement celebrating FedEx and calling the company ’ s decision to put pressure on the team “ historic.
” “ FedEx is rising to the moment and doing the decent thing by challenging the team to stop disparaging and denigrating people of color by maintaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist epithet , ” said the campaign ’ s spokesperson Ray Halbritter .
For years , Redskins team owner Daniel Snyder has resisted calls to change the team name .
This week , however , Snyder has faced even more pressure to drop the name .
FedEx ’ s statement comes a day after 87 investment firms sent letters urging several large companies ― including FedEx , PepsiCo and Nike ― who had business relationships with the NFL team to terminate their contracts if the team didn ’ t change its name , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t yet publicly responded to the letter , the sportswear company appeared to remove its Redskins apparel from its website .
As of Thursday night , a search for the Washington team ’ s branded gear on the website returned zero results .
Change the Mascot on Thursday urged both Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to make changes to the team ’ s branding .
“ The time to change the name is now , and we urge NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owner Dan Snyder to recognize this seminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right and decent thing , and finally change the name , ” Halbritter said .

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FedEx is the first corporate sponsor to call on Washington, D.C.’s NFL team to change its racist name.
In a brief statement published to the league’s website on Thursday, FedEx said: “We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.”
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The shipping giant owns the naming rights to the team’s home stadium in Washington. The FedEx Corp. paid for the rights in 1998, and its contract with the stadium lasts through 2025, ESPN reported.
FedEx CEO Fred Smith also owns a minority stake in the team.
Native American groups and activists have long called for team owner Dan Snyder to change the name, which is a racial slur used against Native Americans, as well as its team logo, which features an illustration of a Native American face.
Change the Mascot, a campaign launched by the Oneida Nation in 2013, issued a statement celebrating FedEx and calling the company’s decision to put pressure on the team “historic.”
“FedEx is rising to the moment and doing the decent thing by challenging the team to stop disparaging and denigrating people of color by maintaining a team name that is an offensive racist epithet,” said the campaign’s spokesperson Ray Halbritter.
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Snyder has resisted calls to change the team name for years. This week, however, Snyder has faced even more pressure to drop the name.
FedEx’s statement comes a day after 87 investment firms sent letters urging several large companies ― including FedEx, PepsiCo and Nike ― who had business relationships with the NFL team to terminate their contracts if the team didn’t change its name, AdWeek reported Wednesday.
The group of investors represents $620 billion in assets, according to AdWeek.
Though Nike hasn’t yet publicly responded to the letter, the sportswear company appeared to remove the team’s apparel from its website. As of Thursday night, a search for Washington’s branded gear on the website returned zero results.
Nike has removed all Washington #Redskins merchandise from their website. pic.twitter.com/zZvdHlL3Ld — NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) July 3, 2020
Change the Mascot on Thursday urged both Snyder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to make changes to the team’s branding.
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“The time to change the name is now, and we urge NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owner Dan Snyder to recognize this seminal moment in American history, do the right and decent thing, and finally change the name,” Halbritter said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--‘Photoshop Battle’ Over Donald Trump Baseball Bat Snap Is A Home Run

Reddit users hit this “ Photoshop Battle ” out of the park .
Reuters photographer Tom Brenner ’ s picture @ @ @ @ @ a baseball bat during the “ Spirit of America ” business showcase event in the @ @ @ @ @ reimagined in a myriad of mocking ways .
As did a reference to Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ disinfectant as a way to treat the coronavirus .
( Trump later claimed he was @ @ @ @ @ was even depicted as wearing a face mask in one of the images , below @ @ @ @ @ now .
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--It's Anything But A Happy Birthday For America In GOP Group's New Anti-Trump Ad

The Republican Voters Against Trump group ’ s latest ad gives little reason to celebrate the Fourth of July .
@ @ @ @ @ of “ Happy Birthday , ” the spot released Friday calls out President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic and his recent violent rhetoric towards anti-racism protesters .
It concludes with @ @ @ @ @ birthday wish .
“ Lets make the next 4th of July better than this one @ @ @ @ @ footage of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
RVAT , part of Defending Democracy Together @ @ @ @ @ of disaffected Republicans criticizing Trump over his pandemic failings : The anti-Trump Lincoln Project , @ @ @ @ @ on that viral attack ad in Russian with this prediction of how the president will @ @ @ @ @ are happening now .
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The Republican Voters Against Trump group’s latest ad gives little reason to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Set to a haunting rendition of “Happy Birthday,” the spot released Friday calls out President Donald Trump over his disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his recent violent rhetoric towards anti-racism protesters.
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It concludes with what appears to be a birthday wish.
“Lets make the next 4th of July better than this one,” says text over footage of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Check out the ad here:
RVAT, part of Defending Democracy Together, also shared this video of disaffected Republicans criticizing Trump over his pandemic failings:
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--'The World's Gonna Know Your Name': Student's Viral TikTok Catches Disney's Eye

The 20-year-old TikTok star shot for the stars and hit them on Thursday as he showcased his talents as a visual effects artist , filmmaker and performer in a now-viral video .
Viewed more than 6.3 million times on Thursday alone , the clip uses an impressive range of visual effects to transform Bass into his “ favorite heroes , ” evolving from a Jedi to Ben 10 to his ultimate fave , Spider-Man .
Twitter users obliged .
And within 12 hours , Bob Iger , executive chairman and former CEO of The Walt Disney Co. , was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sounded pretty enthusiastic : And that ’ s not all .
He also got a big thumbs up from Josh Gad , who voices Olaf in Disney ’ s hit “ Frozen ” franchise , Academy Award-winning director Matthew A. Cherry , “ Guardians of the Galaxy ” franchise director and screenwriter James Gunn , and thousands of new fans who threw their support behind him to become Disney ’ s next hero .
The ambitious star-in-the-making also caught the eye of Sony , which owns the rights to the “ Spider-Man ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agreement with the Marvel Cinematic Universe owned by Disney .
“ I started out doing Lego stop motion videos and grew up reading a lot of comic books , so when I first started editing I was heavy into visual effects .
I wanted to give myself every super power in the book , ” he said .
Buoyed by his filmmaking accomplishments in high school ― he scooped up two national awards for his videos ― Bass said he continued to create shorts in college but felt discouraged when they didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he started using TikTok , he said , where he ’ s accrued more than 680,000 followers since posting his first clips in late 2019 .
“ I just wanted to have fun and learn some things along the way but clearly I ’ ve struck a chord and received such an overwhelming wave of support that I really can see my dreams right ahead of me , ” he said .
“ I threw this tweet out today really as a joke , and to have the Disney chairman and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m doing it right and going in the right direction has never been more motivating !
” While Bass has worked to hone his prowess with digital effects , those skills were born “ more so out of necessity in order to tell the wild stories I ’ ve got in my head , ” he said .
His true passion is his singing and acting , he said , and he ’ s not afraid to aim high .
His dream role ?
Spider-Man .
“ Just one shot to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ It was always something I used to joke about even as a little kid , but with Bob Iger in my replies , that might not be a joke anymore !
”

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Julian Bass asked the internet for help. It delivered.
The 20-year-old TikTok star shot for the stars and hit them on Thursday as he showcased his talents as a visual effects artist, filmmaker and performer in a now-viral video. Viewed more than 6.3 million times on Thursday alone, the clip uses an impressive range of visual effects to transform Bass into his “favorite heroes,” evolving from a Jedi to Ben 10 to his ultimate fave, Spider-Man.
“If y’all can retweet this enough times that Disney calls, that’d be greatly appreciated,” he wrote.
if y’all can retweet this enough times that Disney calls, that’d be greatly appreciated pic.twitter.com/GrKlIRxg3J — Julian Bass (@thejulianbass) July 2, 2020
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Twitter users obliged. And within 12 hours, Bob Iger, executive chairman and former CEO of The Walt Disney Co., was in Bass’ Twitter replies ― and he sounded pretty enthusiastic:
The world’s gonna know your name!!! — Robert Iger (@RobertIger) July 3, 2020
And that’s not all. He also got a big thumbs up from Josh Gad, who voices Olaf in Disney’s hit “Frozen” franchise, Academy Award-winning director Matthew A. Cherry, “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise director and screenwriter James Gunn, and thousands of new fans who threw their support behind him to become Disney’s next hero.
Give this man his own everything now https://t.co/3nVr36b0ap — Josh Gad (@joshgad) July 3, 2020
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🙌 — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 3, 2020
Amazing. Well done, and Disney called!! 👍🏿👍🏿🙅🏿♀ — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) July 3, 2020
C’mon Sony, live action Spider-Verse, ya got your Miles Morales! Let’s Go! pic.twitter.com/vQaGGLbzBX — Marvel Fan (@Marvel_Fan_3000) July 3, 2020
The ambitious star-in-the-making also caught the eye of Sony, which owns the rights to the “Spider-Man” character in movies and shares it in an agreement with the Marvel Cinematic Universe owned by Disney.
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Bass, a theater major at Georgia State University, told HuffPost he’s been working on his filmmaking skills since he was 11 years old.
“I started out doing Lego stop motion videos and grew up reading a lot of comic books, so when I first started editing I was heavy into visual effects. I wanted to give myself every super power in the book,” he said.
Buoyed by his filmmaking accomplishments in high school ― he scooped up two national awards for his videos ― Bass said he continued to create shorts in college but felt discouraged when they didn’t break through. This changed when he started using TikTok, he said, where he’s accrued more than 680,000 followers since posting his first clips in late 2019.
“I just wanted to have fun and learn some things along the way but clearly I’ve struck a chord and received such an overwhelming wave of support that I really can see my dreams right ahead of me,” he said. “I threw this tweet out today really as a joke, and to have the Disney chairman and all of these celebrities tell me that I’m doing it right and going in the right direction has never been more motivating!”
While Bass has worked to hone his prowess with digital effects, those skills were born “more so out of necessity in order to tell the wild stories I’ve got in my head,” he said. His true passion is his singing and acting, he said, and he’s not afraid to aim high. His dream role? Spider-Man.
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“Just one shot to show ’em what I’ve got,” he said. “It was always something I used to joke about even as a little kid, but with Bob Iger in my replies, that might not be a joke anymore!”
His reply to Iger says it all:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Missing Texas Soldier Vanessa Guillen Was Killed At Fort Hood, Investigators Say

AUSTIN , Texas ( AP ) — Federal and military investigators said Thursday a soldier missing since April was killed by a fellow soldier stationed at the same Texas base .
The revelation followed demands for the Army to release details about its investigation of the disappearance .
A criminal complaint released by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Western District of Texas charges a civilian with helping hide the body of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillen .
The document , prepared in conjunction with the Army Criminal Investigative Command and the FBI , says the civilian helped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he bludgeoned Guillen with a hammer at Fort Hood in Central Texas and later dismembered and dumped the body .
Human remains were found Tuesday near the Leon River in Bell County , about 20 miles ( 32 kilometers ) east of Fort Hood , in the search for Guillen .
Her family said through attorney Natalie Khawam that they believe evidence shows the remains are Guillen , but authorities said they are still awaiting positive identification .
In a press conference Thursday , the Army identified the soldier suspected in Guillen ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army investigators declined to comment further on the details of Guillen ’ s case , saying they did not want to compromise the ongoing investigation .
The criminal complaint released later Thursday said the civilian arrested in connection to the Guillen case is Cecily Aguilar , 22 , of Killeen , Texas , near Fort Hood .
Aguilar faces one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence .
Robinson enlisted Aguilar to help him dispose of Guillen ’ s body , according to the complaint .
Aguilar later recognized Guillen , the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hide her body .
Aguilar was arrested Wednesday and was being held Thursday in the Bell County Jail in Belton , Texas , according to booking records .
It was unclear whether she had an attorney to speak on her behalf .
Khawam said the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division told her Robinson cleaned up the area where Guillen was killed , placed her body in a container and wheeled her out to his car .
After driving to pick up Aguilar , Khawam said , the pair drove to a nearby river @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body , but later chopped it up with a machete .
Then , they put cement on the body and buried the remains .
Tim Miller , of Texas Equusearch , who was assisting in the search for Guillen , told KHOU that investigators found a lid last week that belonged to a container consistent with one a witness saw loaded into a car at 8:30 the night Guillen disappeared .
Investigators were called back to the scene this week when a man working in the area reported a foul odor .
Miller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , put lime on her , mixed up concrete , put that over her , put dirt over her , rocks and stuff.
” Guillen ’ s older sister , Mayra Guillen , told The Associated Press on Thursday that her family was distraught after learning details about her sister ’ s disappearance .
The family had previously said they believe the Army was covering up details of Vanessa Guillen ’ s disappearance .
Mayra Guillen said her sister had spoken with their mother about experiencing sexual harassment , but that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it .
From their text conversations , Mayra Guillen said she believed her sister was afraid during her time at Fort Hood .
Guillen was last seen April 22 in a parking lot at Fort Hood .
She was set to be promoted to specialist this month .
Her car keys , barracks room key , ID card and wallet were found in the room where she was working the day she disappeared .

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Federal and military investigators said Thursday a soldier missing since April was killed by a fellow soldier stationed at the same Texas base. The revelation followed demands for the Army to release details about its investigation of the disappearance.
A criminal complaint released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas charges a civilian with helping hide the body of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillen. The document, prepared in conjunction with the Army Criminal Investigative Command and the FBI, says the civilian helped the other soldier get rid of evidence after he bludgeoned Guillen with a hammer at Fort Hood in Central Texas and later dismembered and dumped the body.
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Human remains were found Tuesday near the Leon River in Bell County, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Fort Hood, in the search for Guillen. Her family said through attorney Natalie Khawam that they believe evidence shows the remains are Guillen, but authorities said they are still awaiting positive identification.
“The whole thing is devastating, gruesome, barbaric,” Khawam said.
The Army said Wednesday that the soldier suspected in Guillen’s disappearance had killed himself.
In a press conference Thursday, the Army identified the soldier suspected in Guillen’s disappearance as Aaron David Robinson. Army investigators declined to comment further on the details of Guillen’s case, saying they did not want to compromise the ongoing investigation.
The criminal complaint released later Thursday said the civilian arrested in connection to the Guillen case is Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, Texas, near Fort Hood. Aguilar faces one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence.
Robinson enlisted Aguilar to help him dispose of Guillen’s body, according to the complaint. Aguilar later recognized Guillen, the complaint says, and helped Robinson mutilate and hide her body.
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Aguilar was arrested Wednesday and was being held Thursday in the Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas, according to booking records. It was unclear whether she had an attorney to speak on her behalf.
Khawam said the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division told her Robinson cleaned up the area where Guillen was killed, placed her body in a container and wheeled her out to his car. After driving to pick up Aguilar, Khawam said, the pair drove to a nearby river and tried to burn Guillen’s body, but later chopped it up with a machete. Then, they put cement on the body and buried the remains.
Tim Miller, of Texas Equusearch, who was assisting in the search for Guillen, told KHOU that investigators found a lid last week that belonged to a container consistent with one a witness saw loaded into a car at 8:30 the night Guillen disappeared.
Investigators were called back to the scene this week when a man working in the area reported a foul odor. Miller said it appeared the suspect “buried her, put lime on her, mixed up concrete, put that over her, put dirt over her, rocks and stuff.”
The family had said they believe Guillen was sexually harassed by the military suspect and is calling for a congressional investigation, Khawam said Wednesday.
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Guillen’s older sister, Mayra Guillen, told The Associated Press on Thursday that her family was distraught after learning details about her sister’s disappearance. The family had previously said they believe the Army was covering up details of Vanessa Guillen’s disappearance.
“There are a lot of horrifying things that happened that day,” said Mayra Guillen, 22. “There are just no words.”
Mayra Guillen said her sister had spoken with their mother about experiencing sexual harassment, but that her mother has been too devastated to talk about it. From their text conversations, Mayra Guillen said she believed her sister was afraid during her time at Fort Hood.
Army investigators said Thursday that they had no credible evidence that Vanessa Guillen had been sexually harassed or assaulted.
“We are still investigating their interactions but at this time there is no credible information for reports that specialist Robinson sexually harassed specialist Guillen,” said Fort Hood CID Special Agent Damon Phelps.
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Guillen was last seen April 22 in a parking lot at Fort Hood. She was set to be promoted to specialist this month. Her car keys, barracks room key, ID card and wallet were found in the room where she was working the day she disappeared.
Authorities said Wednesday that Robinson, 20, of Calumet City, Illinois, a Chicago suburb on the Indiana border, pulled a gun and shot himself as police were trying to make contact with him.
The Army CID and the League of United Latin American Citizens offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guillen’s whereabouts.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Ron Perlman Names ‘Sick And Twisted’ Part Of Trump Presidency That Blows His Mind

The “ Sons of Anarchy ” actor delivered his latest damning critique of the president on Thursday ’ s broadcast of “ The Dean Obeidallah Show ” on SiriusXM , denouncing Trump as “ a fucking guy ” who will “ do anything to satiate this sexual fetish ” for money , power and attention .
“ The sick and twisted part of it all is that he ’ s managed to resonate in a sector of this country , ” said Perlman .
“ It blows my mind that anybody could listen to this guy for one fucking second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the president of anything.
” Perlman , who last month went viral for sparring with GOP lawmakers on Twitter , even challenging Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) to a wrestling match , also accused Trump of politicizing the coronavirus pandemic to titillate his base .
“ If you go to hell , I don ’ t know a better way to get there than the way this guy has comported himself during this horrifically tragic event , ” Perlman added .
On Twitter , meanwhile , the actor turned Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African nations as “ shithole ” countries against the president : Americans under Donald Trump have been banned from entering into Europe .
Because we are diseased .
Yes my friends , in 3 short years this reality show clown has turned us into a ‘ Shithole Country ’ .
— Ron Perlman ( @ perlmutations ) July 3 , 2020

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Hell hath no fury like “Hellboy” star Ron Perlman talking about Donald Trump.
The “Sons of Anarchy” actor delivered his latest damning critique of the president on Thursday’s broadcast of “The Dean Obeidallah Show” on SiriusXM, denouncing Trump as “a fucking guy” who will “do anything to satiate this sexual fetish” for money, power and attention.
“The sick and twisted part of it all is that he’s managed to resonate in a sector of this country,” said Perlman. “It blows my mind that anybody could listen to this guy for one fucking second, Dean, and think that he’s the president of anything.”
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Check out the interview here:
Perlman, who last month went viral for sparring with GOP lawmakers on Twitter, even challenging Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to a wrestling match, also accused Trump of politicizing the coronavirus pandemic to titillate his base.
“If you go to hell, I don’t know a better way to get there than the way this guy has comported himself during this horrifically tragic event,” Perlman added.
On Twitter, meanwhile, the actor turned Trump’s past description of Haiti and African nations as “shithole” countries against the president:
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Arab and Muslim Communities Need To Talk About Anti-Blackness

American Muslims have no majority race , making them one the most diverse faith groups in the country .
Nearly 3 million Muslims reside in the U.S. , and more than a fifth of them are Black Muslims , a group that includes Black people born in the U.S. who converted from another religion or were raised Muslim , as well as immigrants from countries such as Somalia and Ethiopia .
The African diaspora ― both from the slave trade and from voluntary immigration ― created African Arab populations in countries such as Sudan , Egypt and Yemen .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify as all three : Arab , Black and African .
Black Muslims were among the first Muslims in the U.S. , particularly those who were captured and enslaved in the 17th century .
But they are often ignored in mainstream conversations about Islam .
Now , the protests that have rocked the world in the weeks since Floyd ’ s death are also forcing non-Black , predominantly Arab and South Asian Muslims to evaluate their role in systemic injustice .
Arab communities are still fighting remnants of anti-Blackness .
Last month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East donned blackface in a failed and grotesque attempt to support George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement .
Blackface originated in the U.S. , but it is still used as a caricature in Arab film and television .
In countries such as Lebanon , an employment framework known as the “ kafala ” system ties the livelihoods of African , Afro-Arab , Asian and other migrant domestic workers to an Arab sponsor — a system that critics call modern-day slavery .
In everyday life , some people still use violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and beauty businesses still promote skin-bleaching products .
“ People come to this country with some preconceived notions of what it means to be Black that might be really local to their context , whether it ’ s Lebanon or India , ” said Su ’ ad Abdul Khabeer , the senior editor at Sapelo Square , an online publication that amplifies Black Muslims .
“ And then they ’ ve also received images of anti-Blackness through white supremacy .
So when they come to this country , this is all in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. have struggled with aspirational whiteness that Muslims have only recently begun to critique .
For decades , millions of U.S. residents who are of Southwest Asian , Middle Eastern or North African descent have been categorized as “ white ” by the U.S. Census Bureau .
Advocates have been working to change that , pointing out the erasure and loss of resources that result from being lumped in with the white population .
But as of the 2020 decennial census , “ white ” is still their only option .
“ Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a place that is rooted in anti-Blackness and challenging them and holding them accountable , as well as trying to support those store owners who are trying to do better and how they can create an alternative business model in these neighborhoods , ” Jitan said .
“ Somebody who isn ’ t in these stores but is in a mosque somewhere in the suburbs still is benefiting from the wealth that has come from these stores in these neighborhoods , ” Jitan said .
“ The solution lies in investment from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods , reinvest in these stores , to be able to create a different model , and that requires material and other kinds of support.
” Hill ’ s organization has been inundated with requests from non-Black Muslim organizations in the weeks since Floyd ’ s death , she said .
Thousands of people have watched online programming about addressing anti-racism in their community and are looking for resources for their own programs .
She has also received a record-high number of requests to provide racial justice training for American Muslim organizations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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The murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer forced many communities to reckon with their role in anti-Black racism.
The conversation became more real for members of the Arab and non-Black Muslim communities in the U.S. when they learned that it was an employee at Cup Foods — a convenience store owned by a Palestinian American Muslim man — who called Minneapolis police on Floyd over a suspected counterfeit $20 bill.
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American Muslims have no majority race, making them one the most diverse faith groups in the country. Nearly 3 million Muslims reside in the U.S., and more than a fifth of them are Black Muslims, a group that includes Black people born in the U.S. who converted from another religion or were raised Muslim, as well as immigrants from countries such as Somalia and Ethiopia. The African diaspora ― both from the slave trade and from voluntary immigration ― created African Arab populations in countries such as Sudan, Egypt and Yemen. And people from countries such as Mauritania often identify as all three: Arab, Black and African.
Black Muslims were among the first Muslims in the U.S., particularly those who were captured and enslaved in the 17th century. But they are often ignored in mainstream conversations about Islam. Now, the protests that have rocked the world in the weeks since Floyd’s death are also forcing non-Black, predominantly Arab and South Asian Muslims to evaluate their role in systemic injustice.
“This biggest issue for us as Muslims is not just Islamophobia; it’s systemic racism and white supremacy,” said Margari Aziza Hill, the co-founder and executive director of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, an organization that provides racial justice education and training within Muslim communities. “If we are committed to the project of decolonization, anti-racism, anti-Islamophobia, anti-oppression, we’ll be successful.”
Hill, who is a Black Muslim, added: “But if we’re only focused on Islamophobia, then we’re going to leave people behind. They’re going to leave me behind because I’ll still be subjected to racial violence.”
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White Supremacy, Colonization and Aspiring Whiteness
Africans in Arab and South Asian countries can be traced back to the East African slave trade, through which millions of Africans were enslaved and sent to countries such as Pakistan and Oman, creating populations of African descent there. White colonial powers that invaded the Middle East and South Asia promoted whiteness as the dominant culture and installed systemic anti-Blackness.
Arab communities are still fighting remnants of anti-Blackness. Last month, a number of Arab celebrities in the Middle East donned blackface in a failed and grotesque attempt to support George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. Blackface originated in the U.S., but it is still used as a caricature in Arab film and television. In countries such as Lebanon, an employment framework known as the “kafala” system ties the livelihoods of African, Afro-Arab, Asian and other migrant domestic workers to an Arab sponsor — a system that critics call modern-day slavery. In everyday life, some people still use violent language to label Black people as slaves, and beauty businesses still promote skin-bleaching products.
As Arab immigrants move to the U.S, some of these problematic attitudes come with them.
“People come to this country with some preconceived notions of what it means to be Black that might be really local to their context, whether it’s Lebanon or India,” said Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, the senior editor at Sapelo Square, an online publication that amplifies Black Muslims. “And then they’ve also received images of anti-Blackness through white supremacy. So when they come to this country, this is all in the mix.”
Immigrant communities in the U.S. have struggled with aspirational whiteness that Muslims have only recently begun to critique. For decades, millions of U.S. residents who are of Southwest Asian, Middle Eastern or North African descent have been categorized as “white” by the U.S. Census Bureau. Advocates have been working to change that, pointing out the erasure and loss of resources that result from being lumped in with the white population. But as of the 2020 decennial census, “white” is still their only option.
“Solidarity is not a zero-sum reciprocity game. We have to acknowledge that as we’re standing up for Palestine and speaking out against injustice, that it feels hollow if there is not a commitment to speaking out against injustice here." Maytha Alhassen
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Black Muslims are often overlooked in conversations about Islam, and Afro-Arabs are rendered invisible in even the academic discourse about Arab politics and culture. The majority of contemporary research on Arabs is focused on countries such as Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon, neglecting Black Arab populations from those same countries and other countries in North Africa.
“Solidarity is not a zero-sum reciprocity game. We have to acknowledge that as we’re standing up for Palestine and speaking out against injustice, that it feels hollow if there is not a commitment to speaking out against injustice here,” said Maytha Alhassen, a historian of U.S. race, migration and gender who wrote her dissertation on Arab-Black solidarity.
“There are various ways that non-Black Arabs contribute to the injustice that Black people experience in the U.S. If we don’t acknowledge that, then there is no substantial solidarity that can be made,” she added.
Confronting The Immigrant Store Owner Dynamic
Shortly after Floyd’s death, Mahmoud Abumayyaleh, the owner of Cup Foods, announced that his business will stop calling the police. That “almost always does more harm than good, even for something as harmless as a fake bill,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
The George Floyd incident has forced other immigrant and Arab store owners to reflect on their own relationships with the police, particularly in low-income, Black-majority neighborhoods.
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Arab and immigrant store owners are going through an awakening and want to be better allies, said Ahmad Jitan, a community organizer for the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, a community organization and clinic with facilities on the South Side of Chicago. The network focuses on addressing structural, systematic and social injustice, and Jitan hopes his organization can help diffuse racial tension and model a healthier relationship for shop owners in majority-Black neighborhoods.
Jitan’s group has partnered with MuslimARC to create “Corner Store Witness,” an online curriculum for non-Black Muslim business owners about how to navigate their relationship with Black customers in an equitable and moral way.
The curriculum includes focusing on the need for store owners to go beyond transactional relationships to build personal connections in their neighborhoods. The program also encourages store owners to be more critical of the products they sell, such as liquor, nicotine and junk food, and to consider providing healthier options, such as fresh produce.
The program also asks owners to consider the physical makeup of their stores, such as ubiquitous glass barriers. Meant to protect those behind a counter from violence, they can also serve as a metaphor for the psychological barrier between owners and customers, Jitan said.
Muslim women offer evening prayers at a makeshift memorial in honor of George Floyd in Minneapolis on June 4. CHANDAN KHANNA via Getty Images
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“Our work involves challenging those that are in a place that is rooted in anti-Blackness and challenging them and holding them accountable, as well as trying to support those store owners who are trying to do better and how they can create an alternative business model in these neighborhoods,” Jitan said.
But transformative change doesn’t end with store owners’ practices, Jitan added. Allies must also advocate to their broader community about the need for systemic change.
“Somebody who isn’t in these stores but is in a mosque somewhere in the suburbs still is benefiting from the wealth that has come from these stores in these neighborhoods,” Jitan said. “The solution lies in investment from the larger Arab communities to reinvest in the neighborhoods, reinvest in these stores, to be able to create a different model, and that requires material and other kinds of support.”
Centering Black Muslim Voices
Hill’s organization has been inundated with requests from non-Black Muslim organizations in the weeks since Floyd’s death, she said. Thousands of people have watched online programming about addressing anti-racism in their community and are looking for resources for their own programs. She has also received a record-high number of requests to provide racial justice training for American Muslim organizations and to consult on statements and curricula.
Hill believes that the Muslim community is finally prioritizing anti-racist education. “As the most racially diverse religious community in America, we have a deep self-interest to stay together in these conversations,” Hill said.
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Hill’s work connects the dots between white supremacy, anti-Black racism and Islamophobia, topics many mosques and Muslim conferences deemed too uncomfortable just a few years ago.
She urged non-Black Muslims to continue to hold one another accountable and to center the voices of their Black peers in faith.
“What we have to do is really think about how we help institutions do that transformational work that brings about racial equity,” Hill said. “If we want society to be better, then we have to think about all sectors being anti-racist.”
Muslim protesters join a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Washington on June 6. INES BEL AIBA via Getty Images
In June, two Arab American community organizers in New York and Boston posted a six-point guide in both Arabic and English outlining ways to resist anti-Blackness and to self-educate on Arab-Black solidarity.
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The Arabs for Black Lives Collective, a new initiative spearheaded by a group of non-Black Arabs, also issued a letter calling on peers to “eradicate anti-Blackness and racism” within the community and to “confront our households, neighborhoods and places of worship.”
Nearly 2,000 people signed the letter, including U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Golden Globe-winning actor Ramy Youssef.
“We have to have the deep and often uncomfortable conversations with those that are around us to make sure that we’re stomping [anti-Black racism] out from our circles,” said Ahmad Abuznaid, the co-founder of Dream Defenders and a member of the group that wrote the letter.
For Black Muslims, the intersection between anti-racism and Islamophobia is a lived experience that they can’t set aside as easily as non-Black Muslims. But what connects them is the shared experience of faith as a means to uphold justice and equality.
“The Quran is really clear about this. There is no ambiguity,” Abdul Khabeer said. “As Muslims, we should pray, and we should look for those prayers as something that binds us and fortifies us as we fight.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--White Couple Arrested After Gun Pulled On Black Family In Michigan

A white couple was arrested after at least one handgun was pulled on a Black woman and her daughters during a videotaped confrontation in a restaurant parking lot in Michigan , authorities said Thursday .
Jillian Wuestenberg , 32 , and Eric Wuestenberg , 42 , were charged Thursday with felonious assault , Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper said in a release .
It was not immediately clear when they would be arraigned or if they have attorneys who could comment on the allegations .
Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters that the couple is from Independence Township and both have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handguns from the couple after they were detained Wednesday night following the encounter .
The Detroit News first reported on the three-minute video posted online that shows part of the interaction .
Takelia Hill , who is Black , told the newspaper that it happened after the white woman bumped into Hill ’ s teenage daughter as they were entering the fast food restaurant .
The video footage starts after that , in the parking lot .
A woman since identified as Jillian Wuestenberg is heard arguing with Hill and her daughters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the window and says , “ White people aren ’ t racist , ” and , “ I care about you , ” before the vehicle she was in starts to back away .
Her husband , who had led his wife to the vehicle , turns to the camera and asks , “ Who ... do you think you guys are ?
” using an expletive .
Then , as someone is standing behind the vehicle , Jillian Wuestenberg jumps out and points a handgun in the direction of a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at people to get away from her and her vehicle .
A woman shouts , “ She ’ s got a gun on me !
” and urges someone in the parking lot to call the police .
Cooper , the prosecutor , told The Associated Press that her office viewed the available video and looked at the facts before filing charges .
“ It is an unfortunate set of circumstances that tempers run high over , basically , not much of an incident , ” she said of the initial alleged spark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t see sides .
We see facts , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a lot of tension in our society , a lot of tension among folks and people with each other .
I would just say this , we are asking and expect our police — and rightfully so — to deescalate every situation they possibly can , and we should be doing that .
But I would say that needs to happen with us individually in our own lives and situations , that we interact with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

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A white couple was arrested after at least one handgun was pulled on a Black woman and her daughters during a videotaped confrontation in a restaurant parking lot in Michigan, authorities said Thursday.
Jillian Wuestenberg, 32, and Eric Wuestenberg, 42, were charged Thursday with felonious assault, Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper said in a release. It was not immediately clear when they would be arraigned or if they have attorneys who could comment on the allegations.
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Cellphone video captured the confrontation Wednesday outside a Chipotle in Orion Township, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.
Jillian Wuestenberg can be seen outside her vehicle shouting, “Get the (expletive) away! Get away!” while pointing a handgun.
She eventually gets back in her vehicle which is driven away by her husband.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters that the couple is from Independence Township and both have concealed pistol licenses. Deputies seized two handguns from the couple after they were detained Wednesday night following the encounter.
The Detroit News first reported on the three-minute video posted online that shows part of the interaction. Takelia Hill, who is Black, told the newspaper that it happened after the white woman bumped into Hill’s teenage daughter as they were entering the fast food restaurant.
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The video footage starts after that, in the parking lot. A woman since identified as Jillian Wuestenberg is heard arguing with Hill and her daughters. Wuestenberg climbs into the vehicle, rolls down the window and says, “White people aren’t racist,” and, “I care about you,” before the vehicle she was in starts to back away.
Her husband, who had led his wife to the vehicle, turns to the camera and asks, “Who ... do you think you guys are?” using an expletive.
Then, as someone is standing behind the vehicle, Jillian Wuestenberg jumps out and points a handgun in the direction of a person who’s recording. She screams at people to get away from her and her vehicle. A woman shouts, “She’s got a gun on me!” and urges someone in the parking lot to call the police.
Wuestenberg then lowers the gun, climbs into the passenger seat and the vehicle drives off.
Cooper, the prosecutor, told The Associated Press that her office viewed the available video and looked at the facts before filing charges.
“It is an unfortunate set of circumstances that tempers run high over, basically, not much of an incident,” she said of the initial alleged spark that caused the confrontation.
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Bouchard said people are “picking sides” and that threatening calls were made to the sheriff’s office dispatch center after the videos were posted online.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-03--Jason From 'Friday The 13th' Takes The Stigma Out Of Masks In Killer New PSA

The coronavirus is surging , and health authorities are pleading with people to wear a mask to slow the spread @ @ @ @ @ new PSA from Ogilvy Health uses someone who looks a lot like Jason , the @ @ @ @ @ from the “ Friday the 13th ” films , to help take some of the @ @ @ @ @ :

The coronavirus is surging, and health authorities are pleading with people to wear a mask to slow the spread of COVID-19 infection.
A new PSA from Ogilvy Health uses someone who looks a lot like Jason, the villain in a hockey mask from the “Friday the 13th” films, to help take some of the stigma out of covering up: