theroot--2020-04-30--Charles Barkley Shares Hilarious Story About Michael Jackson and Reveals His Favorite Rap Group of A

Charles Barkley Shares Hilarious Story About Michael Jackson and Reveals His Favorite Rap Group of All Time

I pride myself on being pretty observant , and a great way to learn about somebody is either by their shoes or their taste in music .
As a media figure , NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley spends most of his time sitting behind a desk , so I have no idea what kind of sneakers or shoes he ’ s out here rocking .
But on the latest episode of The Steam Room podcast , he did reveal who his favorite rap group of all-time was and also shared a hilarious story about Michael Jackson .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were discussing a popular meme of Bill Clinton holding four of his favorite albums when a caller asked the 11-time NBA All-Star what his favorite albums were .
Unfortunately , while Chuck wasn ’ t able to name any—though Marvin Gaye ’ s Here , My Dear would ’ ve been an acceptable answer— he did disclose who his favorite rap group was , though much to my dismay , it wasn ’ t Smilez and Southstar .
“ Number one , I don ’ t know the exact [ album ] .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barkley answered without hesitating .
“ Public Enemy is my favorite rap group of all time.
” If you might recall , group members Chuck D and Flavor Flav are currently embroiled in one of the most bizarre beefs in hip-hop history .
After refusing to participate in a Bernie Sanders rally in March—back when outside gatherings were still perfectly normal—Flav was apparently kicked out of the group , only for Chuck D to claim that Flav ’ s dismissal was merely an April Fool ’ s Joke to help promote a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t in on the joke .
“ I am not a part of your hoax @ mrchuckd , ” Flav tweeted in response .
“ There are more serious things in the world right now than April Fool ’ s jokes and dropping records .
The world needs better than this .
You say we are leaders , so act like one.
” As much as Barkley loves Public Enemy , it ’ s eclipsed by his love for all things Michael Jackson .
So while he had the audience ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hilarious story about the King of Pop .
“ Anything Michael Jackson , I love Michael Jackson , even though he hung up on me , but I still love Michael Jackson , ” said Barkley , before being coaxed by Ernie Johnson to share the rest of the story .
“ One day I was on a TV show .
Remember [ Michael ] held a baby over the balcony ?
So I was on a show and the [ attorney ] Gloria Allred was going crazy , and I went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut up and , hey listen , Michael Jackson—he just got caught up in the moment—he ’ s not gon na hurt no baby and blah blah blah , ” remembered Barkley .
“ I said , y ’ all make a big deal out of every time celebrities do anything and that ’ s just unnecessary and uncalled for , ” he added .
Michael caught wind of the outspoken analyst ’ s off-the-court defense and wanted to thank him personally .
“ So my agent called me , he said ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on TV defending him .
He wanted to call and say thank you .
Can I give him your number ?
’ I said , ‘ hell yeah .
He ’ s Michael Jackson , give me the time that he ’ s gon na call , ” said Barkley .
“ So he calls , he says , ‘ Charles ?
’ I said ‘ yes.
’ He said , ‘ this is Michael Jackson.
’ I said , ‘ hey man I ’ m your biggest fan.
’ He says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I heard what you said , that old , mean lady Gloria Allred was saying [ bad things ] about me on television .
I wanted to call and say thank you for defending me , ’ ” he added .
Barkley continued : “ Then I say , ‘ man I just wan na tell you , I ’ m your biggest fan in the world .
It would be an honor and a pleasure to meet you in person , ’ and I keep going .
And then I say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then I realized that after he said what he wanted to say he hung up .
And I was just rambling on about what a big fan I was.
” You can listen to the episode in its entirety below .

I pride myself on being pretty observant, and a great way to learn about somebody is either by their shoes or their taste in music. As a media figure, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley spends most of his time sitting behind a desk, so I have no idea what kind of sneakers or shoes he’s out here rocking. But on the latest episode of The Steam Room podcast, he did reveal who his favorite rap group of all-time was and also shared a hilarious story about Michael Jackson.
According to HipHopDX, Barkley and co-host Ernie Johnson were discussing a popular meme of Bill Clinton holding four of his favorite albums when a caller asked the 11-time NBA All-Star what his favorite albums were. Unfortunately, while Chuck wasn’t able to name any—though Marvin Gaye’s Here, My Dear would’ve been an acceptable answer— he did disclose who his favorite rap group was, though much to my dismay, it wasn’t Smilez and Southstar.
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“Number one, I don’t know the exact [album]. Any album by Public Enemy,” Barkley answered without hesitating. “Public Enemy is my favorite rap group of all time.”
If you might recall, group members Chuck D and Flavor Flav are currently embroiled in one of the most bizarre beefs in hip-hop history. After refusing to participate in a Bernie Sanders rally in March—back when outside gatherings were still perfectly normal—Flav was apparently kicked out of the group, only for Chuck D to claim that Flav’s dismissal was merely an April Fool’s Joke to help promote a new project.
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Slight problem: Flav wasn’t in on the joke.
“I am not a part of your hoax @mrchuckd,” Flav tweeted in response. “There are more serious things in the world right now than April Fool’s jokes and dropping records. The world needs better than this. You say we are leaders, so act like one.”
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As much as Barkley loves Public Enemy, it’s eclipsed by his love for all things Michael Jackson. So while he had the audience’s attention, the Auburn legend also shared a hilarious story about the King of Pop.
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From HipHopDX:
“Anything Michael Jackson, I love Michael Jackson, even though he hung up on me, but I still love Michael Jackson,” said Barkley, before being coaxed by Ernie Johnson to share the rest of the story. “One day I was on a TV show. Remember [Michael] held a baby over the balcony? So I was on a show and the [attorney] Gloria Allred was going crazy, and I went crazy on her, telling her to shut up and, hey listen, Michael Jackson—he just got caught up in the moment—he’s not gonna hurt no baby and blah blah blah,” remembered Barkley. “I said, y’all make a big deal out of every time celebrities do anything and that’s just unnecessary and uncalled for,” he added. Michael caught wind of the outspoken analyst’s off-the-court defense and wanted to thank him personally. “So my agent called me, he said ‘hey man, Michael Jackson saw you on TV defending him. He wanted to call and say thank you. Can I give him your number?’ I said, ‘hell yeah. He’s Michael Jackson, give me the time that he’s gonna call,” said Barkley. “So he calls, he says, ‘Charles?’ I said ‘yes.’ He said, ‘this is Michael Jackson.’ I said, ‘hey man I’m your biggest fan.’ He says, ‘I just called to tell you, I heard what you said, that old, mean lady Gloria Allred was saying [bad things] about me on television. I wanted to call and say thank you for defending me,’” he added. Barkley continued: “Then I say, ‘man I just wanna tell you, I’m your biggest fan in the world. It would be an honor and a pleasure to meet you in person,’ and I keep going. And then I say ‘hello, hello, hello.’ Then I realized that after he said what he wanted to say he hung up. And I was just rambling on about what a big fan I was.”
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Damn, it’s like that, Michael?
You can listen to the episode in its entirety below.


theroot--2020-04-30--You Can Get Apple’s Airpods for $20 off Right Now

If you ’ ve been itching to up your audio game , or just need something to drown out the @ @ @ @ @ office , consider Apple ’ s AirPods , which you can get for $ 20 @ @ @ @ @ & H Photo .
They ’ re portable , so you can carry them with @ @ @ @ @ easy to pull out when you need to chat with someone , and they easily @ @ @ @ @ devices so you don ’ t have to keep futzing with Bluetooth settings all day @

Jordan McMahon on Kinja Deals, shared by Jordan McMahon to The Root

Apple AirPods (Wired Charging Case) | $119 | Amazon
Apple AirPods (Wireless Charging Case) | $160 | Amazon
If you’ve been itching to up your audio game, or just need something to drown out the noise in your makeshift home office, consider Apple’s AirPods, which you can get for $119 on Amazon right now. That’s a $40 savings off the list price, and about $10 less than we’ve seen them lately at Amazon.
Want a case you can toss onto a wireless charging pad for an effortless power boost? The same AirPods with a wireless charging case are $160 right now, or $39 off the list price.
In either case, they’re incredibly portable, so you can carry them with you around the house, easy to pull out when you need to chat with someone, and they easily pair with all your Apple devices so you don’t have to keep futzing with Bluetooth settings all day.
And if you don’t mind paying a bit more, upgrade to the fancier AirPods Pro with active noise canceling, silicone tips, and a wireless charging case for $180 ($69 off).
This article was originally published by Jordan McMahon on 4/30/2020 and updated by Joe Tilleli with new information on 10/14/2021.


theroot--2020-04-30--The Pleasure Ponytail: This Jeopardy Contestant Thought Janet Jackson Was Ariana Grande

Sarah Jett Rayburn ?
Girl , you got some competition .
Yes , Sarah is the reigning champion , even after her pretty big flub on Monday ; but when it comes to Twitter trending topics , a new guy tried to upstage her .
You thought Sarah was the biggest failure this week ?
Well , a contestant who wasn ’ t Sarah pretty much said , “ hold my Ariana Grande latte.
” According to Entertainment Weekly , Alwin Hui continued the failed pattern on Wednesday ’ s episode of Jeopardy .
This time , the confusion was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You read that right .
The question read as follows , “ As the recipient of the 2018 Icon Award , she took “ Control ” and took the stage in her first live TV performance in nearly a decade.
” Let ’ s go over the several clues and hints that were given to Mr. Hui , shall we ?
• The question itself , as it typically does , made a play on words by referencing the singer ’ s hit album , “ Control.
” • The fact that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV performance in nearly a decade should ’ ve ruled out Ariana Grande , who is 26 years old and had a career breakthrough in this decade .
• The actual video of Janet Jackson singing a Janet Jackson-ass song , “ Nasty Boys ” at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards .
Look , I know Grande is slowly evolving into every single shade in the Fenty Beauty foundation line , but come on .
Clearly , ol ’ dude saw the high ponytail ( a signature hairstyle of Grande ’ s ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Sarah , most people can chalk it up to nerves , which happens , but…you can ’ t mistake a black woman for a woman slowly turning into a black woman !
It ’ s the displeasure principle !
Funny enough , the one to get it right ?
Sarah !
Way to redeem yourself , girl !
Plus , she won the game again , taking home $ 89,300 that evening .
I guess I ’ ll be sitting here awaiting the next Jeopardy fail , since it ’ s all @ @ @

Tonja Renée Stidhum on The Grapevine, shared by Tonja Renée Stidhum to The Root

Sarah Jett Rayburn? Girl, you got some competition.
Yes, Sarah is the reigning champion, even after her pretty big flub on Monday; but when it comes to Twitter trending topics, a new guy tried to upstage her. You thought Sarah was the biggest failure this week? Well, a contestant who wasn’t Sarah pretty much said, “hold my Ariana Grande latte.”
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According to Entertainment Weekly, Alwin Hui continued the failed pattern on Wednesday’s episode of Jeopardy. This time, the confusion was between Janet Jackson and Ariana Grande. You read that right.
The question read as follows, “As the recipient of the 2018 Icon Award, she took “Control” and took the stage in her first live TV performance in nearly a decade.”
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Let’s go over the several clues and hints that were given to Mr. Hui, shall we?
The question itself, as it typically does, made a play on words by referencing the singer’s hit album, “Control.” The fact that the mysterious singer hadn’t made a TV performance in nearly a decade should’ve ruled out Ariana Grande, who is 26 years old and had a career breakthrough in this decade. The actual video of Janet Jackson singing a Janet Jackson-ass song, “Nasty Boys” at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.
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Look, I know Grande is slowly evolving into every single shade in the Fenty Beauty foundation line, but come on. Clearly, ol’ dude saw the high ponytail (a signature hairstyle of Grande’s) and ran with it.
Perhaps, like Sarah, most people can chalk it up to nerves, which happens, but…you can’t mistake a black woman for a woman slowly turning into a black woman! It’s the displeasure principle!
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Funny enough, the one to get it right? Sarah! Way to redeem yourself, girl! Plus, she won the game again, taking home $89,300 that evening.
I guess I’ll be sitting here awaiting the next Jeopardy fail, since it’s all the rage.


theroot--2020-04-30--Africans in China Say Police Have Told Them to Stop Sharing Stories About Racial Discrimination: Rep

Africans in China Say Police Have Told Them to Stop Sharing Stories About Racial Discrimination: Report

A Ugandan woman who filmed a racist encounter at a Guangdong , China 7-Eleven earlier this month says Chinese police officers visited her shortly afterward demanding she delete the video .
As BuzzFeed reports , Darasa ( who wasn ’ t identified by her full name to protect her from possible retribution ) is one of multiple Africans currently living in China who spoke to the outlet about their experiences being visited by the police after sharing videos of racist , xenophobic harassment and abuse .
Anti-African discrimination and harassment made international news earlier in April after the country experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where the novel coronavirus was first discovered , had curbed its coronavirus cases after hitting a peak in February ; officials said the new outbreaks came from foreign travelers arriving from foreign countries .
China had also recently relaxed travel restrictions within the country .
Though it hasn ’ t been reported which country or countries the outbreak stemmed from , African migrants became scapegoats among some Chinese residents and businesses .
The most well-known case of discrimination thus far came from a Guangzhou McDonalds , which posted a sign explicitly stating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restaurant.
” The resulting backlash has Chinese immigration police actively trying to contain videos and other documentation of racist treatment from getting out , BuzzFeed ’ s sources tell them .
Darasa told the outlet that after filming and posting an encounter at 7-Eleven where staff members refused her entry and sprayed disinfectant at her feet , two groups of police officers came to her hotel to pay her visit .
They demanded she delete the video .
One group of four officers brought her a “ gift ” box which included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tea bags as part of an effort to get her to cooperate with authorities , she said .
“ We ’ re in their country , so they can still do whatever they wish to us , ” said Darasa .
Others reported similar experiences .
One person ’ s story suggests that Chinese authorities are even infiltrating black WhatsApp groups .
From BuzzFeed : A Ugandan known as Omuntu Wawansi , who lives outside Shanghai , secretly recorded his interrogation by immigration police last week after helping several Africans facing discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After Wawansi shared the video with the foreigners ’ WhatsApp group , he was surprised to get a call from the same police officer he caught on tape .
“ We ’ re like pets to them — you ’ re supposed to just stay in their lane , ” Wawansi said .
“ You ’ re not supposed to speak up if you ’ re violated in any way.
” The high-level concern about limiting stories of racist incidents stems from the government ’ s desire to “ preserve economic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years building with African nations , ” writes BuzzFeed .
Though , of course , it ’ s worth questioning what Chinese authorities have done to stop the racist incidents from happening in the first place , rather than mitigating the spread of the stories themselves .
The impulse to punish Africans for the spread of the virus is both xenophobic and racist , not unlike the spike in hate crimes and harassment against Asians and Asian Americans in the U.S. after the coronavirus spread in this country .
Officials recently reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases in New York City , now the global epicenter of the crisis , actually came from Europe .
Still , in the U.S. and in China , white people have not been targeted or blamed for spreading the virus .
And in China specifically , the anti-blackness directed at African migrants is made all the more concerning because of the state ’ s capacity for monitoring and policing its residents .
Unfortunately , those who do want to return to their home countries , like Darasa , can not .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the African students and workers living in China , Atlanta Black Star CEO Neil Nelson has tried to work with Ugandan politicians to try to organize an airlift for those who want to leave .
The demand is certainly there—300 people have asked for seats on such an evacuation flight , Nelson told BuzzFeed .
But thus far , in part because of prohibitive costs and travel restrictions , no African country has been willing or able to receive them .

A Ugandan woman who filmed a racist encounter at a Guangdong, China 7-Eleven earlier this month says Chinese police officers visited her shortly afterward demanding she delete the video.
As BuzzFeed reports, Darasa (who wasn’t identified by her full name to protect her from possible retribution) is one of multiple Africans currently living in China who spoke to the outlet about their experiences being visited by the police after sharing videos of racist, xenophobic harassment and abuse. Anti-African discrimination and harassment made international news earlier in April after the country experienced a resurgence in coronavirus infections. China, where the novel coronavirus was first discovered, had curbed its coronavirus cases after hitting a peak in February; officials said the new outbreaks came from foreign travelers arriving from foreign countries. China had also recently relaxed travel restrictions within the country.
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Though it hasn’t been reported which country or countries the outbreak stemmed from, African migrants became scapegoats among some Chinese residents and businesses. The most well-known case of discrimination thus far came from a Guangzhou McDonalds, which posted a sign explicitly stating “black people are not allowed to the restaurant.”
The resulting backlash has Chinese immigration police actively trying to contain videos and other documentation of racist treatment from getting out, BuzzFeed’s sources tell them. Darasa told the outlet that after filming and posting an encounter at 7-Eleven where staff members refused her entry and sprayed disinfectant at her feet, two groups of police officers came to her hotel to pay her visit. They demanded she delete the video. One group of four officers brought her a “gift” box which included hand sanitizer, a face mask, and tea bags as part of an effort to get her to cooperate with authorities, she said.
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“We’re in their country, so they can still do whatever they wish to us,” said Darasa.
Others reported similar experiences. One person’s story suggests that Chinese authorities are even infiltrating black WhatsApp groups. From BuzzFeed:
A Ugandan known as Omuntu Wawansi, who lives outside Shanghai, secretly recorded his interrogation by immigration police last week after helping several Africans facing discrimination in China connect with foreign news outlets. After Wawansi shared the video with the foreigners’ WhatsApp group, he was surprised to get a call from the same police officer he caught on tape.
“We’re like pets to them — you’re supposed to just stay in their lane,” Wawansi said. “You’re not supposed to speak up if you’re violated in any way.”
Advertisement
The high-level concern about limiting stories of racist incidents stems from the government’s desire to “preserve economic and diplomatic ties [it] had spent years building with African nations,” writes BuzzFeed. Though, of course, it’s worth questioning what Chinese authorities have done to stop the racist incidents from happening in the first place, rather than mitigating the spread of the stories themselves.
The impulse to punish Africans for the spread of the virus is both xenophobic and racist, not unlike the spike in hate crimes and harassment against Asians and Asian Americans in the U.S. after the coronavirus spread in this country. Officials recently reported that most of the first wave of coronavirus cases in New York City, now the global epicenter of the crisis, actually came from Europe.
Advertisement
Still, in the U.S. and in China, white people have not been targeted or blamed for spreading the virus. And in China specifically, the anti-blackness directed at African migrants is made all the more concerning because of the state’s capacity for monitoring and policing its residents. Unfortunately, those who do want to return to their home countries, like Darasa, cannot.
In an attempt to ease the suffering of some of the African students and workers living in China, Atlanta Black Star CEO Neil Nelson has tried to work with Ugandan politicians to try to organize an airlift for those who want to leave. The demand is certainly there—300 people have asked for seats on such an evacuation flight, Nelson told BuzzFeed. But thus far, in part because of prohibitive costs and travel restrictions, no African country has been willing or able to receive them.


theroot--2020-04-30--I Just Finished Little Fires Everywhere Last Night and Now I Have Answers to My Questions!

White people .
Which makes “ We Didn ’ t Start The Fire ” both cruel irony and elaborate subterfuge .
2 .
Does anyone else say “ Here comes a little fire ” to themselves whenever there ’ s a confrontation ?
I think that ’ s just me .
4 .
A first date to a junkyard van ?
Really ?
Who does that ?
Are junkyard vans the awkward white teenager ’ s Cheesecake Factory ?
LOL at me clutching my pearls at Moody ’ s junkyard van dates with Pearl when junkyard van boning was rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Applebees , please !
5 .
I love Kerry Washington with all my heart , but why does it always seem like she ’ s standing in front of a strong-ass fan ?
I don ’ t know .
But I do know that Tiffany Boone somehow managed to pull off an effective young Mia and an uncanny ( heh ) young Kerry .
It was like I was watching Enter the Kerry-Verse .
And since we ’ re here , Kerry and Tiffany and Nicole Beharie and Anika Noni Rose Tha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s ... that ’ s all I ’ m gon na say about that .
You can make the case .
8 .
Is putting Ritz crackers in meatloaf an actual thing ?
9 .
Why did they act like she discovered fire when she just added some crackers to ground beef ?
Had they ever had soup before ?
10 .
Also , she did like 3821983 fireable things in the first two weeks working at that house , so why wasn ’ t she just fired then ?
Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armor .
Does a bear shit in the woods and wipe its ass with a squirrel ?
12 .
Did Reese Witherspoon ’ s White Guilt become sentient and start the fire ?
?
?
13 .
Why are all the kids on the show so small ?
Because , as many of you pointed out , they cast actual teens to play teens instead of the 37-year-olds passing for 14 we ’ re used to seeing .
14 .
Including the black boyfriend , who ’ s apparently a star quarterback at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size of a mailbox ?
But yeah , man .
They could ’ ve just made him a star Ultimate Frisbee player or something .
15 .
And if it ’ s supposed to be 1997 , why does he have a high top fade—which went out of style in like 1991 and didn ’ t come back until like yesterday ?
No .
He was smart and got the fuck outta Dodge when he could .
17 .
And in the scene where he did you-know-what with whatshername for the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apparently having a cigarette with whoever ran that junkyard .
18 .
The food at that Chinese restaurant is definitely terrible , right ?
The manager ’ s selling coke and the servers are baby-snatching kidnappers , so of course , the shrimp fried rice is going to be trash .
19 .
Would you eat there ?
Yes , but for the drama .
I ’ ll just bring Mia ’ s meatloaf and eat that instead of anything on the menu .
20 .
And the subplot with the baby and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can that actually happen in real life ?
21 .
Where a person who did what she did can sue , a year later , to get her back ?
( Don ’ t tell me what happens on the show .
I ’ m genuinely curious if that can actually happen . )
22 .
SO THAT ’ S WHERE JESSE WILLIAMS HAS BEEN FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS ?
( Forgive me but I don ’ t watch Grey ’ s . )
So , if you ’ re him in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually happened to Mia and your baby , what do you do next ?
23 .
I know she ’ s just a teenage girl who ’ s been through a lot , but Pearl is kinda trash , right ?
Or at least trash-adjacent ?
Considering how much time she spent in junkyards , she was literally trash-adjacent .
Hopefully , she meets some nice young men in McKeesport who ’ ll take her to Kennywood or something .
24 .
Little outcast girl has the most personality of all the kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less a question and more a sobering commentary on the soul-crippling nature of pre-millennial adolescent interpersonal dynamics , huh ?
I was on the fence with whether this story needed a second season , but I might need one just to make sure she ’ s fine .
Doesn ’ t even need to be a full season , just one 10-second flash of her somewhere happy and healthy is enough .
25 .
Is Reese Witherspoon the LeBron James of Reese Witherspoons ?
Between this and Big Little Lies , she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very particular type of entitled white womanhood , where being “ good ” on paper and coating themselves in a “ good person ” veneer gives them carte blanche to do terrible things .
Knowing how much power she has to create , produce , and star in basically whatever she wants , there must be intentionality with choosing those roles .
Not sure what she ’ s trying to say , but she ’ s definitely saying something .
26 .
There are a lot of black kids at that school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so are those high school black kids just holograms ?
As is the case with , well , everywhere in America , as progressive as Shaker Heights claimed to be , racism dictated neighborhood planning .
We didn ’ t see the black kids outside of school because they wouldn ’ t have been seen unless you went to the “ black ” side .
27 .
Even for 1997 , that has to be America ’ s biggest and best $ 300 a month apartment , right ?
Even accounting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the late 90s , that was still a steal .
Also , read somewhere yesterday ( I forgot where ) that it ’ s renting for $ 750 today—still a steal .
( If anyone has better information , please share . )
28 .
And speaking of things that were things in 1997 , “ so ... call us African-American now ” is the worst idea we ( black people ) have ever had , isn ’ t it ?
29 .
Even worse than lightskint replacement Harriet on Family Matters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I ’ m calling you a cop .
No , but that would ’ ve been a great twist .

Damon Young on Very Smart Brothas, shared by Damon Young to The Root

(Unlike yesterday, spoilers like a motherfucker in here)
1. Who set the fire???
White people. Which makes “We Didn’t Start The Fire” both cruel irony and elaborate subterfuge.
2. Does anyone else say “Here comes a little fire” to themselves whenever there’s a confrontation?
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I think that’s just me.
3. No?
Yeah.
4. A first date to a junkyard van? Really? Who does that? Are junkyard vans the awkward white teenager’s Cheesecake Factory?
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LOL at me clutching my pearls at Moody’s junkyard van dates with Pearl when junkyard van boning was rapidly approaching. Someone take these kids to an Applebees, please!
5. I love Kerry Washington with all my heart, but why does it always seem like she’s standing in front of a strong-ass fan?
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I don’t know. But I do know that Tiffany Boone somehow managed to pull off an effective young Mia and an uncanny (heh) young Kerry. It was like I was watching Enter the Kerry-Verse.
And since we’re here, Kerry and Tiffany and Nicole Beharie and Anika Noni Rose Tha Gawd all in the same episode? That’s...that’s all I’m gonna say about that.
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6. Did Kerry Washington’s Strong-Ass Fan start the fire???
Kinda.
7. Or fan the flames?
You can make the case.
8. Is putting Ritz crackers in meatloaf an actual thing?
Apparently so!
9. Why did they act like she discovered fire when she just added some crackers to ground beef? Had they ever had soup before?
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Because white.
10. Also, she did like 3821983 fireable things in the first two weeks working at that house, so why wasn’t she just fired then?
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Because white. But mostly because of plot armor.
11. Is white guilt that powerful?
Does a bear shit in the woods and wipe its ass with a squirrel?
12. Did Reese Witherspoon’s White Guilt become sentient and start the fire???
In a way.
13. Why are all the kids on the show so small?
Because, as many of you pointed out, they cast actual teens to play teens instead of the 37-year-olds passing for 14 we’re used to seeing.
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14. Including the black boyfriend, who’s apparently a star quarterback at a big high school despite being the size of a mailbox?
But yeah, man. They could’ve just made him a star Ultimate Frisbee player or something.
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15. And if it’s supposed to be 1997, why does he have a high top fade—which went out of style in like 1991 and didn’t come back until like yesterday?
(And don’t reply with “Shaker Heights is a suburb and suburban black kids in Ohio might have been slow with trends” BECAUSE SHAKER HEIGHTS IS LITERALLY AN EYELASH FROM CLEVELAND AND CLEVELAND IS BLACK AS FUCK AND ONLY TWO HOURS FROM NOTORIOUSLY ANTIFASHIONABLE PITTSBURGH AND EVEN WE’D LEFT THE HIGH TOP FADES AND HAMMER PANTS IN 1992.)
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STILL NO ANSWER!
16. DID BLACK BOYFRIEND’S ANACHRONISTIC HAIR START THE FIRE???
No. He was smart and got the fuck outta Dodge when he could.
17. And in the scene where he did you-know-what with whatshername for the first time, where was the limo driver?
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Apparently having a cigarette with whoever ran that junkyard.
18. The food at that Chinese restaurant is definitely terrible, right?
The manager’s selling coke and the servers are baby-snatching kidnappers, so of course, the shrimp fried rice is going to be trash.
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19. Would you eat there?
Yes, but for the drama. I’ll just bring Mia’s meatloaf and eat that instead of anything on the menu.
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20. And the subplot with the baby and the mom and the other mom, can that actually happen in real life?
Apparently so.
21. Where a person who did what she did can sue, a year later, to get her back? (Don’t tell me what happens on the show. I’m genuinely curious if that can actually happen.)
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Crazy, right?
22. SO THAT’S WHERE JESSE WILLIAMS HAS BEEN FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS? (Forgive me but I don’t watch Grey’s.)
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So, if you’re him in this show and you learn about what actually happened to Mia and your baby, what do you do next?
23. I know she’s just a teenage girl who’s been through a lot, but Pearl is kinda trash, right? Or at least trash-adjacent?
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Considering how much time she spent in junkyards, she was literally trash-adjacent. Hopefully, she meets some nice young men in McKeesport who’ll take her to Kennywood or something.
24. Little outcast girl has the most personality of all the kids and the least friends, which is less a question and more a sobering commentary on the soul-crippling nature of pre-millennial adolescent interpersonal dynamics, huh?
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I was on the fence with whether this story needed a second season, but I might need one just to make sure she’s fine. Doesn’t even need to be a full season, just one 10-second flash of her somewhere happy and healthy is enough.
25. Is Reese Witherspoon the LeBron James of Reese Witherspoons?
Between this and Big Little Lies, she’s done an amazing job of portraying a very particular type of entitled white womanhood, where being “good” on paper and coating themselves in a “good person” veneer gives them carte blanche to do terrible things. Knowing how much power she has to create, produce, and star in basically whatever she wants, there must be intentionality with choosing those roles. Not sure what she’s trying to say, but she’s definitely saying something.
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26. There are a lot of black kids at that school, but none in the actual neighborhoods, so are those high school black kids just holograms?
As is the case with, well, everywhere in America, as progressive as Shaker Heights claimed to be, racism dictated neighborhood planning. We didn’t see the black kids outside of school because they wouldn’t have been seen unless you went to the “black” side.
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27. Even for 1997, that has to be America’s biggest and best $300 a month apartment, right?
Even accounting for it existing in an Ohio suburb in the late 90s, that was still a steal. Also, read somewhere yesterday (I forgot where) that it’s renting for $750 today—still a steal. (If anyone has better information, please share.)
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28. And speaking of things that were things in 1997, “so...call us African-American now” is the worst idea we (black people) have ever had, isn’t it?
Yes!
29. Even worse than lightskint replacement Harriet on Family Matters, right?
Call me “African-American” and I’m calling you a cop.
30. DID LIGHTSKINT REPLACEMENT HARRIET START THE FIRE???
No, but that would’ve been a great twist.


theroot--2020-04-30--Join Our Hive: OnlyFans Responds to Beyoncé's Bars in 'Savage (Remix)'

“ Hips TikTok when I dance/On that Demon Time , she might start an OnlyFans , ” raps Beyoncé in her highly-publicized feature on Megan Thee Stallion ’ s “ Savage ( Remix ) .
” In addition to her reference to the subscription-based photo and video service ( which is often touted as the home of NSFW content from public figures ) , Bey shouted out her hometown of Houston and her mother Tina Knowles on the track .
Rolling Stone reported that OnlyFans is down with the clique and is hoping that Beyoncé and other celebrities will join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the music publication , a representative for the service said , “ Beyoncé , and any artist , are welcome to join OnlyFans at any time to foster a deeper connection with their fans.
” During this period of downtime , adult entertainment sites and apps are seeing an upswing in sign-ups and subscribers .
Per a report from The New York Times , OnlyFans has received over 3.7 million new registrations from creators and fans since March 1 and a 75 percent increase in sign-ups .
Elsewhere in the report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in cam model sign-ups since the coronavirus pandemic intensified .
Camming is the act of modeling for a webcam to please and stimulate viewers .
Rapper Casanova and singer/songwriter/producer The-Dream have reportedly started OnlyFans accounts during the lockdown .
Per a report from Billboard , The-Dream ’ s OnlyFans account is being used to promote his forthcoming project Sextape 4 and is allowing his fans to incorporate choreography to some of his latest songs .

“Hips TikTok when I dance/On that Demon Time, she might start an OnlyFans,” raps Beyoncé in her highly-publicized feature on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage (Remix).” In addition to her reference to the subscription-based photo and video service (which is often touted as the home of NSFW content from public figures), Bey shouted out her hometown of Houston and her mother Tina Knowles on the track.
Rolling Stone reported that OnlyFans is down with the clique and is hoping that Beyoncé and other celebrities will join their site. In a statement provided to the music publication, a representative for the service said, “Beyoncé, and any artist, are welcome to join OnlyFans at any time to foster a deeper connection with their fans.”
Advertisement
During this period of downtime, adult entertainment sites and apps are seeing an upswing in sign-ups and subscribers. Per a report from The New York Times, OnlyFans has received over 3.7 million new registrations from creators and fans since March 1 and a 75 percent increase in sign-ups. Elsewhere in the report, sites like CamSoda and ManyVids saw an increase in cam model sign-ups since the coronavirus pandemic intensified. Camming is the act of modeling for a webcam to please and stimulate viewers.
Advertisement Advertisement
Rapper Casanova and singer/songwriter/producer The-Dream have reportedly started OnlyFans accounts during the lockdown. Per a report from Billboard, The-Dream’s OnlyFans account is being used to promote his forthcoming project Sextape 4 and is allowing his fans to incorporate choreography to some of his latest songs.


theroot--2020-04-30--The Real Coronavirus Hoax: Republicans Are Using COVID-19 to Make the Black Vote Disappear

There is a common tool used by every sophisticated thief , magician and con man .
A bank robber might pull a fire alarm across town or call in a fake robbery as “ smoke ” for a heist , while flim-flam artists use a variety of misdirection gimmicks called “ bells.
” Some of the most elaborate magic tricks depend on a “ lookaway ” —when a skilled magician employs a loud sound , a hand movement or the slightest movement of their eyes to distract the audience for a fraction of a second .
Regardless of what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same function .
They subconsciously divert your attention from the thing to which your attention is supposed to be focused .
And the best bandits , bamboozlers and bullshitters can convince you that you never averted your gaze .
They will make you believe that you have been paying attention all along .
You won ’ t even suspect that you ’ ve been robbed ... Until you notice your pockets are empty .
Donald Trump does not know magic .
He is not a skilled con man nor is he a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perfect smokescreen for the GOP ’ s goal of filling federal court benches with right-wing zealots , lowering taxes on billionaires , dismantling affirmative action , cutting social programs , rolling back environmental regulations , reducing immigration , and boosting the medicinal disinfectant industry .
International oligarchs used his penchant for blustery third-rate hucksterism as cover to infiltrate the American economy .
Investors used his name to promote their financial interests .
But ever since the Mueller Report exposed his presidential campaign as smoke for Vladimir Putin ’ s election interference and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-conspirators have wondered how they were going to steal the 2020 election .
Their farce of an election fraud committee—led by former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach , dubbed “ the most racist politician in America ” —imploded .
The 2018 midterm voter suppression scheme largely backfired .
Then , along came coronavirus .
With the 2020 elections less than 200 days away , Republicans are using the COVID-19 crisis as the perfect opportunity to continue their time-honored long con of making black votes disappear .
“ Voter fraud is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Jennifer Clark of the Brennan Center in an August 2016 interview , adding : “ Basically every analysis that has ever been done has concluded : It is not a significant concern.
” When Richard Hasen , a law professor and author of the 2012 book The Voting Wars , looked at 30 years of data in search of voter fraud changing the outcome of an electio n , he couldn ’ t find a single instance , according to the New Yorker .
A 2014 Harvard study put the likely percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another ( serious ) 2014 nationwide study equated in-person voter fraud with the likelihood of someone being abducted by aliens .
The Washington Post found just 4 cases in the most recent election , out of the millions of votes cast .
A study of 2,068 alleged election-fraud cases in 50 states revealed that “ while some fraud had occurred since 2000 , the rate was infinitesimal compared with the 146 million registered voters in that 12-year span.
” Yet Trump and his fellow Republicans are now using the coronavirus pandemic to perpetuate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of felons , undocumented immigrants and invisible liberal election fraudsters who are going to the polls to cast ballots for Democrats .
And they are doing it by making it harder to vote during a time when many are already worried about catching a deadly disease that disproportionately affects nonwhites .
No magician in America steals the black votes with more unapologetic precision than Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp .
Long before he became known for his campaign to turn Georgia into a post-apocalyptic , Confederate flag-waving bastion of whiteness , the Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Voter Suppression.
” After purging black ballot casters and making millions more disappear in the 2018 midterms , Kemp successfully stifled an effort to acquire voting systems that required hand-marked paper ballots—the most secure kind of voting system , according to experts .
As of April 27 , eight Georgia counties ranked among the 50 most coronavirus-infected counties in America .
So what did Kemp decide to do with that information ?
He became the first governor to rescind his state ’ s stay at home orders all so he can get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He refuses to delay the state ’ s May 19 primary and , even though Georgia ’ s blackest precincts routinely have long lines and crowded polls , Kemp and his cronies are currently fighting a lawsuit that will force the state to pay for postage on mail-in ballots .
“ Georgia remains a state with voter suppression built into its DNA , said Kristen Clarke , President and Executive Director of the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law .
“ The State House leader has launched a Task Force to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public.
” Former Wisconsin Gov .
Scott Walker gave Kemp a run for his money .
Before leaving office to join the GOP fight for racially-motivated gerrymandering , Walker purged 200,000 voters and appointed conservative judge Daniel Kelly to the Supreme Court .
Luckily , Kelly recused himself from the voter purge case because it could affect his 2019 reelection bid but voted against extending the state ’ s mail-in ballot deadline , which voters asked for because they were practicing social distancing in voting lines .
In that 2019 election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Milwaukee , the state ’ s most populous ( and blackest ) city , waited in long lines after the Supreme Court forced them to choose between their health and voting in person .
“ Milwaukee voters braved long lines that stretched for blocks to ensure that their vote would be heard .
180 polling sites that ordinarily serve the public were reduced to five , ” Clarke told The Root .
“ The Court ’ s interjection into the Wisconsin election fiasco suggests that we will be seeing the Court weighing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play out in 2020.
” Kelly was replaced by a Democrat .
So what did Kelly do during his final lame-duck session on the Wisconsin Supreme Court ?
He lifted his recusal in the voter purge case .
Now , 200,000 Wisconsin voters could have their registrations tossed by someone who was already voted out of office .
In Texas , you are only allowed to vote via mail-in ballot if : • out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance ; or • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Texas voters had to file a lawsuit because Republican Gov .
Gregg Abbott and the Secretary of State both oppose vote by mail .
A judge finally gave access to mail-in ballots to voters who are concerned about the coronavirus two days after the Secretary of State tweeted this : “ It ’ s clear that some officials are doubling down on voter suppression efforts at a time when we would be expecting officials to lift the unnecessary burdens that voters ordinarily face , ” said Clarke , who represents disenfranchised voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is repeating itself in North Carolina , Florida , Arizona and other red states where Republicans are trying their damndest to institute rules that disproportionately affect non-white communities .
But why do Republicans fear voters , especially black voters , so much ?
The more black people vote , the fewer Republicans win According to Pew Research , 96 percent of black voters voted for Clinton in the 2016 presidential election while 54 percent of white voters cast a ballot for Trump .
And while younger and more educated whites tend to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target voters by age or education .
Black voters are targeted by zip code , party affiliation , and even by criminal history .
So if you put fewer voting machines in black precincts , it takes longer for black people to vote .
If you fight felon voting rights , you eliminate a large swath of black voters .
If you put faulty machines at the polls where black people vote , their votes won ’ t be counted .
If you require voter ID , you make it harder for even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting hours , cutting early voting , using vote-matching software and changing registration rules are all techniques that disproportionately suppress the black vote .
And Republicans have admitted that Republicans lose when more people vote .
Mitch McConnell said as much when he opposed making election day a holiday for federal employees .
When Democrats included provisions to make voting easier in the upcoming elections , Trump told the con artist crew at Fox & Friends that the bill would ensure “ levels of voting that , if you ever agreed to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican elected in this country again.
” “ There are a lot of Republicans out there pushing that idea that vote-by-mail is about fraud , ” Sen. Kamala Harris told the Root .
“ They say they love democracy but do everything in their power to prevent certain groups from voting.
” Perhaps Brian Kemp explains it best : So , instead , they use tricks .
Again , on Wednesday , a federal appeals court struck down a Kansas law that required voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship ( such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ register to vote and blocked more than 30,000 Kansans from registering to vote .
“ This law disenfranchised tens of thousands of Kansans , denying them the most fundamental right in our democracy , ” said Dale Ho , director of the ACLU ’ s Voting Rights Project , in a statement to The Root .
And guess who wrote that law ?
To counter this coronavirus-inspired distraction , Sen. Kamala Harris introduced the VoteSafe Act of 2020 , legislation to ensure safety and protect voting rights , not just during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also pushing for new and innovative ways to make voting more accessible .
“ Curbside voting , Absentee voting , early voting , same-day registration—we need it all , ” said Harris in an interview with The Root .
“ I believe that we need to get to a place where election day is a federal holiday .
We need to use technology to help people determine when the lines at the polls are shorter.
” “ States should work to ensure that there are as many avenues as possible open to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kristen Clarke .
“ Voters should be allowed to request absentee ballots by phone , email , mail or in-person .
Absentee ballots should come with a postage-paid , pre-addressed envelope .
We need expanded early voting opportunities to give people the opportunity to vote in person prior to Election Day .
And should have some in-person voting opportunities on Election Day itself to make sure that no voter is left behind.
” Donald Trump doesn ’ t have enough discretion to be a magician .
He would blurt out the secret to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveals top secret information to Russian diplomats .
He ’ s not cunning enough to be a thief , nor is he smart enough to be a con man .
Republicans are using the dotard president and coronavirus in the same way — as a distraction in their blast vote heist .
Like Trump , the coronavirus is simply a tool Republicans are using to target black people and infect America .
It ’ s a spectacular piece of abracadabra and one helluva hoodwink .
And sometimes , you won ’ t even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country is sick .

There is a common tool used by every sophisticated thief, magician and con man.
A bank robber might pull a fire alarm across town or call in a fake robbery as “smoke” for a heist, while flim-flam artists use a variety of misdirection gimmicks called “bells.” Some of the most elaborate magic tricks depend on a “lookaway”—when a skilled magician employs a loud sound, a hand movement or the slightest movement of their eyes to distract the audience for a fraction of a second.
Regardless of what they are called, these tactics all serve the same function. They subconsciously divert your attention from the thing to which your attention is supposed to be focused. And the best bandits, bamboozlers and bullshitters can convince you that you never averted your gaze. They will make you believe that you have been paying attention all along. You won’t even suspect that you’ve been robbed...
Advertisement
Until you notice your pockets are empty.
Donald Trump does not know magic. He is not a skilled con man nor is he a sophisticated thief.
Advertisement Advertisement
He is a tool.
His irascible antics are the perfect smokescreen for the GOP’s goal of filling federal court benches with right-wing zealots, lowering taxes on billionaires, dismantling affirmative action, cutting social programs, rolling back environmental regulations, reducing immigration, and boosting the medicinal disinfectant industry. International oligarchs used his penchant for blustery third-rate hucksterism as cover to infiltrate the American economy. Investors used his name to promote their financial interests.
Advertisement
But ever since the Mueller Report exposed his presidential campaign as smoke for Vladimir Putin’s election interference and discord sowing, Trump’s conservative co-conspirators have wondered how they were going to steal the 2020 election. Their farce of an election fraud committee—led by former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, dubbed “the most racist politician in America”—imploded. The 2018 midterm voter suppression scheme largely backfired.
Then, along came coronavirus.
With the 2020 elections less than 200 days away, Republicans are using the COVID-19 crisis as the perfect opportunity to continue their time-honored long con of making black votes disappear.
Advertisement
The Suppression Misdirection
Let’s be clear, widespread voter fraud is a myth.
“Voter fraud is not a significant problem in the country,” said Jennifer Clark of the Brennan Center in an August 2016 interview, adding: “Basically every analysis that has ever been done has concluded: It is not a significant concern.”
Advertisement
When Richard Hasen, a law professor and author of the 2012 book The Voting Wars, looked at 30 years of data in search of voter fraud changing the outcome of an electio n, he couldn’t find a single instance, according to the New Yorker. A 2014 Harvard study put the likely percentage of non-citizens voting at “zero.” Another (serious) 2014 nationwide study equated in-person voter fraud with the likelihood of someone being abducted by aliens. The Washington Post found just 4 cases in the most recent election, out of the millions of votes cast. A study of 2,068 alleged election-fraud cases in 50 states revealed that “while some fraud had occurred since 2000, the rate was infinitesimal compared with the 146 million registered voters in that 12-year span.”
Yet Trump and his fellow Republicans are now using the coronavirus pandemic to perpetuate the perception that there are secret cabals of felons, undocumented immigrants and invisible liberal election fraudsters who are going to the polls to cast ballots for Democrats. And they are doing it by making it harder to vote during a time when many are already worried about catching a deadly disease that disproportionately affects nonwhites.
Advertisement
This is voter suppression.
No magician in America steals the black votes with more unapologetic precision than Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Long before he became known for his campaign to turn Georgia into a post-apocalyptic, Confederate flag-waving bastion of whiteness, the Georgia Republican was known as the “Wizard of Voter Suppression.” After purging black ballot casters and making millions more disappear in the 2018 midterms, Kemp successfully stifled an effort to acquire voting systems that required hand-marked paper ballots—the most secure kind of voting system, according to experts.
Advertisement
As of April 27, eight Georgia counties ranked among the 50 most coronavirus-infected counties in America. So what did Kemp decide to do with that information? He became the first governor to rescind his state’s stay at home orders all so he can get out and suppress more black votes.
He refuses to delay the state’s May 19 primary and, even though Georgia’s blackest precincts routinely have long lines and crowded polls, Kemp and his cronies are currently fighting a lawsuit that will force the state to pay for postage on mail-in ballots.
Advertisement
“Georgia remains a state with voter suppression built into its DNA, said Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The State House leader has launched a Task Force to look at absentee vote fraud to intimidate the public.”
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker gave Kemp a run for his money. Before leaving office to join the GOP fight for racially-motivated gerrymandering, Walker purged 200,000 voters and appointed conservative judge Daniel Kelly to the Supreme Court. Luckily, Kelly recused himself from the voter purge case because it could affect his 2019 reelection bid but voted against extending the state’s mail-in ballot deadline, which voters asked for because they were practicing social distancing in voting lines.
Advertisement
In that 2019 election, with Kelly on the ballot, voters in Milwaukee, the state’s most populous (and blackest) city, waited in long lines after the Supreme Court forced them to choose between their health and voting in person.
They voted Daniel Kelly out.
“Milwaukee voters braved long lines that stretched for blocks to ensure that their vote would be heard. 180 polling sites that ordinarily serve the public were reduced to five,” Clarke told The Root. “The Court’s interjection into the Wisconsin election fiasco suggests that we will be seeing the Court weighing in during other state-level election battles that play out in 2020.”
Advertisement
Kelly was replaced by a Democrat. So what did Kelly do during his final lame-duck session on the Wisconsin Supreme Court?
He lifted his recusal in the voter purge case. Now, 200,000 Wisconsin voters could have their registrations tossed by someone who was already voted out of office.
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Voilá! It’s magic.
In Texas, you are only allowed to vote via mail-in ballot if:
You’re 65 years or older;
disabled;
out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
Texas voters had to file a lawsuit because Republican Gov. Gregg Abbott and the Secretary of State both oppose vote by mail. A judge finally gave access to mail-in ballots to voters who are concerned about the coronavirus two days after the Secretary of State tweeted this:
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“It’s clear that some officials are doubling down on voter suppression efforts at a time when we would be expecting officials to lift the unnecessary burdens that voters ordinarily face,” said Clarke, who represents disenfranchised voters around the country.
The same pattern is repeating itself in North Carolina, Florida, Arizona and other red states where Republicans are trying their damndest to institute rules that disproportionately affect non-white communities.
Advertisement
But why do Republicans fear voters, especially black voters, so much?
The more black people vote, the fewer Republicans win
Black voters vote for Democrats.
According to Pew Research, 96 percent of black voters voted for Clinton in the 2016 presidential election while 54 percent of white voters cast a ballot for Trump. And while younger and more educated whites tend to vote Democrat, it’s hard to target voters by age or education.
Advertisement
Unless they’re black.
Black voters are targeted by zip code, party affiliation, and even by criminal history. So if you put fewer voting machines in black precincts, it takes longer for black people to vote. If you fight felon voting rights, you eliminate a large swath of black voters. If you put faulty machines at the polls where black people vote, their votes won’t be counted. If you require voter ID, you make it harder for even more black people to register. Reducing voting hours, cutting early voting, using vote-matching software and changing registration rules are all techniques that disproportionately suppress the black vote.
Advertisement
And Republicans have admitted that Republicans lose when more people vote. Mitch McConnell said as much when he opposed making election day a holiday for federal employees. When Democrats included provisions to make voting easier in the upcoming elections, Trump told the con artist crew at Fox & Friends that the bill would ensure “levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
Advertisement
“There are a lot of Republicans out there pushing that idea that vote-by-mail is about fraud,” Sen. Kamala Harris told the Root. “They say they love democracy but do everything in their power to prevent certain groups from voting.”
Perhaps Brian Kemp explains it best:
So, instead, they use tricks.
Again, on Wednesday, a federal appeals court struck down a Kansas law that required voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate or passport) to register to vote and blocked more than 30,000 Kansans from registering to vote.
Advertisement
“This law disenfranchised tens of thousands of Kansans, denying them the most fundamental right in our democracy,” said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, in a statement to The Root.
And guess who wrote that law?
Kris Kobach.
To counter this coronavirus-inspired distraction, Sen. Kamala Harris introduced the VoteSafe Act of 2020, legislation to ensure safety and protect voting rights, not just during the pandemic, but for the future. She is also pushing for new and innovative ways to make voting more accessible.
Advertisement
“Curbside voting, Absentee voting, early voting, same-day registration—we need it all,” said Harris in an interview with The Root. “I believe that we need to get to a place where election day is a federal holiday. We need to use technology to help people determine when the lines at the polls are shorter.”
“States should work to ensure that there are as many avenues as possible open to voters,” said voting rights defender Kristen Clarke. “Voters should be allowed to request absentee ballots by phone, email, mail or in-person. Absentee ballots should come with a postage-paid, pre-addressed envelope. We need expanded early voting opportunities to give people the opportunity to vote in person prior to Election Day. And should have some in-person voting opportunities on Election Day itself to make sure that no voter is left behind.”
Advertisement
Donald Trump doesn’t have enough discretion to be a magician. He would blurt out the secret to the trick in the same way he reveals top secret information to Russian diplomats. He’s not cunning enough to be a thief, nor is he smart enough to be a con man.
Republicans are using the dotard president and coronavirus in the same way — as a distraction in their blast vote heist. Like Trump, the coronavirus is simply a tool Republicans are using to target black people and infect America. It’s a spectacular piece of abracadabra and one helluva hoodwink.
Advertisement
And sometimes, you won’t even realize it...
Until you notice the country is sick.


theroot--2020-04-30--New York State Paid $69 Million for Ventilators It Never Received

An electrical engineer from Silicon Valley claimed via Twitter that he could supply the state of New York with ventilators to help overwhelmed hospitals in need .
Despite him having no background in supplying medical equipment , he was awarded a $ 69 million contract to supply ventilators to the state .
Those ventilators never arrived .
BuzzFeed reports that in March , Yaron Oren-Pines replied to a tweet from President Trump demanding that General Motors “ START MAKING VENTILATORS NOW !
” In his reply , Oren-Pines claimed to be the answer to New York ’ s ventilator needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , invasive and noninvasive .
Have someone call me URGENT , ” he tweeted .
Three days later , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order paying him $ 69.1 million for 1,450 ventilators—triple the price of what high-end ventilators typically cost .
A state official told BuzzFeed that the deal with Oren-Pines was made at the “ direct recommendation ” of the White House coronavirus task force .
Nearly a month after the deal was struck , not a single ventilator has arrived and New York has terminated its contract with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of its money back .
Cuomo ’ s senior advisor Rich Azzopardi said the deal with Oren-Pines was born out of the state ’ s desperate need for medical supplies and equipment amid the coronavirus outbreak .
“ We had no choice but to overturn every rock to find ventilators and other needed equipment , ” Azzopardi said .
“ States were forced to fend for themselves to purchase lifesaving supplies to combat a global pandemic and with all modeling showing a more severe spread of this virus with more hospitalizations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who seemingly took advantage of a global pandemic , he isn ’ t interested in answering any questions .
According to BuzzFeed , Oren-Pines responded to a phone request for comment by saying , “ neither me nor my company is providing any comment on this.
” He then hung up the phone .
It ’ s unclear how much money New York has been able to recover from Oren-Pines or whether he will face consequences for his failure to hold up his end of the bargain .

An electrical engineer from Silicon Valley claimed via Twitter that he could supply the state of New York with ventilators to help overwhelmed hospitals in need. Despite him having no background in supplying medical equipment, he was awarded a $69 million contract to supply ventilators to the state. Those ventilators never arrived.
BuzzFeed reports that in March, Yaron Oren-Pines replied to a tweet from President Trump demanding that General Motors “START MAKING VENTILATORS NOW!” In his reply, Oren-Pines claimed to be the answer to New York’s ventilator needs.
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“We can supply ICU Ventilators, invasive and noninvasive. Have someone call me URGENT,” he tweeted. Three days later, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order paying him $69.1 million for 1,450 ventilators—triple the price of what high-end ventilators typically cost.
A state official told BuzzFeed that the deal with Oren-Pines was made at the “direct recommendation” of the White House coronavirus task force. Nearly a month after the deal was struck, not a single ventilator has arrived and New York has terminated its contract with Oren-Pines and is now trying to get all of its money back.
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Cuomo’s senior advisor Rich Azzopardi said the deal with Oren-Pines was born out of the state’s desperate need for medical supplies and equipment amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“We had no choice but to overturn every rock to find ventilators and other needed equipment,” Azzopardi said. “States were forced to fend for themselves to purchase lifesaving supplies to combat a global pandemic and with all modeling showing a more severe spread of this virus with more hospitalizations and more fatalities.”
Advertisement
As for the man who seemingly took advantage of a global pandemic, he isn’t interested in answering any questions. According to BuzzFeed, Oren-Pines responded to a phone request for comment by saying, “neither me nor my company is providing any comment on this.” He then hung up the phone. It’s unclear how much money New York has been able to recover from Oren-Pines or whether he will face consequences for his failure to hold up his end of the bargain.


theroot--2020-04-30--'My Memory Is Intact': Will André Leon Talley's Memoir Confirm That the Devil Does Indeed Wear Prada

'My Memory Is Intact': Will André Leon Talley's Memoir Confirm That the Devil Does Indeed Wear Prada?

Now , we ’ re not ones to gossip , so you didn ’ t hear this from us , but word on the catwalk is that André Leon Talley is planning to serve some tea with his new memoir , The Chiffon Trenches .
In fact , we ’ ve been hearing increasing buzz about some of the juicier bits of Talley ’ s tell-all , which he hopes “ will astonish all readers , ” according to a Wednesday Instagram post that announced the book ’ s publication , which had moved from its original May date to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but will now be out on May 19 .
The reason for its accelerated release ?
Fervor for the book increased after British tabloid the Daily Mail—yes , the same publication currently being sued by Duchess of Sussex , Meghan—teased portions of Talley ’ s unprecedented rise in the world of fashion , a journey he first chronicled in the 2018 documentary The Gospel According to André .
In the film , Talley alluded to an estrangement from American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour , his one-time champion and friend who twice hired him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ‘ 90s and early aughts , the 6 ' 6 '' multilingual fashion journalist became a fixture in the front row of fashion shows , almost always seated alongside the diminutive editor .
Wintour appeared in The Gospel According to André with only kind things to say about her caftan-loving former colleague .
But in The Chiffon Trenches , Talley reportedly confirms the icy countenance suggested by former Wintour assistant Lauren Weisberger in the 2003 novel The Devil Wears Prada , in which the thinly-veiled fictional editor-in-chief “ Miranda Priestly ” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film adaptation ) terrorizes her assistants and cruelly undermines loyal colleagues .
The Daily Mail claimed that Talley ’ s real-life account alleges that Wintour left him with “ vast emotional and psychic scars ” after she discarded the now 71-year-old journalist when he became “ too old , too overweight , [ and ] too uncool ” ( h/t The Cut ) .
Talley has not refuted the Mail ’ s report , which also claimed that he characterized Wintour as “ not capable [ of ] human kindness.
” Nevertheless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now also Condé Nast ’ s artistic director and global content adviser , has seen a galley of the book and that he ’ d “ made a few changes that she had requested.
” Of any further response or potential reconciliation between the two , he simply said , “ The ball is in her court , ” telling WWD : I think people are riveted by this because Anna Wintour is on everybody ’ s brain waves because she is a very powerful human being .
Perhaps they are perplexed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Vogue , how did I land at Vogue , why am I not at Vogue now , what ’ s going on… People are so fascinated by this because she is a very , very powerful woman as with ‘ The Devil Wears Prada.
’ She managed to be more than an icon .
She is a world figure .
To date , Wintour ’ s only response has been via Condé Nast spokesperson Joseph Libonati to the New York Times , saying she “ wishes André only the best.
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have encouraged others to do the same , in hopes of dampening the influence of fashion ’ s most powerful woman—no , person .
Designer Ralph Rucci wrote a scathing Instagram post in support of Talley , in which a picture of the two men was accompanied by a rambling caption that suggested he ’ d also be in the market for a tell-all about Wintour : Now you DO REALIZE that a door , locked for years , out of fear of retribution for truth , has been OPENED WIDE .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , intelligence , and hurt has spoken forth regarding the British woman who works at Vogue .
I am proud of him for taking this step because there has been so much personal evil and destruction , and now perhaps others will feel safe to speak .
Last night He asked when will I find my space of strength and tell all .
I told him and you that I will ... .
now he must take center stage .
I have been working on all of the evil memories , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many , many people who came forth and spoken ... .. and I will write about what I had to contend with concerning this very , very meaningless person who deeply knew that she had no substance to exist in the realms of Snow , Vreeland , Mirabella , Orton , Weir , and thus she had to [ iceberg ] her self to float through the sea and destroy not help our metier .
It ’ s finished !
The recalibration of life , perspective , and the essence , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now lift this disease .
Oh , she did not act alone , she had a diabolical man who assisted in the [ satanic ] plan .
Karma .
It ’ s a severe injury to the brain to realize that we have tolerated this mediocrity in our metier for almost four decades .
But lest you think Wintour is the only public figure Talley dishes on in his memoir , she ’ s simply the one getting the most press .
According to Page Six , late designer and photographer Karl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly also gets ample—and revealing—page space , as does shoe designer Manolo Blahnik and artist Andy Warhol , whose famed studio “ The Factory ” was frequented by Talley .
This , in addition to chronicling a decades-long career that took Talley from his grandmother ’ s humble home in Jim Crow-era North Carolina to New York City ’ s Metropolitan Museum of Art ’ s Costume Institute assisting famed editor Diana Vreeland to France , Italy and beyond .
“ People have done things to me that I have forgiven them for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you can ’ t imagine—the racism , everything .
You don ’ t even understand how much I ’ ve gone through to get to be 71 years old and I hope that I will live a long time , ” Talley told WWD .
In other words , we might have an instant bestseller on our hands—with more chapters to spare .
“ I hope my new memoir , The Chiffon Trenches , will astonish all readers , ” Talley wrote on Instagram .
“ I went into the deepest core @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intact .
It is a deeply personal story of a life well lived within the world of fashion , in all of its most glamorous and cutthroat moments .
I have communed with the greats.
” The Chiffon Trenches is available for preorder now .

Maiysha Kai on The Glow Up, shared by Maiysha Kai to The Root

Now, we’re not ones to gossip, so you didn’t hear this from us, but word on the catwalk is that André Leon Talley is planning to serve some tea with his new memoir, The Chiffon Trenches. In fact, we’ve been hearing increasing buzz about some of the juicier bits of Talley’s tell-all, which he hopes “will astonish all readers,” according to a Wednesday Instagram post that announced the book’s publication, which had moved from its original May date to September due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but will now be out on May 19.
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The reason for its accelerated release? Fervor for the book increased after British tabloid the Daily Mail—yes, the same publication currently being sued by Duchess of Sussex, Meghan—teased portions of Talley’s unprecedented rise in the world of fashion, a journey he first chronicled in the 2018 documentary The Gospel According to André. In the film, Talley alluded to an estrangement from American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, his one-time champion and friend who twice hired him as Vogue’s editor-at-large. Throughout the ‘90s and early aughts, the 6'6" multilingual fashion journalist became a fixture in the front row of fashion shows, almost always seated alongside the diminutive editor.
Wintour appeared in The Gospel According to André with only kind things to say about her caftan-loving former colleague. But in The Chiffon Trenches, Talley reportedly confirms the icy countenance suggested by former Wintour assistant Lauren Weisberger in the 2003 novel The Devil Wears Prada, in which the thinly-veiled fictional editor-in-chief “Miranda Priestly” (immortalized by Meryl Streep in the 2006 film adaptation) terrorizes her assistants and cruelly undermines loyal colleagues. The Daily Mail claimed that Talley’s real-life account alleges that Wintour left him with “vast emotional and psychic scars” after she discarded the now 71-year-old journalist when he became “too old, too overweight, [and] too uncool” (h/t The Cut).
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Talley has not refuted the Mail’s report, which also claimed that he characterized Wintour as “not capable [of] human kindness.” Nevertheless, last week he told WWD that Wintour, now also Condé Nast’s artistic director and global content adviser, has seen a galley of the book and that he’d “made a few changes that she had requested.” Of any further response or potential reconciliation between the two, he simply said, “The ball is in her court,” telling WWD:
I think people are riveted by this because Anna Wintour is on everybody’s brain waves because she is a very powerful human being. Perhaps they are perplexed or mystified by me, my relationship to Vogue, how did I land at Vogue, why am I not at Vogue now, what’s going on… People are so fascinated by this because she is a very, very powerful woman as with ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’ She managed to be more than an icon. She is a world figure.
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To date, Wintour’s only response has been via Condé Nast spokesperson Joseph Libonati to the New York Times, saying she “wishes André only the best.”
But even reports of Talley’s disclosures have encouraged others to do the same, in hopes of dampening the influence of fashion’s most powerful woman—no, person. Designer Ralph Rucci wrote a scathing Instagram post in support of Talley, in which a picture of the two men was accompanied by a rambling caption that suggested he’d also be in the market for a tell-all about Wintour:
Now you DO REALIZE that a door, locked for years, out of fear of retribution for truth, has been OPENED WIDE. My dear friend and man of such vision, intelligence, and hurt has spoken forth regarding the British woman who works at Vogue. I am proud of him for taking this step because there has been so much personal evil and destruction, and now perhaps others will feel safe to speak. Last night He asked when will I find my space of strength and tell all. I told him and you that I will.... now he must take center stage. I have been working on all of the evil memories, and we have emailed and photographed proof along with many, many people who came forth and spoken..... and I will write about what I had to contend with concerning this very, very meaningless person who deeply knew that she had no substance to exist in the realms of Snow, Vreeland, Mirabella, Orton, Weir, and thus she had to [iceberg] her self to float through the sea and destroy not help our metier. It’s finished! The recalibration of life, perspective, and the essence, which is the need and destination of love, will now lift this disease. Oh, she did not act alone, she had a diabolical man who assisted in the [satanic] plan. Karma. It’s a severe injury to the brain to realize that we have tolerated this mediocrity in our metier for almost four decades.
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Okay, then.
But lest you think Wintour is the only public figure Talley dishes on in his memoir, she’s simply the one getting the most press. According to Page Six, late designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld, also a former friend, reportedly also gets ample—and revealing—page space, as does shoe designer Manolo Blahnik and artist Andy Warhol, whose famed studio “The Factory” was frequented by Talley. This, in addition to chronicling a decades-long career that took Talley from his grandmother’s humble home in Jim Crow-era North Carolina to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute assisting famed editor Diana Vreeland to France, Italy and beyond.
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“People have done things to me that I have forgiven them for. There are things in the book that you can’t imagine—the racism, everything. You don’t even understand how much I’ve gone through to get to be 71 years old and I hope that I will live a long time,” Talley told WWD.
In other words, we might have an instant bestseller on our hands—with more chapters to spare.
Advertisement
“I hope my new memoir, The Chiffon Trenches, will astonish all readers,” Talley wrote on Instagram. “I went into the deepest core of my being; my memory is intact. It is a deeply personal story of a life well lived within the world of fashion, in all of its most glamorous and cutthroat moments. I have communed with the greats.”
The Chiffon Trenches is available for preorder now.


theroot--2020-04-30--Rhianna's Really Trying to Get You to Shine Bright With $5 Fenty Highlighter

Rhianna ’ s Fenty beauty has been universally applauded both for mission and quality .
I can personally vouch for @ @ @ @ @ Foundation .
Where companies like Beauty Blender have failed or course-corrected Fenty was on it @ @ @ @ @ May 6th get a full-sized Killawatt highlighter for $ 5 with any $ 25 order @ @ @ @ @ deal because that baby usually runs for $ 35 .
Now it is only one @ @ @ @ @ but you only ever dust highlighter so this copper shimmer can be used by a @ @ @ @ @ code needed , the cart will do the magic .
There is also a deal @ @ @ @ @ 3 get 4th free .
Again the cart knows what you ’ re up to @ @ @ @ @ discounts .
This is a great way for you to sample a little of everything @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve ever been curious .
But believe me , you ’ ll be pleasantly @ @

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Jordan McMahon to The Root

Killawatt H ighlighter F or $5 | Fenty
Rhianna’s Fenty beauty has been universally applauded both for mission and quality. I can personally vouch for her Pro Filt’r Foundation. Where companies like Beauty Blender have failed or course-corrected Fenty was on it from the jump. Until May 6th get a full-sized Killawatt highlighter for $5 with any $25 order. This is a great deal because that baby usually runs for $35. Now it is only one shade, Ginger Binge/Moscow Mule but you only ever dust highlighter so this copper shimmer can be used by a pretty large audience. No code needed, the cart will do the magic.
There is also a deal on all minis, buy 3 get 4th free. Again the cart knows what you’re up to and will handle all the discounts. This is a great way for you to sample a little of everything within the line if you’ve ever been curious. But believe me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Both qualify for free shipping.


theroot--2020-04-30--NCAA Still Won't Pay Student-Athletes, But It Might Finally Allow Them to Profit From Their Name, Im

NCAA Still Won't Pay Student-Athletes, But It Might Finally Allow Them to Profit From Their Name, Image and Likeness

College athletes have fought for the right to be compensated since the dawn of time , and after years of screwing them out of billions of dollars , the NCAA has finally found its moral compass—kinda .
On Wednesday , its Board of Governors announced that it supports rule changes that will allow student-athletes to profit from their name , image and likeness and secure that long-overdue bag beginning in the 2021-22 academic year .
According to ESPN , schools are prohibited from having involvement “ in any of the payments , ” but college athletes will be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers because about damn time : It ’ s also important to note that while the board ’ s recommendations remove significant restrictions , they also bestow the NCAA and its respective schools with the power “ to regulate the types of deals athletes might be allowed to sign in the future and the monetary value of individual contracts ” —which will inevitably lead to some world-class bullshit because it completely negates the purpose of free markets .
“ Allowing promotions and third-party endorsements is uncharted territory , ” Michael Drake , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
In finally allowing student-athletes to cash out , one of the NCAA ’ s biggest concerns is preventing boosters and “ overzealous individuals ” from using endorsements as a recruiting method or a way to incentivize athletic performance .
There ’ s also the issue of determining fair market value so that student-athletes either don ’ t get jerked or aren ’ t ridiculously overpaid in order to gain favor .
“ It ’ s vitally important that we maintain some level of integrity and fairness , ” Val Ackerman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said .
“ We believe guardrails on boosters will help us mitigate the potential of recruiting inducements.
” In order to make these proposed changes a reality , the NCAA will turn to Congress for assistance .
The working group ’ s report says the NCAA should ask the federal government to help provide “ guardrails ” that would create one law that applies to all schools and also to “ [ e ] stablish an antitrust exemption for the Association ” that would provide cover from future lawsuits challenging potential caps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of endorsements athletes could make and the value of those endorsements .
“ It ’ s clear we need Congress ’ help in all of this , ” NCAA president Mark Emmert said .
This is absolutely a step in the right direction , but let ’ s not forget that the NCAA is still outright refusing to pay student-athletes , they are just allowing them to provide for their families by securing the bag elsewhere .
Imagine your job expecting you to work 40-hour weeks for free but giving you the green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That sounds crazy , right ?
Welllllllllllllll , that ’ s the type of bullshit the NCAA is on .
And until it does right by student-athletes , it ’ s just another exploitative organization profiting off of black labor .

College athletes have fought for the right to be compensated since the dawn of time, and after years of screwing them out of billions of dollars, the NCAA has finally found its moral compass—kinda.
Advertisement
On Wednesday, its Board of Governors announced that it supports rule changes that will allow student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness and secure that long-overdue bag beginning in the 2021-22 academic year.
Advertisement Advertisement
According to ESPN, schools are prohibited from having involvement “in any of the payments,” but college athletes will be allowed to sign endorsement deals and pursue other lucrative offers because about damn time:
The NCAA’s news release said athletes will be allowed to appear in advertisements and can reference their sport and school, but they would not be able to use school logos or branding in those advertisements.
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It’s also important to note that while the board’s recommendations remove significant restrictions, they also bestow the NCAA and its respective schools with the power “to regulate the types of deals athletes might be allowed to sign in the future and the monetary value of individual contracts”—which will inevitably lead to some world-class bullshit because it completely negates the purpose of free markets.
“Allowing promotions and third-party endorsements is uncharted territory,” Michael Drake, the board’s chairperson, said in a statement.
Advertisement
In finally allowing student-athletes to cash out, one of the NCAA’s biggest concerns is preventing boosters and “overzealous individuals” from using endorsements as a recruiting method or a way to incentivize athletic performance. There’s also the issue of determining fair market value so that student-athletes either don’t get jerked or aren’t ridiculously overpaid in order to gain favor.
“It’s vitally important that we maintain some level of integrity and fairness,” Val Ackerman, co-chair of the Big East Conference, said. “We believe guardrails on boosters will help us mitigate the potential of recruiting inducements.”
Advertisement
In order to make these proposed changes a reality, the NCAA will turn to Congress for assistance.
From ESPN:
The working group’s report says the NCAA should ask the federal government to help provide “guardrails” that would create one law that applies to all schools and also to “[e]stablish an antitrust exemption for the Association” that would provide cover from future lawsuits challenging potential caps the NCAA would place on the type of endorsements athletes could make and the value of those endorsements.
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“It’s clear we need Congress’ help in all of this,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said.
This is absolutely a step in the right direction, but let’s not forget that the NCAA is still outright refusing to pay student-athletes, they are just allowing them to provide for their families by securing the bag elsewhere. Imagine your job expecting you to work 40-hour weeks for free but giving you the green light to freelance during your off time. That sounds crazy, right? Welllllllllllllll, that’s the type of bullshit the NCAA is on.
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And until it does right by student-athletes, it’s just another exploitative organization profiting off of black labor.


theroot--2020-04-30--Janelle Monae to Perform in Verizon Live Series Benefitting Small Businesses

Across the board , celebrities are trying to do what they can with their platforms to help those who have been affected by the devastation brought on by COVID-19 .
Actress Octavia Spencer donated respirators to hospitals in her home state of Alabama and the epicenter of the illness , New York , while Rihanna has donated over $ 5 million to support several organizations through her Clara Lionel Foundation , such as food banks in at-risk communities .
Others are focusing on bringing relief to local businesses , which have been hit particularly hard due to a lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and humanitarian Janelle Monae is teaming up with Verizon to perform for their Pay It Forward Live series , which will benefit small businesses .
The event will be held Thursday evening ( April 30 ) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be viewed on Verizon ’ s Twitter page .
“ Our local coffee shops , markets , book stores , nail salons and restaurants are the souls of our communities , ” the Dirty Computer artist wrote on her Instagram page .
“ We need to make sure we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBTQ owned—with support and love so that they can open their doors again one day soon.
” Monae is working around the clock to make sure her people are good .
On Sunday , April 26 , she and her Wondaland Records label donated nearly 2,000 to families in need in Atlanta through the # WondaLunch campaign .
They partnered with the hunger-related non-profit Project Isaiah , airline catering company Gate Gourmet , community advancement group The Gathering Spot , Councilman Andre Dickens , and local radio station Hot 107.9 to make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our first action taken as a collective to be in Atlanta where our roots are , ” Monae said in a statement about # WondaLunch .
“ Hundreds of families were moved and positively impacted on Sunday .
Thank you to everyone who volunteered and helped make this happen !
” Monae is not the only one working to alleviate some of the stress from small business owners ’ shoulders .
Rumored couple Common and Tiffany Haddish partnered with Bumble to donate $ 50,000 in grants to businesses in the food industry across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Community Grants Program .
The rapper told The Root that working with Bumble for something so important generated “ positive energy .
”

Across the board, celebrities are trying to do what they can with their platforms to help those who have been affected by the devastation brought on by COVID-19. Actress Octavia Spencer donated respirators to hospitals in her home state of Alabama and the epicenter of the illness, New York, while Rihanna has donated over $5 million to support several organizations through her Clara Lionel Foundation, such as food banks in at-risk communities.
Others are focusing on bringing relief to local businesses, which have been hit particularly hard due to a lack of in-person service. Grammy-nominated musician, actress and humanitarian Janelle Monae is teaming up with Verizon to perform for their Pay It Forward Live series, which will benefit small businesses. The event will be held Thursday evening (April 30) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be viewed on Verizon’s Twitter page.
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“Our local coffee shops, markets, book stores, nail salons and restaurants are the souls of our communities,” the Dirty Computer artist wrote on her Instagram page. “We need to make sure we are surrounding all small businesses—especially black and LGBTQ owned—with support and love so that they can open their doors again one day soon.”
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Monae is working around the clock to make sure her people are good. On Sunday, April 26, she and her Wondaland Records label donated nearly 2,000 to families in need in Atlanta through the #WondaLunch campaign. They partnered with the hunger-related non-profit Project Isaiah, airline catering company Gate Gourmet, community advancement group The Gathering Spot, Councilman Andre Dickens, and local radio station Hot 107.9 to make the event a success.
“We wanted our first action taken as a collective to be in Atlanta where our roots are,” Monae said in a statement about #WondaLunch. “Hundreds of families were moved and positively impacted on Sunday. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and helped make this happen!”
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Monae is not the only one working to alleviate some of the stress from small business owners’ shoulders. Rumored couple Common and Tiffany Haddish partnered with Bumble to donate $50,000 in grants to businesses in the food industry across America through the dating app’s Community Grants Program. The rapper told The Root that working with Bumble for something so important generated “positive energy.”


theroot--2020-04-30--King Kong Ain't Got Nothin’ on Katie Couric's Reach, Says She Felt ‘Shaken' by Denzel Washington Int

King Kong Ain't Got Nothin’ on Katie Couric's Reach, Says She Felt ‘Shaken' by Denzel Washington Interview

In 1933 , King Kong climbed New York City ’ s Empire State Building , which has a roof height of 1,250 feet ( 1,454 feet with the antenna ) .
And yet , the misunderstood beast still ain ’ t got shit on veteran journalist Katie Couric , who managed the greatest reach since the Michael Jordan Space Jam climax .
Couric recently appeared on the Everything Iconic With Danny Pellegrino podcast , where she recalled the time she spoke with Denzel Washington on Dateline during his Manchurian Candidate press tour .
During the podcast interview , Couric said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As the film ’ s premise was political , Couric asked Washington about the significance of actors making commentary on political issues , which is sort of an evergreen discussion , especially under this current administration .
What happened next ?
Well , CNN broke it down a little something like this : “ Denzel—are you—do you feel—you know some people say Hollywood folks should stick to acting , ” Couric asked .
“ I don ’ t know what Hollywood folks are , first of all , ” Washington responded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some stars on the sidewalk .
I don ’ t know anybody from there.
” He added , “ I ’ m not a Hollywood folk .
I don ’ t know who they are.
” Couric tried to reframe the question a few times , including asking him , “ Are you an actor who would rather not ... ” but Washington cut her off .
“ No , I ’ m not that either , ” he said .
“ I ’ m a human being .
My job is acting.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview , Couric said Washington “ totally misconstrued a question I asked and kind of jumped all over me.
” “ I don ’ t think I said anything wrong , ” she noted .
“ I don ’ t know what happened.
” “ I love him , I admire him so much , ” Couric added .
“ He ’ s one of my favorite actors , but I remember walking out and feeling really kind of shaken that he had kind of gone after me in a way that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ’ s the thing : During the podcast , Couric admitted that she figured Washington was having a bad day and that he later donated a generous amount to her colon cancer foundation .
So , if she was able to come to that logical conclusion…why the fuck is she bringing up old shit again ?
I must admit , when I saw his name trending , I went through the typical stages of social media shock and eventually ended up feeling like the Twitter-popular Denzel Washington meme .
“ Oh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , white-womaning , ” I thought .
But soon after that sigh of relief , I became quite irritated because this shit happens all the time .
Needless to say , Black Twitter was not amused by her Karen kerfuffle .
The Root has reached out to Denzel Washington ’ s team for comment .

In 1933, King Kong climbed New York City’s Empire State Building, which has a roof height of 1,250 feet (1,454 feet with the antenna).
And yet, the misunderstood beast still ain’t got shit on veteran journalist Katie Couric, who managed the greatest reach since the Michael Jordan Space Jam climax. Couric recently appeared on the Everything Iconic With Danny Pellegrino podcast, where she recalled the time she spoke with Denzel Washington on Dateline during his Manchurian Candidate press tour. During the podcast interview, Couric said the interview made her feel “uncomfortable.”
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As the film’s premise was political, Couric asked Washington about the significance of actors making commentary on political issues, which is sort of an evergreen discussion, especially under this current administration.
What happened next? Well, CNN broke it down a little something like this:
“Denzel—are you—do you feel—you know some people say Hollywood folks should stick to acting,” Couric asked. “I don’t know what Hollywood folks are, first of all,” Washington responded. “Hollywood is a town that has some stars on the sidewalk. I don’t know anybody from there.” He added, “I’m not a Hollywood folk. I don’t know who they are.” Couric tried to reframe the question a few times, including asking him, “Are you an actor who would rather not...” but Washington cut her off. “No, I’m not that either,” he said. “I’m a human being. My job is acting.”
In her recounting of the 2004 interview, Couric said Washington “totally misconstrued a question I asked and kind of jumped all over me.”
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“I don’t think I said anything wrong,” she noted. “I don’t know what happened.”
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“I love him, I admire him so much,” Couric added. “He’s one of my favorite actors, but I remember walking out and feeling really kind of shaken that he had kind of gone after me in a way that was completely, weirdly uncalled for.”
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Okay here’s the thing: During the podcast, Couric admitted that she figured Washington was having a bad day and that he later donated a generous amount to her colon cancer foundation. So, if she was able to come to that logical conclusion…why the fuck is she bringing up old shit again? I must admit, when I saw his name trending, I went through the typical stages of social media shock and eventually ended up feeling like the Twitter-popular Denzel Washington meme.
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“Oh, it’s just a white woman, white-womaning,” I thought. But soon after that sigh of relief, I became quite irritated because this shit happens all the time.
Needless to say, Black Twitter was not amused by her Karen kerfuffle.
Advertisement
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The Root has reached out to Denzel Washington’s team for comment.


theroot--2020-04-30--Lively Is Giving Your Beauty Rest an Accessory Today With a Free Sleep Mask on All Orders

Lively was created with the pillars of high-style and comfort .
Underwear and bras a literally the foundation of a @ @ @ @ @ comfort is king , well queen .
Either way , those of us with long @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t mind fashion either .
That ’ s what Lively does best .
@ @ @ @ @ an adorable “ Hit Snooze ” beauty mask to every order for free .
No @ @ @ @ @ needed .
They are also running a mix and match sale on bras and undies @ @ @ @ @ cleaning your unmentionables drawer as a quarantine activity .
Right now you can get 2 @ @ @ @ @ 3 bras for $ 80 .
The undies run 3 for $ 25 .
Free @ @ @ @ @ it looks like the deal runs through May 4th .

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Quentyn Kennemer to The Root

Free Sl eep M ask On A ll O rders | Lively
Lively was created with the pillars of high-style and comfort. Underwear and bras a literally the foundation of a woman’s wardrobe so comfort is king, well queen. Either way, those of us with long haul days need function but don’t mind fashion either. That’s what Lively does best. Today they’re adding an adorable “Hit Snooze” beauty mask to every order for free. No price minimum and no code needed.
They are also running a mix and match sale on bras and undies. No shame is spring cleaning your unmentionables drawer as a quarantine activity. Right now you can get 2 bras for $60 or 3 bras for $80. The undies run 3 for $25.
Free Shipping on all orders and it looks like the deal runs through May 4th.