Data suggests that Angola and DR Congo have more fires than the Amazon, prompting social media concern.
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Intro Video
Monday, August 26, 2019
Woman blasts NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio at CNN town hall over Eric Garner case
A heckler took NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s to task on live TV Sunday pressing the presidential contender about consequences for the other cops who were on hand when Eric Garner was choked to death by NYPD officer Daniel Panteleo.
—NYPD Commissioner fires Officer Daniel Pantaleo involved in 2014 Eric Garner death—
“What about Lieutenant [Christopher] Bannon? What about Officer [Mark]Ramos? What about other officers?” yelled a woman who was later identified as Julianne Hoffenberg a member of the Justice League NYC.
The cops she mentioned were reportedly officer Pantaleo when he wrapped his arm about Garner’s neck and applied a banned chokehold outside a Staten Island store, killing him.
After a five year investigation Pantaleo was finally fired by the NYPD earlier this month, although he dodged getting charged for Garner’s killing.
De Blasio said the federal government fell short when holding Pantaleo accountable.
“The United States Department of Justice failed here miserably,” de Blasio said.
The department he said went “five years without even deciding they were going to act and telling the city of New York not to act.”
“I think we need a law in this country — federal law — that says in these dynamics, there has to be a mandate that the Justice Department must act,” de Blasio said.
“It could be one year, two years, whatever standard we set, they must make a decision, they must act.”
—GoFundMe for fired officer who fatally choked Eric Garner raises over $100K in 48hrs—
De Blasio was also challenged about how he plans to deal with mental health issues within his rank given that nine police officers reportedly committed suicide this year.
De Blasio agreed we’ve “got to do a lot more for our officers.”
“But this is part of a bigger reality,” de Blasio said. “I just want to say this election may be the first election in American history where mental health is front and center as an issue.”
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When they go low? Dems navigating nasty race against Trump
President Donald Trump told American congresswomen of color to “go back” to where they came from. He vowed to revive a racial slur to tear down Elizabeth Warren, promoted a wild conspiracy theory linking a past political opponent to the death of a high-profile sex offender and blamed Friday’s stock market slide on a low-polling former presidential candidate.
And that was just over the past six weeks.
With 435 days until the next presidential election, the Democrats seeking to oust Trump are bracing for the nastiest contest in the modern era, one that will almost certainly tear at the moral and cultural fabric of a deeply divided nation.
Knowing what lies ahead once their own divisive primary is decided, Democrats are confronting a critical question: Just how low should they go to push back against Trump?
Political strategists and recent history suggest there may be more risk than reward for candidates wishing to fight Trump on his terms. But Democratic primary voters, energized and enraged by Trump’s turbulent presidency, are increasingly calling for the candidates to fight fire with fire.
“The high road isn’t going to win this time,” Blake Caldwell, a 71-year-old retired physician, said at a recent event hosted by candidate Pete Buttigieg in rural South Carolina. “If we go high when they go low, we will lose.”
Several White House hopefuls opened their campaigns with a firm plan to focus on substance and rise above the Republican president’s personal attacks. But as primary voting approaches, many candidates are embracing a more aggressive posture as they work to convince primary voters they have what it takes to stand up to Trump.
Most of the leading candidates have called for Trump’s impeachment. Virtually all of them have openly called him a racist.
Joe Biden is the notable exception on both. The former vice president and early Democratic front-runner has sidestepped both questions as he works to maintain an optimistic outlook while highlighting the gravity of Trump’s leadership.
Others, like Warren and Kamala Harris, generally lean into charged language against Trump only when asked. Bernie Sanders, however, seizes on Trump’s behavior in his standard stump speech.
“The United States cannot continue to have a president who is a racist, who is a sexist, who is a homophobe, who is a religious bigot, who is a xenophobe, and who is also a pathological liar,” Sanders declared at a recent town hall meeting in northern New Hampshire.
Sanders’ chief strategist, Jeff Weaver, said the senator would not shy away from aggressive criticism of Trump when necessary. Especially on issues of race and immigration, he said, calling Trump a racist shouldn’t be something candidates are afraid of.
“You can’t give into the bully. You gotta lean in and tell it like it is,” Weaver said. “That’s what people appreciate about Bernie.”
Jef Pollock, a pollster for New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s campaign, concedes that “there’s a lot of nervousness about how you attack Donald Trump.”
While primary voters may want toughness, persuadable general election voters are more likely to say they want bipartisanship and civility. Yet it’s not so simple, Pollock said.
“I think it would be a mistake for a candidate to think they could just go high. We’re not in the age of Barack Obama anymore,” he said. “It’d be a mistake to think you can just rise above it all and not engage him at his level.”
There are obvious risks. Just ask Marco Rubio.
Alex Conant advised the Florida senator’s 2016 presidential primary campaign against Trump, which took a nasty turn near the end. Among other personal attacks, Rubio seized on Trump’s hand size.
Conant believes that nothing matters so much as authenticity when going up against the brash billionaire.
“If you’re not the kind of person who makes personal attacks on other people, don’t try it for the first time against Trump,” Conant said. “You feel so much pressure from your supporters, from your donors, from the media to punch back. The key is to find ways to do it that are authentic and consistent with your image.”
Some Democratic allies are urging candidates to stay away from attacks against Trump’s character and temperament altogether. That was a pillar of Hillary Clinton’s message against Trump in 2016, and it ultimately failed.
The pro-Democrat super PAC Priorities USA, which backed Clinton, instead wants the 2020 candidates to focus on the policies enacted under Trump and their effect on voters’ lives.
“Our strategy is not to go nasty,” said Josh Schwerin, the super PAC’s senior strategist. “It’s much more effective to say you’re paying more for your medicine every month and Donald Trump gave drug companies a massive tax cuts than to say Donald Trump is a jerk.”
Republican pollster Frank Luntz has studied the art of negative campaigning extensively over the last 18 months. He insists there’s far more risk than reward for candidates who go negative — especially against Trump.
It’s all about context and subtlety.
“Do they appear pained as they deliver the body blow? Do they look and feel like they don’t want to be there, like they’ve been forced into it? It’s one of the most subtle arts at a time when politics feel so much like championship wrestling,” Luntz said. “Most candidates don’t know the difference.”
But back in South Carolina, Caldwell says she isn’t interested in a cautious candidate. She wants the ultimate Democratic nominee to be someone who can confront Trump with force.
“We’ve been too meek,” she said. “This is going to be the most vicious campaign in history.”
The post When they go low? Dems navigating nasty race against Trump appeared first on theGrio.
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Family of first enslaved Africans in America marks 400 years
A family that traces its bloodline to America’s first enslaved Africans said Friday that their ancestors endured unimaginable toil and hardship — but they also helped forge the nation.
“Four hundred years ago, our family started building America, can I get an Amen?” Wanda Tucker said before a crowd in the Tucker Family Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia.
“They loved,” she continued. “They experienced loss. They worked. They created. They made a way out of no way, determined that their labor would not be in vain.”
Tucker, a college professor in Arizona, spoke at one of several events in Virginia this weekend that will mark the arrival of more than 30 enslaved Africans at a spot on the Chesapeake Bay in August 1619.
The men and women who came from what is now Angola arrived on two ships and were traded for food and supplies from English colonists. The landing is considered a pivotal moment in American history, setting the stage for a system of race-based slavery that continues to haunt the nation.
Many of the first Africans are known today by only their first names. They included Antony and Isabella, who became servants for a Captain William Tucker.
They had a son named William Tucker who many believe was the first documented African child born in English-occupied North America.
“We’re still here,” Tucker shouted in her family’s shaded cemetery, which included many worn gravestones, as well as white crosses where ground penetrating radar had recently found unmarked graves.
The Africans came just 12 years after the founding of Jamestown, England’s first permanent colony, and weeks after the first English-style legislature was convened there.
American slavery and democratic self-rule were born almost simultaneously in 1619. But the commemoration of the Africans’ arrival comes at a time of growing debate over American identity and mounting racial tension.
During his remarks, Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax rebuked President Donald Trump’s racist tweets. One had called on four Democratic congresswomen of color to “go back” to their home countries, even though three were born in the U.S.
“You do not tell us to go back to where we came from,” said Fairfax, who is black. “We built where you came from.”
Fairfax, who is facing allegations of sexual assault from two women, said he met Trump in July when they marked the 400th anniversary of the legislature in Jamestown.
“The president had to bow down to the descendant of an enslaved African,” Fairfax said.
People at the ceremony also said the Tucker family’s story symbolizes those of all African Americans.
“I think our family history is like some many other peoples,” said Carolita Jones Cope, 60, before the ceremony. Cope is a retired U.S. Department of Labor attorney who lives in Springfield, Virginia, and is among the descendants.
“Our descendants arrived here not by choice but in a bound status,” she said. “But they became landholders, business owners and farmers. And they supported each other through the struggle.”
The post Family of first enslaved Africans in America marks 400 years appeared first on theGrio.
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Kanye hosts service honoring Ohio mass shooting victims
Kanye West hosted a Sunday Service in Ohio in support of those affected by the recent mass shooting.
A large crowd gathered at the musician’s service in a park in Dayton. The event featured choir singers and was also attended by comedian Dave Chappelle.
Chappelle, who resides in nearby Yellow Springs, was scheduled to host a special block party and benefit concert later Sunday in Dayton for those affected by the shooting. That event was expected to feature national and local entertainers.
Organizers of Sunday night’s “Gem City Shine” event say it would be an effort to “reclaim” the entertainment district where 24-year-old Connor Betts’ 32-second rampage killed nine people and left dozens injured on Aug. 4.
The post Kanye hosts service honoring Ohio mass shooting victims appeared first on theGrio.
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Sunday, August 25, 2019
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CASTING NEWS: Sterling K. Brown joins cast of Disney’s ‘Frozen 2’
It looks like Sterling K. Brown is taking his talents to Disney.
The actor surprised fans at the annual D23 Expo in Anaheim over the weekend where it was revealed that he would be joining the cast of Frozen 2. The This Is Us star will lend his voice to a new character named Lieutenant Destin Mattias.
We also learned that Westworld star, Evan Rachel Wood will join the cast as Anna and Elsa’s mother, Queen Aduna in the flick that is sure to cause a global frenzy when it hits theaters in November.
We also got to hear a new song from the upcoming film called “Into the Unknown” and it’s sure to be a hit, led by Elsa (Idina Menzel).
So far, we know that Frozen 2 will explore how Elsa got her powers, and what really happened to her and Anna’s parents.
It seems Disney is making a concerted effort to add more color to their animated films, and Sterling K. Brown is one example of that trend.
Jamie Foxx, Phylicia Rashad, and Daveed Diggs gear up for Pixar’s ‘Soul’
Over the weekend, PIXAR dished details about its upcoming film, Soul, starring Jamie Foxx, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs, and Questlove, proving that they’re bringing even more melanin to the big screen.
The post CASTING NEWS: Sterling K. Brown joins cast of Disney’s ‘Frozen 2’ appeared first on theGrio.
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Ryan Coogler reveals details on ‘Black Panther’ sequel at D23
The D23 Expo went down in Anaheim over the weekend, bringing Disney fans from across the country to the annual convention. Some fans dressed up as their favorite characters while others filled bags with exclusive Disney loot only available at the event.
Disney revealed tons of secrets about their long list of upcoming projects and one of the weekend’s highlights came on Saturday when Ryan Coogler made an unexpected appearance.
Coogler joined Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige onstage and spilled some details about the highly-anticipated sequel to his blockbuster film, Black Panther. While he didn’t reveal too much, he did confirm the flick will hit theaters on May 6, 2022.
He also confirmed that Black Panther 2 is just a working title, meaning it will likely have a totally different name by the time it hits the big screen. Ryan Coogler will direct the sequel and confirmed he is already hard at work on the treatment.
Ryan Coogler to produce Fred Hampton biopic starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield
Fans will have to wait a while to get any more details about the film that brought Wakanda to life and showcased Black beauty and power like we have never seen before. While we’re pretty sure Michael B. Jordan won’t be in the sequel, we can’t wait to see other faves like Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Chadwick Boseman, and Danai Gurira reprising their iconic roles.
The post Ryan Coogler reveals details on ‘Black Panther’ sequel at D23 appeared first on theGrio.
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Jamie Foxx, Phylicia Rashad, and Daveed Diggs gear up for Pixar’s ‘Soul’
PIXAR is bringing a whole lot of Black talent to the big screen for its upcoming film Soul. The studio revealed several details about the upcoming project during a presentation at the annual D23 Expo in Anaheim over the weekend.
So far, Jamie Foxx, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs, and Questlove have signed on for the flick that seems pretty deep for a children’s movie based on the logline.
Ever wonder where your passion, your dreams and your interests come from? What is it that makes you … you? Soul takes you on a journey from the streets of New York City to the cosmic realms to discover the answers to life’s most important questions.
Ryan Coogler reveals details on ‘Black Panther’ sequel at D23
PIXAR shared some insight about the film’s premise along with some concept art from the flick that will also star Tina Fey.
In Soul, people’s souls get “trained” before they’re given to a human being and the story centers on a jazz-loving, middle school band teacher who never quite fulfills his dream.
Just Announced: @iamjamiefoxx and Tina Fey will lead the cast of #PixarSoul, coming to theaters June 19, 2020. Here’s a first look at their characters, Joe Gardner and 22, and a new piece of concept art. #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/4LTHAzalmE
— Disney (@Disney) August 24, 2019
Jamie Foxx insists he’s NOT dating Sela Vave amid Katie Holmes split
Aside from the long list of A-list celebs confirmed to voice the characters, the film will feature music from Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
We can’t wait to see how this movie shapes up and we’re pretty excited to hear what the user-talented Hamilton star and creator of Blindspotting, Daveed Diggs brings to the table.
EXCLUSIVE: Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal on their masterpiece ‘Blindspotting’
Soul will hit theaters on June 19, 2020.
The post Jamie Foxx, Phylicia Rashad, and Daveed Diggs gear up for Pixar’s ‘Soul’ appeared first on theGrio.
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