Twitter is considering offering verified accounts to users who are willing to pay $19.99 a month for a subscription service, and it may take away the coveted blue check marks of existing users if they don’t start paying for the product within 90 days, according to internal Twitter documents viewed by CNN.
It’s possible the plan and pricing could change, as Twitter’s new billionaire owner Elon Musk works to put his stamp on one of the world’s most important social media platforms. It’s also unclear if some verified users may be exempt from paying the fee; many international organizations and charities, for example are verified on Twitter.
According to internal Twitter planning documents viewed by CNN, it appears the pay-for-verification feature would only be rolled out in those four countries to start and would be priced at $19.99 a month.
The Verge first reported the proposed pricing plan on Sunday. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” Musk tweeted on Sunday. Later that day, Musk engaged with a poll tweeted out by Jason Calcanis, a member of the billionaire’s inner circle, asking how much they would pay to be verified on the platform. A large majority of responders selected the “wouldn’t pay” option.
Musk suggested the possibility of tying verification to a paid subscription service. In April, Musk said Twitter’s paid subscribers “should get an authentication checkmark.” In another tweet, he said: “Price should probably be ~$2/month, but paid 12 months up front & account doesn’t get checkmark for 60 days (watch for CC chargebacks) & suspended with no refund if used for scam/spam.”
If Musk were to create a paid barrier for verification, it could make it harder to distinguish whether a notable name is a bot or not.
Musk, who previously said he wants to “defeat the spam bots,” made the prevalence of spam and fake accounts on Twitter central to his effort to get out of the deal, before reversing course earlier this month and moving forward with the acquisition.
The noise is still cranked up. The attack on Paul Pelosi is the latest October Surprise to come down the political pipeline. An extremist broke into the home of current House Speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and brutally attacked her husband with a hammer.
The extremist was a strong follower of conspiracy theories and far right propaganda.
The far right however dismissed this and made a claim that it was a "false flag" and strongly believe the extremist was a gay prostitute who attacked Pelosi after a quarrel.
They claim it was "staged" and the whole thing smells like a "Jussie Smollett."
They got their "source" from a debunked story from a Fox based news affiliate and the online slums. It was quickly amplified by the usual trolls and the new CEO of Twitter.
Now the son of Washed Up 45 has decided to get in on the act by posting yet more noise.
The allegations the extremist was in his underwear is not proven but hey, let's stick to that since San Francisco is the largest city with a strong LGBTQ population.
Hey, who would want to be married to Nancy Pelosi?
The internet remains undefeated… Also if you switch out the hammer for a red feather boa you could be Hunter Biden in an instant. https://t.co/lOYZ8SwiAZ
When it's revealed this was a gay lover he knew, watch how fast this story will be buried? Nobody cares what he does with his personal life but the fact that they tried to portray this idiot as if he was a conservative MAGA lunatic is what makes me sick. Another Jessie Smollett! pic.twitter.com/y6Sq9dC6eQ
If you think Paul Pelosi was attacked by his gay lover... then you're clearly an Ultra MAGA, racist, fascist, misogynist, transphobe, anti-vaxx, anti-science Putin puppet.
How many Sunday morning shows informed audiences that Paul Pelosi's intruder was a far-left nudist & sexual deviant from a Berkeley commune filled with BLM & gay pride signs before blaming 74 million conservative voters for the attack?
No way is it true that Paul Pelosi was paying for gay sex and it went bad. This happened because I do videos criticizing the Democrats for their transparent corruption, NOT because Paul Pelosi is an alcoholic druggy who got attacked by a gay sex partner. https://t.co/wCxaDrmzw1
Why does Hillary Clinton always got to say something?
The former first lady, secretary of state and 2016 Democratic nominee is vilified every time she speaks her mind. They want her to fade away but continue to prop up the losing 2020 Republican nominee, former president Washed Up 45.
You see where I am going with this?
The far right believe Pelosi deserved it.
Then of course, pivot to crime, Black Lives Matter, antifa and the other guys who done it to Republicans.
A neighbor dispute between Sen. Karen Paul (R-KY) and a suspect. His toupee was knocked off and he did get a few broken ribs but survived. The suspect got charged.
Rep. Karen Scalise (R-LA) was shot by a white extremist during a Capitol baseball event. The U.S. Capitol Police saved his life. In return, he voted against funding them, continues to support crazy people owning firearms and supporting racially charged legislation.
No one learned from Gabrielle Giffords. She was shot in the head by a white terrorist while doing a town hall at a grocery store in Tuscon. She survived her injuries. Her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is being targeted for hate. Republicans are scapegoating Pelosi and President Joe Biden to him.
Pelosi, Clinton, Vice President Kamala Harris, Duchess Meghan of Sussex, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Rep. Karen Cheney (R-WY), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep. Karen Kinzinger (R-IL), Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Rep. Debbie wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Lt. Gov. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, George Soros, Bill Gates, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Reid, Brian Stelter, Jake Tapper, former president Barack Obama and President Joe Biden are frequent targets of far right noise.
The failer MAGA bomber was a perfect example of the noise.
Far right populist Brazillian president is defeat in run off.
This Washed Up 45-like politician will no doubt claim the election was stolen and will challenge the results in Brazillian courts.
Jair Bolsonaro will be a one term like Washed Up 45. It was women and people of color who took down this fascist.
President Joe Biden congratulated left wing winner Lula De Salva, the former president who served two terms from 2003 until 2010.
Lula had 50.8% of votes compared with 49.2% for Bolsonaro, according to data published on the electoral body's website.
Washed Up 45-like politician flushed.
Lula’s winning margin is the closest since 1989, when Brazilians had voted for a president for the first time since the end of the military dictatorship. The previous closest margin was in 2014 when Dilma Rousseff won a second consecutive term by beating Aecio Neves by 51.6 % to 48.4 %.
Lula's win signals a change in direction for Brazil’s largest economy after a heated campaign that showed extreme polarization.
The result sets up a third term for Lula who campaigned on pledges to reduce inequality and protect the environment while preserving the country’s fiscal health.
In one mere month, media mogul Kanye West found himself in a friendless world. He is now likely to have supervised visitation of North, Chicago, Psalm and Saint. He lost twenty endorsements and his deal with Def Jam.
Now he is no longer allowed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Late night host banned Ye from his show.
In the midst of the outrage over West’s repeated amplification of hateful antisemitic tropes, Colbert tried to inject some levity into what is otherwise a not-at-all funny story about hate speech in the monologue to last night’s show. “After much thought and soul-searching I, Stephen Colbert, am banning Kanye West from the Ed Sullivan Theater,” the host announced grimly to hearty applause from the studio audience.
“Have to. I have to. Line in the sand,” Colbert said before getting serious for a moment and running down a list of completely fake “high profile collabs” the two men have (not) released. Among them: their collection of “spreadable jams” entitled “Strawbeezy Jelleezy,” as well as the now-cancelled release of their duets album, Ye & Phen: Sing Fiddler on the Roof.
“I know this has been too long in coming, I have no excuses for why I didn’t do this before,” Colbert said of the action he took to ban the rapper. Well, maybe one very good one. “Except, perhaps, that he has never been on the show, had no plans to be on the show, we’ve never asked him to be on the show and I am not sure he is aware that I have a show.”
But, Colbert said, he had to take immediate action for fear that Ye might “show up at any moment,” kind of like West did earlier this week when he arrived uninvited at Skechers headquarters and was summarily escorted from the premises. That move came after Ye lost his mega-lucrative deal with Adidas due to the company’s disdain for his hate speech against Jews, a decision that former billionaire West has claimed cost him nearly $2 billion.
“In five years the idea of an unannounced visit from Kanye has gone from ‘Amazing!’ to: ‘sir, you need to leave this Skechers,” Colbert joked. “It gets worse. Unlike with Adidas, Kanye never had any deal with Skechers, apparently Kanye is so desperate he’s just driving around searching Google maps for ‘shoes near me.'”
Halloween is on Monday and I am wondering, are you willing to scare up at
least $2 to play a multi-state lottery game for a chance at winning over $1
billion?
The Powerball jackpot has reached that record level again and you will have a
1 in 292 million chance of winning the prize.
Played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories,
Powerball is a coordinated by the State Lottery Association (MUSL), a
nonprofit organization formed by an agreement with lobbyists and US
corporations. From its inaugural drawing on April 19, 1992, until August 21,
2021, Powerball drawings were held twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday); a
third weekly drawing (held Mondays) was added on August 23, 2021. Drawings are
held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evening at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time,
at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.
Many who are often playing are not rich.
Most who often play have a family member, co-worker or friend who has a
gambling addiction.
So here's the public service announcement.
Most lotteries and casinos offer help for problem gambling. I want to
acknowledge this.
The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem
Gambling Helpline Network (1-800-522-4700). The network is a single national
access point to local resources for those seeking help for a gambling problem.
It is a difficult thing to tell a family member, friend, co-worker or a player
of a gambling venue. But if see something, say something. It may save a life.
The signs of problem gambling include:
The person constantly borrowing money from friends, family, loan facilities
or banks.
The person is always taking more out to chase the jackpot (or clout).
The person loses track of time or misses appointments due to gambling.
The person is running late on paying bills or dues.
The person feels like "playing it back" is the only way to win.
The person is getting agitated over wins and losses.
The person is using alcohol or drugs to ease stress.
The person damages property at casinos or lottery retailers.
The person deliberately asks others to claim prizes to avoid paying child
support, spousal support or owed taxes.
The person uses false ID, false social security numbers or gives wrong
information to avoid taxes or has known status as a banned guest or
voluntarily excluded player (self-prevention/restricted gambler).
The person is restless and feel the only way to relax is to gamble.
The person is jeopardizing relationships, their jobs and their social life
in order to gamble.
The person repeatedly lies about wins and loses.
The person is trying to curb problem gambling but never achieves the goal.
These are the hard truths about problem gambling. You know someone or have a
problem. That's why it's important to know your limits when you gamble.
Folks, the multi-state Powerball will now have three active drawings. The
original jackpot drawings were on Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59pm. Now the
drawings will be on Monday nights as well.
It will try to increase the opportunity for players who avoided playing during
the pandemic.
Rules on how to play lottery. Note: Many lottery venues are no longer taking
verbal requests due to the coronavirus and the possibility of eliminating long
wait times due to excessive ticket requests.
Make sure you have money on hand. The operator is required to take money
before issuing a ticket. Make sure you have your numbers placed on either a
betting card, your lottery app or a previous ticket. Most operators will
help you plug numbers in through the terminal or place an automatic bet for
you. However in the case of long lines or possible errors, it would be best
to be prepared for the transaction. Some states do offer debit and credit
transactions. Make sure you get your information from your local lottery
commission. You cannot cancel Powerball or Mega Millions tickets. They
are property of your state (or territory's) lottery commission. Any
alteration, distortion or underage playing will void the games.
In most states, the required age to play the lottery is 18 years or older.
Do not let anyone under the playing age purchase a ticket or lottery game.
The operator could lose their license or you will forfeit your prize if the
regional lottery operator determined that an underage player was the winner.
If you purchase Powerball and Mega Millions from another state (or
territory) and you won, understand that it not a winner in your home state.
You must return to the state (or territory) where you purchased the ticket.
The Mega Millions is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the
U.S. Virgin Islands. The Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you're a traveler and
won the lottery in the state of purchase, you have to return to the state to
claim your prize. Every state has their own rules and regulations so don't
think "it's all the same." It's not. It's a licensed property of the state
gaming commission.
Whenever a lottery retailer handles a jackpot ticket, ask the cashier to
make sure you hear the "winner" sound. Most machines will make a noise if
you're a winner. There are also ticket verifying stations located near a
lottery terminal. Make sure before you hand a ticket to a cashier, you are
sure you won a jackpot. Ask for a claims form and/or a validation claim
voucher. If you are claiming jackpots that are under $500 or less at a
licensed lottery operator, check your tickets at a lottery scanner first
before handing the ticket off to the clerk. Make sure the cashier confirms
the ticket. Tickets over $500 or more may have to go to a local lottery
office in a regional jurisdiction. Lottery operators have vendor licenses
and tickets are printed by a large set of numbers. If any allegations of
fraud or cheating do occur, the lottery can subpoena the operator for the
records of purchase and video surveillance of the person who purchased the
ticket.
Mega Millions and Powerball minimum jackpots start at $20 million. Each
ticket is valued at $2 per unit. Some states have multiplier options to
their games which could make your ticket $3 or $4 per unit.
You can view the results of Mega Millions and Powerball on your local
television station at 10:59pm. Mega Millions is drawn on Tuesday and Friday.
Powerball is drawn on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. You can also get your
state's lottery results on websites, the lottery commission apps on the
Apple Store and Google Play. You can view results on social media.
You can self-validate tickets under $500 through your phone so it can make
it "touchless" contact. You can also get winnings under $500 installed in
your bank account or through a credit card. Some fees do apply for
distribution of cards and bank deposits.
You have at least 90 days to a year to claim a Mega Millions or Powerball
jackpot. Some states have a period of time to claim your prize. If you fail
to claim the prize upon its final claim day, it will go back to the state.
The lottery operator will collect a reward for selling the winning ticket.
Do not wait till the last minute to claim a jackpot prize. The lottery
commission does have the right to forfeit or cancel any prizes presented.
Do not quit your job until you're certain you won the lottery. At the end of
the day, some people get bored with their lives and may want to return to
the workforce. Don't burn bridges with your employer. You may have to return
back to the employer one day.
Inflation and the coronavirus have changed the world. Many companies have
risen prices on food, supplies, rent and utilities. Lottery paper has become
very scarce in some retailers. Please understand that it is not a retailer's
fault they are out of lottery paper or the machine is down. Please have
patience and an understanding of a lottery retailer's resources.
You know I've often posted about what I would do if I won the lottery. It is
not legal advise so you don't have to take my word for it. I am just
expressing what I am going to do if I win the lottery.
I will first write my name on the lottery ticket. I will always make sure that
if I ever lose that ticket, my name is on it and it cannot be claimed by
someone who is the person who wrote on the back of it.
I will also make sure I take a picture of the ticket. It will be a good thing
to take a picture if you want to prove to your state's lottery commission that
you were the one who purchased the ticket. I mean it would be smart to take
pictures of your lottery tickets. Say if you have a group purchase of lottery
tickets and you purchase one for yourself or your family member. You won't
have to obligate to the group pool's tickets if you show that you bought one
for yourself. Because it will be a legal matter if you purchase the group
tickets but failed to disclose you purchased one for yourself. Even though you
won on your own separate ticket, it's best to let the group know that you
purchased a solo ticket to prevent them from believing you've stolen money or
violated the group's contract.
If I do win the lottery, I will immediately pay off all my debts. The car
loans, child support, spousal support, medical bills, phone bills, mortgage,
court fees and bank loans will be paid in full. Before I even collect my
lottery winnings, I want to be caught up on everything. Many states will
offset lottery winnings due to a person owning state debt, child support,
spousal support and court fees. If you know that you owe, pay it off.
Stay anonymous when you win the lottery.
I will immediately close my social media and change my phone number. If you're
a winner of the lottery, the junk food media, your family, your friends, your
acquaintances, your co-workers, your community, charity groups, scammers and
the state will know you. I am going to cancel my Facebook, Instagram, YouTube,
TikTok, Snapchat and social dating apps. I am very clear about my movements
and I chose to not be public about it. When I was younger and naive, I would
have shown my face to the public. But alas, I've gotten older and I am not the
same as I was when I was younger.
I will also get a trust fund prepared, a will and a trusted member of family
to hold my winnings. Yeah, it would be nice to establish a trust fund for
family members if you do die. I mean this year is full of uncertainty. Winning
the lottery has higher odds than catching the coronavirus. On point, 1 out of
15 people are infected with the coronavirus and people have died from it. You
win the lottery one day and the next day you caught the coronavirus. You got
to remind yourself, you can't take it when you're gone. So it's best to
establish a will to distribute your lottery winning to either family, charity
and those who you feel deserve it. It will be written and notarized by an
attorney or a bank. If you do establish a trust fund you could hire a
financial advisor or a family member to oversee your earnings. Make sure that
financial advisor is licensed and trusted by the Better Business Bureau. It
also must be routine to study on how lottery winners adapt to money. Cause
you're going into a bigger tax bracket and taxes vary on many states.
Now that I have my lottery winnings, I will now take the opportunity to buy
things that are rational. I would purchase a vehicle, get a home, put some in
an investment and prepare for a vacation. Of course, vacations are no longer
the norm in the age of COVID-19. So I would be smart to be prepared to be
tested or vaccinated for the coronavirus before I take a vacation. Many
countries have banned Americans entry to their countries out of fear we're
carrying the coronavirus or not vaccinated. With the various strains and
Washed Up 45's failure to take control of the matter, world leaders don't
trust the American leadership in handling a global pandemic.
You might also want to make sure you're not playing lottery on company work
time. You might also want to make sure that you don't scratch the tickets
first then pay for them last. I used to work at a gas station and a former
co-worker often took lottery tickets, scratch them off and then pay for them
after they were scratched.
Taking lottery tickets is not only theft but a felony in some states if the
vendor decides to press charges.
Not only the lottery vendor could lose their license (if they look the other
way), they lose the bonus from the sold winning ticket and they could be
audited by the lottery commission. The worker will be forbidden from playing
lottery if convicted. And yes, family members or friends who try to buy on
behalf of a banned player could be criminally charged.
Be humble about winning the lottery. You will not live a normal life. You
could hopefully use the lottery winnings for a long time of success or
squander it away within five years and end up miserable. Do not worry about
the have-nots! Enjoy the winnings with pride and caution. Your success
shouldn't be a punishment. If you do take the opportunity to win the lottery
make yourself aware of the surroundings.
The attack on Paul Pelosi has the Twitter CEO pushing baseless bullshit.
Elon Musk wanted to troll former First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton with a baseless conspiracy theory about Pelosi being drunk and the white extremist was his gay prostitute.
Clinton who also faced a series of death threats, baseless conspiracy theories and hateful conduct has tweeted that the Republicans and conservative agitators are going to continue this noise.
Gay internet troll Terrence K. Williams also pushed this noise on his Twitter platform.
Since Musk fired the Twitter policies and conduct leader, the social media platform went back to the cesspool of bullshit.
There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye https://t.co/HCaF5DrRjP
The 9-1-1 call,Pelosi states it’s a “friend” yet, the dispatcher stated Pelosi sounded confused. He sounded drunk to me. So this guy in his undies, friends with AnthonyWeiner no less, a known nudist activist, gets through security and squares off with Paul& the both have hammers? pic.twitter.com/dSxti6JVrq
So let's get this straight, a man in his underwear manages to elude security cameras, Scale a wall & elude security guards and dogs,breaks into a home without setting an alarm off but is somehow captured with a hammer because of a wellness check at 2am. Fishy Pelosi Story Right?
The terrorist assaulted Pelosi demanding he wanted Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic lawmaker from California who is the current Speaker of the House.
The main reasons why Musk bought Twitter, he was pissed about a internet troll devoting his life to watch the billionaire's alleged affairs and flight movements. He wanted Twitter to ban the troll and they refused. He went to buy shares and then majority stake in the company after threats of lawsuits after he made a pledged deal to purchase it for $45 billion.
The terrorist allegedly tried to tie Pelosi up while waiting for the speaker to come home (she was in Washington, D.C. at the time).
Police saw the terrorist and Paul Pelosi struggling over the hammer before the terrorist grabbed the weapon from Pelosi and began to assault him, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said.
The noise continues attacking Pelosi.
Paul Pelosi suffered a fractured skull and injuries to his right arm and hands for which he underwent surgery after the attack, and he is expected to make a full recovery, according to Pelosi’s office.
The terrorist was charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and other felonies.
The terrorist’s Facebook page reportedly includes a host of conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines, the 2020 presidential election and other false claims. The attack comes as elected officials have reported a surge in threats and harassment in recent years, including in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riot, in which supporters of Washed Up 45 who believed the election was rigged against him attacked police officers and breached the Capitol building.
Musk has repeatedly criticized Twitter’s moderation policies, including the decision to permanently ban the former president after the Capitol riot. The Tesla CEO said Wednesday the site “cannot become a free-for-all hellscape,” and announced Friday he plans to form a “content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints” before making any decisions on how to bring “free speech” to the platform. Tweets containing antisemitic and racist language as well as unfounded right-wing conspiracy theories surged in the wake of Musk’s Twitter acquisition, several reports suggest.
Remember Republicans used to get upset when celebrities get involved in politics. They have no problem with you if you're supportive a former celebrity turned 45th President of the United States. You have be like Caitlyn Jenner, Kristie Alley, James Woods, Ye, Gina Carano, Scott Baio, Ray J, Kodak Black, Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, Ricky Schroeder, Joy Villa, Isaiah Washington, Hank Williams, Jr., Mary Hart, Pat Sajak, Herschel Walker, Anthony Gonzales, Burgess Owens, Mehmet Oz, Tyrus, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, Gary Sinise, Forgiato Blow, Jay Johnston, Klete Keller and a country music star who endorsed a potential 2024 contender.
Country music star Luke Bryan endorses controversial Florida governor Karen DeSantis.
Angry liberals vow to 'cancel' singer Luke Bryan after he brings out Gov. DeSantis during concert https://t.co/NryLwLsgCx
Twitter is "canceling" Luke Bryan because he brought out Ron DeSantis as part of an announcement to raise money for hurricane relief in Florida. https://t.co/OzWyKSG6X2
No one in Nashville, especially Luke Bryan, should be okay with anyone being treated like this. We should stop making excuses like “don’t go to Broadway bars” - how about we actually hold these places accountable for this kind of widely-reported discriminatory behavior? pic.twitter.com/0zvNv3h1ze
Republicans hate Hollywood because they believe most of them are elites. Yet, elites who are Republicans are always praised for being patriots.
So as he began his performance, he took a moment to stop the set and introduced the governor.
Bryan asked the audience to help the state of Florida rebound from Hurricane Ian which ravaged through Southeastern Florida.
DeSantis touted out the "free state" nonsense.
The crowd erupted in cheers as DeSantis appeared, throwing hats into the crowd before asking if everyone was "excited to be in the free state of Florida?"
“The state of Florida had to deal with the major hurricane last month, and it’s not easy to deal with. It’s hurt a lot of people," DeSantis, who is up for reelection in November, said onstage. "Though I can tell you this, show me any other state that can rebuild bridges in three days. I don’t think you can find that."
The GOP governor went on to encourage everyone to vote, prompting more cheers and chants of "USA" from the crowd.
Washed Up 45 has snubbed DeSantis in his campaign stops for Sen. Karen Rubio (R-FL), Rep. Karen Gaetz (R-FL), Rep. Bycoon Donalds (R-FL) and other Republicans in Florida.
I could care less about Luke Bryan. I don't listen to much of his music anyway. Some of his songs are good.
The noise is loud but your vote can change that. Voting for the Democrats means competent leadership, a better economy and protection of freedoms.
While stumping for Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, former president Barack Obama was heckled by extremists. He had to address that as well as his friend Paul Pelosi, the husband of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the current Speaker of the House.
Obama, the 44th President of the United States helped paved the way for his former vice president, Joe Biden to become the 46th President of the United States. He also helped the "best looking and smart" Kamala Harris become the 49th Vice President of the United States.
Obama is the first African American president. He served two terms as the president from 2009 until 2017.
Harris is the first woman, first African American and South Asian American vice president.
The Democratic Party has been the party that supported African Americans. Despite the far right's revisionist history and buck dancing from Black coonservatives, the Black support for Democrats is still 92%.
Democrats are extremely nervous about turnout. They believe they could lose Congress to the noise of the far right. Republicans have capitalized on inflation, culture wars amd crime.
Obama made a stop at Detroit’s Renaissance High School on a limited national tour to support Democrats in key battleground states; Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia.
“The thing is, we can’t give in to the temptation to give up. We can’t turn inward. We can’t see politics as a zero-sum game where anything goes,” Obama said.
The rally for a standing-room-only crowd was meant to get Democratic voters to turn out to vote. The former president played heavily on abortion and voting rights. Both were issues that were animating factors over the summer, but have fallen slightly from the front of voters’ minds as inflation has been on the rise.
In the middle of his speech, a heckler can be heard interrupting, much to the apparent exasperation of Obama, who sighed before giving the unidentified man a piece of his mind.
Obama was discussing just how problematic the would-be kidnappers of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are when he was interrupted by someone yelling, “Mr. President.”
Gesturing to the man, Obama says, “Come on!”
Apparently likening the heckler to opponents of Democrats, Obama said, “This is what I mean, we are having a conversation.”
Then, Obama effectively had his latest mic drop moment at the heckler’s expense.
“Sir, sir, sir. sir, this is what I’m saying. Look, we’ve got a process that we set up in our democracy. Right now, I’m talking, you’ll have a chance to talk sometime later,” Obama said to cheers. “We like each other, we don’t have to shout each other down — it’s not a good way to do business. You wouldn’t do that in the workplace. We wouldn’t just interrupt people having a conversation. It’s not how we do things."
Jerry Lee Lewis passed away in his Mississippi home.
It appears that the junk food media can confirm that legendary and troubled pop singer Jerry Lee Lewis did pass away from pneumonia on Oct. 28.
TMZ had earlier confirm that he had died on Wednesday but retracted.
Lewis made hit singles like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal, died Friday morning at 87.
The last survivor of a generation of groundbreaking performers that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, Lewis died at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tennessee, representative Zach Farnum said in a release. The news came two days after the publication of an erroneous TMZ report of his death, later retracted.
Of all the rock rebels to emerge in the 1950s, few captured the new genre’s attraction and danger as unforgettably as the Louisiana-born piano player who called himself “The Killer.”
Tender ballads were best left to the old folks. Lewis was all about lust and gratification, with his leering tenor and demanding asides, violent tempos and brash glissandi, cocky sneer and crazy blond hair. He was a one-man stampede who made the fans scream and the keyboards swear, his live act so combustible that during a 1957 performance of “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” on “The Steve Allen Show,” chairs were thrown at him like buckets of water on an inferno.
“There was rockabilly. There was Elvis. But there was no pure rock ’n ’roll before Jerry Lee Lewis kicked in the door,” a Lewis admirer once observed. That admirer was Jerry Lee Lewis.
But in his private life, he raged in ways that might have ended his career today — and nearly did back then.
For a brief time, in 1958, he was a contender to replace Presley as rock’s prime hit maker after Elvis was drafted into the Army. But while Lewis toured in England, the press learned three damaging things: He was married to 13-year-old (possibly even 12-year-old) Myra Gale Brown, she was his cousin, and he was still married to his previous wife. His tour was canceled, he was blacklisted from the radio and his earnings dropped overnight to virtually nothing.
“I probably would have rearranged my life a little bit different, but I never did hide anything from people,” Lewis told the Wall Street Journal in 2014 when asked about the marriage. “I just went on with my life as usual.”
Over the following decades, Lewis struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, legal disputes and physical illness. Two of his many marriages ended in his wife’s early death. Brown herself divorced him in the early 1970s and would later allege physical and mental cruelty that nearly drove her to suicide.
“If I was still married to Jerry, I’d probably be dead by now,” she told People magazine in 1989.
Lewis reinvented himself as a country performer in the 1960s, and the music industry eventually forgave him, long after he stopped having hits. He won three Grammys, and recorded with some of the industry’s greatest stars. In 2006, Lewis came out with “Last Man Standing,” featuring Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King and George Jones. In 2010, Lewis brought in Jagger, Keith Richards, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw and others for the album “Mean Old Man.”
In “The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll,” first published in 1975, he recalled how he convinced disc jockeys to give him a second chance.
“This time I said, ‘Look, man, let’s get together and draw a line on this stuff — a peace treaty you know,’” he explained. Lewis would still play the old hits on stage, but on the radio he would sing country.
Lewis had a run of top 10 country hits between 1967-70, and hardly mellowed at all. He performed drinking songs such as “What’s Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)”, the roving eye confessions of “She Still Comes Around” and a dry-eyed cover of a classic ballad of abandonment, “She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye.” He had remained popular in Europe and a 1964 album, “Live at the Star Club, Hamburg,” is widely regarded as one of the greatest concert records.
A 1973 performance proved more troublesome: Lewis sang for the Grand Ole Opry and broke two longstanding rules — no swearing and no non-country songs.
“I am a rock and rollin’, country-and-western, rhythm and blues-singin’ motherf-----,” he told the audience.
Lewis married seven times, and was rarely far from trouble or death. His fourth wife, Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, drowned in a swimming pool in 1982 while suing for divorce. His fifth wife, Shawn Stephens, 23 years his junior, died of an apparent drug overdose in 1983. Within a year, Lewis had married Kerrie McCarver, then 21. She filed for divorce in 1986, accusing him of physical abuse and infidelity. He countersued, but both petitions eventually were dropped. They finally divorced in 2005 after several years of separation. The couple had one child, Jerry Lee III.
Another son by a previous marriage, Steve Allen Lewis, 3, drowned in a swimming pool in 1962, and son Jerry Lee Jr. died in a traffic accident at 19 in 1973. Lewis also had two daughters, Phoebe and Lori Leigh, and is survived by his wife Judith.
His finances were also chaotic. Lewis made millions, but he liked his money in cash and ended up owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Internal Revenue Service. When he began welcoming tourists in 1994 to his longtime residence near Nesbit, Mississippi — complete with a piano-shaped swimming pool — he set up a 900 phone number fans could call for a recorded message at $2.75 a minute.
The son of one-time bootlegger Elmo Lewis and the cousin of TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart and country star Mickey Gilley, Lewis was born in Ferriday, Louisiana (Swaggart and Lewis released “The Boys From Ferriday,” a gospel album, earlier this year). As a boy, he first learned to play guitar, but found the instrument too confining and longed for an instrument that only the rich people in his town could afford — a piano. His life changed when his father pulled up in his truck one day and presented him a dark-wood, upright piano.
“My eyes almost fell out of my head,” Lewis recalled in “Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story,” written by Rick Bragg and published in 2014.
He took to the piano immediately, and began sneaking off to Black juke joints and absorbing everything from gospel to boogie-woogie. Conflicted early on between secular and sacred music, he quit school at 16, with plans of becoming a piano-playing preacher. Lewis briefly attended Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas, a fundamentalist Bible college, but was expelled, reportedly, for playing the “wrong” kind of music.
“Great Balls of Fire,” a sexualized take on Biblical imagery that Lewis initially refused to record, and “Whole Lotta Shakin’” were his most enduring songs and performance pieces. Lewis had only a handful of other pop hits, including “High School Confidential” and “Breathless,” but they were enough to ensure his place as a rock ‘n’ roll architect.
“No group, be it (the) Beatles, Dylan or Stones, have ever improved on ’Whole Lotta Shakin” for my money,” John Lennon would tell Rolling Stone in 1970.
A roadhouse veteran by his early 20s, Lewis took off for Memphis in 1956 and showed up at the studios of Sun Records, the musical home of Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Told by company founder Sam Phillips to go learn some rock ‘n roll, Lewis returned and soon hurried off “Whole Lotta Shakin’” in a single take.
“I knew it was a hit when I cut it,” he later said. “Sam Phillips thought it was gonna be too risque, it couldn’t make it. If that’s risque, well, I’m sorry.”
In 1986, along with Elvis, Chuck Berry and others, he made the inaugural class of inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and joined the Country Hall of Fame this year. The Killer not only outlasted his contemporaries but saw his life and music periodically reintroduced to younger fans, including the 1989 biopic “Great Balls of Fire,” starring Dennis Quaid, and Ethan Coen’s 2022 documentary “Trouble in Mind.” A 2010 Broadway music, “Million Dollar Quartet,” was inspired by a recording session that featured Lewis, Elvis, Perkins and Cash.
He won a Grammy in 1987 as part of an interview album that was cited for best spoken word recording, and he received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2005. The following year, “Whole Lotta Shakin’” was selected for the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, whose board praised the “propulsive boogie piano that was perfectly complemented by the drive of J.M. Van Eaton’s energetic drumming. The listeners to the recording, like Lewis himself, had a hard time remaining seated during the performance.”
A classmate at Bible school, Pearry Green, remembered meeting Lewis years later and asking if he was still playing the devil’s music.
“Yes, I am,” Lewis answered. “But you know it’s strange, the same music that they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they don’t.”
Do something useful by not turning a blind eye to the extremism of the far right and far left. They are dangerous and the rhetoric has gotten worse.
The husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was attacked by a white extremist.
The San Francisco Police, the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the extremist's motives. He was fed a diet of far right noise and misinformation.
Twitter under Elon Musk is on its downfall. The controversial troll bought the company and fired all the top executives from the company. He wants to make the social media platform a town hall for "free speech." He also signalled that he may reinstate some of the most controversial extremist back to the platform if his new Twitter reinstatement board comes to order.
Already, trolls on the far right have tweet support for this new Twitter. They show it by posting misinformation and baseless accusations about the incident that rocked the nation.
Paul Pelosi, 82 was attacked an extremist and the noise already claimed it was a Democrat. They continue to blame the Speaker for not having security protection for her spouse.
Marjorie Greene’s deleted FB video where she suggests Pelosi be executed for treason... pic.twitter.com/AvBSFaqmLq
So Paul Pelosi is friends with the male nudist democrat that allegedly broke into his home? Why in the world did @AdamKinzinger say this “attacker” was a Trump supporter?
Pelosi and the Democrats have gotten rid of bail for criminals and they let them out almost immediately let's see if they release Paul Pelosi's attacker, if they don't that's hypocrisy to the max pic.twitter.com/qjJwzErazT
completely shameless -- even as information emerges that the Paul Pelosi attacker was a deranged MAGA, Fox News is trying to blame the assault on mental health and California crime policies pic.twitter.com/9F99lWaTXH
Fox News' commentary about the Paul Pelosi assault is even worse than you think. Check out these remarks from Caitlyn Jenner basically blaming Pelosi for not having better security and saying nobody should make it a partisan issue. pic.twitter.com/lYRkUCU488
The consistent theme on every show the entire day on Fox - Democrats are to blame for the MAGA lunatic who tried to murder Paul Pelosi. Just like J6 was Antifa’s fault. https://t.co/oJjsaFGjSS
The far right called it a false flag and claim its an ulterior motive to scare Democrats to vote. They are also using homophobic troupes to make baseless claims that Paul Pelosi is secretly gay.
Twitter, the social media platform for news and politics has returned to the unchecked noise. They are literally tweeting NIGGER and racial extremist rhetoric on the platform knowing that Elon Musk's reckless decision to purchase the social media platform will result in free speech absolutism.
Sad state of affairs.
Man it has come down to this!
Unfiltered conspiracy theories about how the spouse of America's top House leader was staged.
Fox being one of main factors to why this attack happened claims its all about crime.
The same type of noise that sparks anger.
Pelosi is expected to survive the injuries. The Speaker has went back to California to see her husband.
It has gotten worse. The noise now puts House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's life in danger once again.
Vote.
Ignore the noise.
Vote to save democracy.
Social media is a nightmare and tool for recruiting extremists.
All the noise and it led to a white extremist to break into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). He ends up attacking the lawmaker's husband in an early morning assualt.
As expected, Pelosi, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), QAnon Leader Karen McCarthy (R-CA), Obstructionist Leader Karen McConnell (R-KY) and members who actually have common sense offered support and condemnation.
Of course, McCarthy and McConnell are phony as fuck. They are contributing factors.
The noise created by Republicans and Washed Up 45 led to this, no doubt about it.
On top of that, it appears they are doubling down on the noise by pivoting and tossing around conspiracy theories to why a random stranger would attack the spouse of the 2nd in line of presidential succession.
Friend just reminded me: the same people have repeatedly blamed Pelosi for the Jan 6 insurrection where rioters sought to hunt her down and kill her. So this is consistent.
Jesse Watters says the MAGA terrorist who is charged with home invasion attempted murder and aggravated battery on Paul Pelosi should be released from jail since Democrats are soft on crime. https://t.co/sIkgBiMldX
these are just bad human beings. there's no way to sugarcoat it. Nancy Pelosi's husband is currently fighting for his life after a brutal assault perpetrated by a guy deluded by lies peddled by the likes of Ronna McDaniel. and she can't even lay off this stuff for one day. https://t.co/LTtiZDMi5P
On the day Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) husband Paul was brutally assaulted, Republicans at an Ohio GOTV rally fired up the crowd with attacks on the Speaker.
Margie had this video up on her FB page, but has since taken it down. In it she can be heard accusing Nancy Pelosi of treason, reminding the crowd that treason is punishable by death and that she should be removed from office. pic.twitter.com/Xurni4UFkd
It's business as usual in the scapegoating department at the Republican National Committee.
It's chairwoman, Idiot Romney McDaniel said "it's time to fire Nancy Pelosi."
The terrorist hit Paul Pelosi over the head with a hammer. He has gotten serious blows to the head, right side of his arm. The Speaker's office has said that he will survive the injuries.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said officers arrived at Pelosi’s house for a “well-being check” at around 2:27 a.m., where they saw Paul Pelosi and an adult male both holding a hammer.
Extremist caught. Now comes the far right trying to debunk his motives
“The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it,” Scott said. “Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup, and rendered medical aid.”
Scott identified a 42-year old white extremist. The man will be charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and burglary.
Both Pelosi and the terrorist were taken to a hospital, Scott said.
“Mr. Pelosi was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital where he underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” Pelosi’s office said later on Friday. “His doctors expect a full recovery.”
The terrorist entered the home looking for the speaker, a source briefed on the assault told HuffPost, but she wasn’t there. Before the attack, the intruder confronted Paul Pelosi, saying, “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?”
The terrorist's internet presence suggests an obsession with far-right conspiracy theories, and some Democrats quickly condemned Republicans for the attack.
“Now is not a moment for timidity. Let’s be direct. Today’s violence seems to be the direct product of Big Lies from many Republicans and Republican propaganda organs about Democrats and American democracy,” Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) said in a release.
“Turn on rightwing media on any given day or night. You will see frothing hosts shrieking unspeakable lies and unfounded conspiracy theories about women, religious and ethnic minorities, city residents, young people, and scores of others Americans,” Pascrell said.
The U.S. Capitol Police announced that they and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are helping San Francisco police investigate the attack.
Schumer called the attack “a dastardly act.” The White House said President Joe Biden called Nancy Pelosi to express support.
The attack comes amid heightened concerns over both crime and political violence. Within minutes of Pelosi’s statement, a Fox host described the attack as an example of how “crime hits everybody.”
Outgoing lawmaker Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), whose district includes part of San Francisco, suggested early on Friday that the attack could be political.
“While the motive is still unknown we know where this kind of violence is sanctioned and modeled,” Speier wrote on Twitter.
Nancy Pelosi is one of the best-known politicians in the country. She is also one of the most vilified Democrats in Republican campaigns, which invoke her name as a symbol of Beltway liberalism.
In August, Paul Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence. He also has faced scrutiny for his stock trades, and some lawmakers have pushed for a ban on members’ spouses trading stocks.
Years-old blogs that appear to belong to the white extremist show posts about LSD, Burning Man and quartz crystals. But more recent posts show disturbing signs of right-wing radicalization. Two posts from Aug. 26 of this year read “Pedophile normalization” and “black pilled,” the latter being internet slang for becoming hopelessly nihilistic regarding the government, society or one’s own life. Another post, from Aug. 26, reads, “Hitlery did nothing wrong.”
Others complain about “communist propaganda.” One post, simply labeled “Q” ― an apparent reference to the QAnon conspiracy theory universe ― references a meme about the conspiracy theory involving wealthy pedophiles trafficking children through the furniture website Wayfair.
Another website with posts authored by this white terrorist shows him closely following various right-wing political obsessions, like false claims of widespread voter fraud, Justice Department special counsel John Durham’s investigation. Many others show his obsession with “the Jew media,” including a recent post about the war in Ukraine: “The more Ukrainians die NEEDLESSLY the cheaper the land will be for Jews to buy up.”
“This morning’s terrifying attack on Paul Pelosi by a man obsessed with election conspiracies is a dangerous reality encouraged by some members of my own party,” Rep. Karen Kinzinger (R-IL) wrote Friday.
Fox which often targets Pelosi has claimed that the terrorist was a victim of the city's so-called "defund the police" strategy. Of course, it's not true. Fox often scapegoats her through most of its propaganda.
Fox claims, "Media Using Attack On Paul Pelosi Against Conservatives."
The Daily Mail, Breitbart, One America's Voice, Newsmax, OANN, The Young Turks and Newsweek have attacked Pelosi frequently and unapologetically.
McCarthy before his phony statement said it best about Pelosi.
"I'll make this one promise here: when we win the majority, which I know we're going to, you're all invited. I want you to watch Nancy Pelosi hand me that gavel. It'll be hard not to hit her with it, but I will bang it down."
I was going to address the noise often threatening lawmakers like Pelosi. I guess it will come sooner than I thought. Other lawmakers who are attacked by the noise include: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). I also said the noise has attacked Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Karen Cheney (R-WY) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
Political figures and entertainers attacked by the noise include: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Hunter Biden, former president Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, Whoopi Goldberg, Anderson Cooper, former president Jimmy Carter, former president Bill Clinton, Joy Reid, Don Lemon and Joy Behar.
These individuals seem to be often triggering the far-right. The far-right has often used them in their scare tactics to win white voters.
On Jan. 6, the mob inspired by Washed Up 45 called for Pelosi wanting to "kill" her for standing in the former president's way.
The suspect is facing a state lunch. The feds are looking into the matter and may consider bring a federal sandwich.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in in a court of law.
Since Will Smith's infamous slap on Chris Rock, comedians have been targets of violence.
Trevor Noah, Pete Davidson, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Ariel Elias, D.L. Hughley and now Chris Redd were victims of attacks.
Note, Will Smith is also a comedian.
Chris Redd was sucker punched by an unknown assailant just before he was set to take the stage at a local comedy club in New York.
Redd was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and then released.
The New York Police Department is investigating the incident and hope to catch the suspect.
Chris is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 2017 to 2022. For his work on the show, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2018 for co-writing the SNL song "Come Back Barack". He is also known for his roles in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), Disjointed (2017–2018), and Kenan (2021–2022).
He was born in St. Louis but moved to Naperville, a suburb of Chicago, at the age of eight.
According to Redd, he had a childhood stutter that he overcame by learning how to rap. He attended Naperville schools, including Gregory Middle School and Neuqua Valley High School, and later attended community college in Elgin, Illinois, where he took his first improvisational theater class.
