Randall Terry puts out his latest campaign ad aimed at Kamala Harris. Networks slap viewer discretion on it.
Be warned, there will be graphic content.
Operation Rescue, a far right anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ organization led by Randall Terry is not doing former president Donald J. Trump any favors.
Terry who is running for president under the Constitution Party released a graphic political ad depicting dead fetuses and what could happen if America votes for Vice President Kamala Harris as the next president.
Terry, a white extremist opposes human induced abortion and its legality, Islam, and homosexuality.
He joins Trump, the far right, tankies and leftists in the mispronouncing of the vice president's name, her policies and her stances on many issues.
Terry is a fringe candidate for president who has qualified for the ballot in a dozen states as the standardbearer of the Constitution Party, a status that has enabled him to get airtime for his commercials.
Under Federal Communications Commission regulations, broadcast stations “are prohibited from censoring or rejecting political ads that are paid for and sponsored by legally qualified candidates,” a standard that Terry has met.
“This is the last bastion of free speech,” Terry said in an interview. “The only place that you can still have free speech is on a licensed station as a federal candidate.”
Randall Terry and Stephen Broden are extremists.
The FCC rule applies only to candidates, not political organizations, meet its criteria and doesn’t apply to cable networks or web-based properties like podcasts. CNN, which is not required to show the ad and said it wouldn’t meet its standards anyway, issued a statement calling it “outrageous, antisemitic and dangerous.”
Terry already has another ad — featured on his website but not yet on television — that specifically targets CNN’s Jake Tapper.
“I’m not going to be the president,” Terry said. “I’m not delusional. The whole point of this is to cause Kamala’s defeat.”
To that end, many of his ads are anti-Harris and, except for a brief printed message on the screen, don’t even mention his candidacy. He has been running advertisements on a local level throughout the campaign, in each of the states where an abortion measure is on the ballot. A total of 40 local ads have been completed, along with a series of national advertisements, Terry said.
His target audience is people aged 50 to 80, an age group that would be most likely to watch broadcast television, who are likely Democratic voters, Catholics and Black.
Christian F. Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women, said she worries that the ads represent a manipulation of FCC regulations and are promoting hateful rhetoric.
Longtime music mogul and media personality Quincy Jones, Jr. has passed away.
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former president Barack Obama, former president George W. Bush, former president Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama will react to his passing.
Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalog that includes some of the richest moments of American rhythm and song. For years, it was unlikely to find a music lover who did not own at least one record with his name on it, or a leader in the entertainment industry and beyond who did not have some connection to him.
Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders. He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for “Roots” and “In the Heat of the Night,” organized President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of “We Are the World,” the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa.
Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was among the featured singers, would call Jones “the master orchestrator.”
In a career which began when records were still played on vinyl at 78 rpm, top honors likely go to his productions with Jackson: “Off the Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad” were albums near-universal in their style and appeal. Jones’ versatility and imagination helped set off the explosive talents of Jackson as he transformed from child star to the “King of Pop.” On such classic tracks as “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Jones and Jackson fashioned a global soundscape out of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz and African chants. For “Thriller,” some of the most memorable touches originated with Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-fusing “Beat It” and brought in Vincent Price for a ghoulish voiceover on the title track.
“Thriller” sold more than 20 million copies in 1983 alone and has contended with the Eagles’ “Greatest Hits 1971-1975” among others as the best-selling album of all time.
Quincy Jones with daughters Rashida (right) and Kidada (left). Both are actresses and directors.
“If an album doesn’t do well, everyone says ‘it was the producers fault’; so if it does well, it should be your ‘fault,’ too,” Jones said in an interview with the Library of Congress in 2016. “The tracks don’t just all of a sudden appear. The producer has to have the skill, experience and ability to guide the vision to completion.”
The list of his honors and awards fills 18 pages in his 2001 autobiography “Q”, including 27 Grammys at the time (now 28), an honorary Academy Award (now two) and an Emmy for “Roots.” He also received France’s Legion d’Honneur, the Rudolph Valentino Award from the Republic of Italy and a Kennedy Center tribute for his contributions to American culture. He was the subject of a 1990 documentary, “Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones” and a 2018 film by daughter Rashida Jones. His memoir made him a best-selling author.
Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones would cite the hymns his mother sang around the house as the first music he could remember. But he looked back sadly on his childhood, once telling Oprah Winfrey that “There are two kinds of people: those who have nurturing parents or caretakers, and those who don’t. Nothing’s in between.” Jones’ mother suffered from emotional problems and was eventually institutionalized, a loss that made the world seem “senseless” for Quincy. He spent much of his time in Chicago on the streets, with gangs, stealing and fighting.
“They nailed my hand to a fence with a switchblade, man,” he told the AP in 2018, showing a scar from his childhood.
Music saved him. As a boy, he learned that a Chicago neighbor owned a piano and he soon played it constantly himself. His father moved to Washington state when Quincy was 10 and his world changed at a neighborhood recreation center. Jones and some friends had broken into the kitchen and helped themselves to lemon meringue pie when Jones noticed a small room nearby with a stage. On the stage was a piano.
“I went up there, paused, stared, and then tinkled on it for a moment,” he wrote in his autobiography. “That’s where I began to find peace. I was 11. I knew this was it for me. Forever.”
Within a few years he was playing trumpet and befriending a young blind musician named Ray Charles, who became a lifelong friend. He was gifted enough to win a scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out when Hampton invited him to tour with his band. Jones went on to work as a freelance composer, conductor, arranger and producer. As a teen, he backed Billie Holiday. By his mid-20s, he was touring with his own band.
“We had the best jazz band on the planet, and yet we were literally starving,” Jones later told Musician magazine. “That’s when I discovered that there was music, and there was the music business. If I were to survive, I would have to learn the difference between the two.”
As a music executive, he overcame racial barriers by becoming a vice president at Mercury Records in the early ’60s. In 1971, he became the first Black musical director for the Academy Awards ceremony. The first movie he produced, “The Color Purple,” received 11 Oscar nominations in 1986. (But, to his great disappointment, no wins). In a partnership with Time Warner, he created Quincy Jones Entertainment, which included the pop-culture magazine Vibe and Qwest Broadcasting. The company was sold for $270 million in 1999.
“My philosophy as a businessman has always come from the same roots as my personal credo: take talented people on their own terms and treat them fairly and with respect, no matter who they are or where they come from,” Jones wrote in his autobiography.
He was at ease with virtually every form of American music, whether setting Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” to a punchy, swinging rhythm and wistful flute or opening his production of Charles’ soulful “In the Heat of the Night” with a lusty tenor sax solo. He worked with jazz giants (Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington), rappers (Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J), crooners (Sinatra, Tony Bennett), pop singers (Lesley Gore) and rhythm and blues stars (Chaka Khan, rapper and singer Queen Latifah).
On “We are the World” alone, performers included Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen. He co-wrote hits for Jackson – “P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing” – and Donna Summer – “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger) – and had songs sampled by Tupac Shakur, Kanye West and other rappers. He even composed the theme song for the sitcom “Sanford and Son.”
Jones was a facilitator and maker of the stars. He gave Will Smith a key break in the hit TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which Jones produced, and through “The Color Purple” he introduced Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg to filmgoers. Starting in the 1960s, he composed more than 35 film scores, including for “The Pawnbroker,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “In Cold Blood.”
He called scoring “a multifaceted process, an abstract combination of science and soul.”
Jones’ work on the soundtrack for “The Wiz” led to his partnership with Jackson, who starred in the 1978 movie. In an essay published in Time magazine after Jackson’s death, in 2009, Jones remembered that the singer kept slips of paper on him that contained thoughts by famous thinkers. When Jones asked about the origins of one passage, Jackson answered “Socrates,” but pronounced it “SO-crayts.” Jones corrected him, “Michael, it’s SOCK-ra-tees.”
“And the look he gave me then, it just prompted me to say, because I’d been impressed by all the things I saw in him during the rehearsal process, ‘I would love to take a shot at producing your album,’” Jones recalled. “And he went back and told the people at Epic Records, and they said, `No way — Quincy’s too jazzy.’ Michael was persistent, and he and his managers went back and said, `Quincy’s producing the album.’ And we proceeded to make ‘Off the Wall.’ Ironically, that was one of the biggest Black-selling albums at the time, and that album saved all the jobs of the people saying I was the wrong guy. That’s the way it works.”
Tensions emerged after Jackson’s death. In 2013, Jones sued Jackson’s estate, claiming he was owed millions in royalties and production fees on some of the superstar’s greatest hits. In a 2018 interview with New York magazine, he called Jackson “as Machiavellian as they come” and alleged that he lifted material from others.
Jones was hooked on work and play, and at times suffered for it. He nearly died from a brain aneurysm in 1974 and became deeply depressed in the 1980s after “The Color Purple” was snubbed by Academy Awards voters; he never received a competitive Oscar. A father of seven children by five mothers, Jones described himself as a “dog” who had countless lovers around the world. He was married three times, his wives including the actor Peggy Lipton.
“To me, loving a woman is one of the most natural, blissful, life-enhancing — and dare I say, religious — acts in the world,” he wrote.
He was not an activist in his early years, but changed after attending the 1968 funeral of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later befriending the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jones was dedicated to philanthropy, saying “the best and only useful aspect of fame and celebrity is having a platform to help others.”
His causes included fighting HIV and AIDS, educating children and providing for the poor around the world. He founded the Quincy Jones Listen Up! Foundation to connect young people with music, culture and technology, and said he was driven throughout his life “by a spirit of adventure and a criminal level of optimism.”
“Life is like a dream, the Spanish poet and philosopher Federico Garcia Lorca said,” Jones wrote in his memoir. “Mine’s been in Technicolor, with full Dolby sound through THX amplification before they knew what these systems were.”
Along with Rashida, Jones is survived by daughters Jolie Jones Levine, Rachel Jones, Martina Jones, Kidada Jones and Kenya Kinski-Jones; son Quincy Jones III; brother Richard Jones and sisters Theresa Frank and Margie Jay.
Dirty ex-cop faces at least 15 years for violating his oath of duty and using excessive force when engaging in a no knock that killed Breonna Taylor.
Winners and losers of 2024.
Former Louisville Metro Police Detective Brett Hankison was convicted in federal court for his role in the Breonna Taylor shooting. He will be getting at least 15 years in federal time out.
The 12-member jury returned the late-night verdict after clearing Hankison earlier in the evening on a charge that he used excessive force on Taylor's neighbors, per the AP. It was the first conviction of a Louisville police officer who was involved in the deadly raid. Some members of the jury were in tears as the verdict was read around 9:30pm local time. They'd earlier indicated to the judge in two separate messages that they were deadlocked on the charge of using excessive force on Taylor, but they chose to continue deliberating. The six-man, six-woman jury deliberated for more than 20 hours over three days.
Hankison fired 10 shots into Taylor's glass door and windows during the raid but didn't hit anyone. Some shots flew into a next-door neighbor's adjoining apartment. The death of the 26-year-old Black woman, along with the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, sparked racial injustice protests nationwide. A separate jury deadlocked on federal charges against Hankison last year, and he was acquitted on state charges of wanton endangerment in 2022. Hankison, 48, argued throughout the trial that he was acting to protect his fellow officers after Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired on them when they broke down Taylor's door with a battering ram. Hankison's lawyers argued during closing statements on Wednesday that Hankison was acting properly "in a very tense, very chaotic environment" that lasted about 12 seconds.
Breonna's mom wants the Louisville Metro Police Department to change and put those dirty cops in lockup for killing her daughter.
They emphasized that Hankison's shots didn't hit anyone. Neither of the officers who shot Taylor—former Sgt. John Mattingly and former Detective Myles Cosgrove—were charged in Taylor's death. Federal and state prosecutors have said those officers were justified in returning fire, since Taylor's boyfriend shot at them first. The conviction against Hankison carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. He'll be sentenced on March 12 by US District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings. Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, celebrated the verdict with friends outside the federal courthouse, saying, "It took a lot of time. It took a lot of patience. It was hard. The jurors took their time to really understand that Breonna deserved justice." Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., called the verdict "a long-awaited moment of accountability." More here.
Taylor was an African-American woman who was shot and killed while unarmed in her Louisville, Kentucky home by three police officers who entered under the auspices of a "no-knock" search warrant. After Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) ex-detective Brett Hankison was acquitted of felony wanton endangerment of Taylor's neighbors at the state-level, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the Department of Justice was charging Hankison with the unconstitutional use of excessive force that violated Taylor's civil rights. He was found guilty in November 2024. Three other officers, who were not present at the shooting, were also federally charged with conspiracy in falsifying evidence to procure the search warrant, and then covering it up.
Then Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron refused to take on the case which prompt the U.S. Assistant to the Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke made sure she pushed for criminal indictments against the three detectives.
The Des Moines Register, Iowa's largest newspaper has released a shocking poll.
Vice President Kamala Harris is leading former president Donald J. Trump by two points. The state that Democrats gave up on since then president Barack Obama carried in 2008 (as senator/nominee) and 2012 (as incumbent president).
Trump carried Iowa in 2016 (as nominee) and 2020 (as incumbent).
Iowa is considered a state out of play but who knows? I have no consensus on who will win.
I believe Harris will likely win but again don't count Trump out.
Maya Rudolph, the famous actress/comedian endorsed Harris on SNL.
Harris made a surprise appearance on SNL in their final show before the election.
Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in the final days before the election, playing herself as the mirror-image double of Maya Rudolph’s version of her.
The first lines the candidate spoke as she sat across from Rudolph was drowned out by cheers from the audience.
“It is nice to see you Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph, “and I’m just here to remind you you got this.”
In sync, the two said supporters need to “Keep Kamala and carry-on-ala,” declared that they share each other’s “belief in the promise of America,” and delivered the signature “Live from New York it’s Saturday night!”
Harris made the surprise trip to New York City with the election looming, briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she’s been furiously campaigning in favor of the iconic sketch comedy show, where she was hoping to generate buzz and appeal to a nationwide audience.
Maya Rudolph and Vice President Kamala Harris see themselves as one.
Harris arrived in New York on Air Force Two after an early evening campaign stop Saturday on in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once in the air, aides said she’d be making an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport.
Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where SNL tapes, shortly after 8 p.m., enough time for a quick rehearsal before the show airs live at 11:30 p.m. It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.
The visit wasn’t previously announced and an official familiar with Harris’ planning only officially confirmed it for reporters traveling with the vice president moments before the live airing began. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss plans before they were made public.
Harris departed immediately after the opening segment. She told reporters, “It was fun!” as she boarded the plane to leave New York.
Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019 and has reprised her role this season, doing a spot-on impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala” — a reference to the affectionate nickname her stepchildren gave her.
Rudolph opened the show’s season premiere with the line: “Well, well, well. Look who fell out of that coconut tree.” And she’s joked about keeping President Joe Biden in his place.
Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, was played again by former cast member Andy Samberg and Dana Carvey appeared as President Joe Biden.
Rudolph’s performance has won critical and comedic acclaim — including from Harris herself.
“Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said last month on ABC’s “The View.” “She had the whole thing, the suit, the jewelry, everything!”
Harris added that she was impressed with Rudolph’s “mannerisms.”
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump, expressed surprise that Harris would appear on SNL given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”
Politicians nonetheless have a long history on SNL, including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015 — though appearing so close to Election Day is unusual.
Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for launching into a trademark, exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Do I really laugh like that?”
Harris repeated that line in response to Rudolph’s portrayal of her laugh in Saturday’s episode.
Clinton returned in 2016, while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.
The first sitting president to appear on SNL was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. Ford appeared in April 1976 on an episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and declared the show’s famous opening rejoinder, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”
Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared alongside Poehler impersonating Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996 -- a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.
Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show that October, in the weeks before the election.
While Republicans are still fuming over President Joe Biden calling former president Donald J. Trump and supporters garbage, the reality is happening.
For a guy who claims to believe in freedom, he sure doesn't like it when it doesn't suit his own agenda. He claims to be a man of the people but is doing things that seem out of touch.
While many of his strongest supporters sit in federal time out or the iron college for criminal acts, he has the privilege to travel wherever wants despite his own criminal conviction. He is the very definition of white privilege.
They are also wearing Trump merchandise.
Have you seen the new MAGA Garbage outfits?
Goes great with the Trump sneakers, Trump watches, Trump bibles and Trump NFT platforms. A whole gift set on behalf of MAGAland. Since he licensed his name to these products all the proceeds go to E. Jean Carroll and the State of New York.
Republicans complain about children being indoctrinated by politics. Yet, here we are!
If I was Trump, I better be preparing for post election. If he does not win, he will be facing lawsuits, his criminal sentencing and a lot of angry Republicans who feel that he couldn't seal the deal.
Why the election is so close?
1. White people.
2. Israel.
3. The junk food media holding double standards towards Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald J. Trump.
4. Lack of college education and personal bias.
I have a strong feeling I think Vice President Kamala Harris is going to win but do not count Trump out.
He has pulled off upsets before and the election could come down to a handful of states.
a little confused about Trump’s last-minute transformation into a sentient sex doll, but…
Now I don’t know if trump’s dreaming of Arnold Palmer’s manhood, or if he’s reminiscing about all the times he’s slurped on Putin’s kolbasa, but it seems to me that your oh-so-dead-butch super-masculine “alpha male” leader is trying to tell you something, MAGA. pic.twitter.com/M09pSuyaKh
The former president struggled to get into a garbage truck in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Trump was in Arizona with Tucker Carlson. He made remarks about former House member Liz Cheney. He called her a "radical warhawk" and suggested she should face a firing squad.
At two rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan, he got angry over microphone issues.
He threatened to attack the people who operated his microphone.
This is how dictators destroy free nations. They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant. #Womenwillnotbesilenced#VoteKamalahttps://t.co/URH5s929Sa
He even stimulated oral sex when he had an issue trying to grab the microphone.
Trump also said he will be the protector of women "whether they like it or not."
A white man in Orangeburg, South Carolina assaults a poll worker after they asked him to take off his political hat. He shoved a Black woman and she slapped him. The man tried to physically assault her before poll workers stopped him and escorted him out of the facility.
WIS News 10 obtained a 1:26-minute video showing the moments leading up to the physical altercation. The video begins with what appears to show poll workers asking a man, identified by authorities as Mark Morris to remove his hat.
I called the Orangeburg Department of Public safety & the director. I left a message asking for a call back regarding this assault by Mark Allen Morris & why they charged the poll worker? Here’s #’s below. Call!! https://t.co/Jkb5kSRgCKpic.twitter.com/KbG1wHnv1m
— SaveDemocracy24, VoteBlue #ProChoice #LifelongDem (@SDemocracy91792) November 2, 2024
These amazing women in Orangeburg, followed the law and preserved the integrity of the election site. Kudos to them. Hopeful SCGOP and other collectively denounce the bullshit, pic.twitter.com/hwcnmboe3w
Orangeburg Police have released their report from the incident in which a man appeared irate after being told he couldn't wear his politically themed hat inside (which is state law).
Morris could then be heard shouting explicitly, referring to a poll worker as a “f****** b****,” before snatching off the hat, flipping it around, and telling another poll worker it’s his “mother******* right.”
He then proceeds to yell at the poll workers telling them to “shut the hell up and let me vote.”
The video then shows, another poll worker, identified by authorities as Angela Buchannon-Glover, step in attempting to diffuse the situation and could be heard saying, “We ain’t got nothing else to say and we’re going to move on.”
As the next voter in line is called up to check in the vote, Morris could be seen turning toward Buchannon-Glover before taking his hat off and tossing it in the hall.
Mock lynching in Pennsylvania. The float depicts Harris being lynched by Trump.
Morris was wearing a hat with the phrase, “Let’s Go Brandon.” That phrase began circulating in 2021 and according to the Associated Press, is a conservative code for “F—- Joe Biden.”
South Carolina law restricts what people can wear to go vote. Voters are not allowed to wear anything that displays a political party, candidate name, or ballot issue.
The law says, "The poll manager shall use every reasonable means to keep the area within five hundred feet of any such entrance clear of political literature and displays, and the county and municipal law enforcement officers, upon request of a poll manager, shall remove or cause to be removed any material within five hundred feet of any such entrance distributed or displayed in violation of this section."
Morris is then seen turning toward Buchannon-Glover again where he appears to point in her face. It is unclear from the angle of the video if Morris made physical contact with Buchannon-Glover.
Directly after their exchange, Buchannon-Glover hits Morris. The two are then separated by the group of poll workers as Morris is seen attempting to hit Buchannon-Glover back.
Donald Trump Jr. without Kimberly Guilfoyle.
A parade float in Pennsylvania depicted Harris being lynched by Trump. The float shown in a key swing state, Mount Pleasant, in Westermoreland County, part of metro Pittsburgh.
Officials in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania are facing backlash over a politically themed float at the town's Halloween parade that reportedly depicted former president Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris in chains, with some people calling it downright hateful.
Now, the mayor says the borough is looking into how that float was allowed in the parade.
"It's a hot political season, probably not something I’d want in a children's parade."
In a video sent to our NBC Affiliate WPXI, you can see a float that appeared during the Mount Pleasant Halloween parade that shows people dressed as Secret Service surrounding a golf cart style vehicle.
Come on MOUNT PLEASANT, Pa, how did the city approve this?
Riding in the cart is a person wearing a mask of former president Donald Trump, and on the top of the vehicle is a fake sniper.
"The worst part of it was that there was either a rope or a chain attached to the back of the vehicle, and there was a woman who was to resemble Kamala Harris in handcuffs and chained to the back of the vehicle as though they were dragging her,” says Mount Pleasant Mayor Diane Bailey.
"This is not a good look, this is simulating a lynching down Main Street in Mount Pleasant,” one parade attendee said.
Josh Huff attended the parade with his wife and said he was immediately stunned seeing the float.
"It was dark. This has been escalated way beyond what it should be. Somebody in power had to say ‘hey, yeah, that's fine; That's okay.’"
Our NBC affiliate WPXI asked the mayor how the float was approved.
“How did this get approved? How did this make it through approval to get in the line to be in the parade and then continue on through the parade route?" - reporter
"That is a legitimate question, and I cannot answer that totally,” the mayor responded.
The mayor says that she is meeting with the borough manager and council president and might get the solicitor involved.
"After it's already done, I’m not sure that there's much we can do except for going forward."
WPXI also reached out to Bill Bretz, the Westmoreland County Republican Committee Chair.
His statement, in part, says, "we certainly don't condone the simulation of political imprisonment or violence in any context no matter the party affiliation of those involved."
"This needs to stop. In this country, this needs to stop,” Mayor Bailey added.
The parade is sponsored by the local volunteer fire department.
A Clark County, Ohio Sheriff Lieutenant said in a social media post that he will not protect any citizens who back Harris.
A patrol commander for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office was reprimanded for Facebook posts in which he said he would require proof of who a person voted for before providing aid and would not help Democrats.
Lt. John Rodgers, who was hired to the sheriff’s office in 2002, received a written reprimand for his conduct, which Chief Deputy Mike Young said does not represent the views of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
The posts, included in Rodgers’ personnel file, include one stating “At the end of the day I will require proof of who you voted for if you ask me for help. Weapons and ammo are not cheap” and another posted on Oct. 20 that said “I am sorry. If you support the Democrat party I will not help you.”
This is pretty wild.
Clark County (Springfield) Sheriff's Lieutenant John Rodgers has made multiple posts on Facebook claiming he will ask victims who they voted for before he renders aid and that he won't help Kamala Harris voters. pic.twitter.com/1J1iAkUzpk
Chief Deputy Young tied the issue to the ongoing strain in Springfield and Clark County over Haitian immigration.
“We’ve been in this battle over the last few months, with the attacks on the Haitian community and other immigrants, and we protect people’s rights and we don’t support the conduct to the contrary,” Young said. “I can’t go back in time and take that post away; the lieutenant made the post and he has received consequences for that.”
In a letter to Major Scott Cultice in Rodgers’ personnel file, Rodgers said he does not recall writing the posts and he was alerted to them when a coworker asked if he was OK. He wrote that he did not find them on his page when he searched for them and that the first time he saw them was during a meeting with Cultice.
It's almost over.
Rodgers said that he sometimes takes a prescribed sleep aid that can cause him to make “out of character” texts, phone calls or other forms of communication as a side effect.
“I was taken aback when I read those messages and do not have those, nor have I ever had feelings toward anyone like what was depicted in the posts,” Rodgers wrote. “I have served this community, this County and the State for the last 31 years serving as a firefighter, campus policy officer and a Sheriff’s Deputy. There is no other job that [I] would want to be doing than the one that [I] am currently at.”
Rodgers apologized for causing concerns and said he decided to cease taking the medication.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose had announced that Trump and Harris campaign attire will be allowed at polling stations. After a video went viral of a Clermont County man wearing a Make America Great Again hat being told by poll workers he couldn't enter until he took it off. The man got very agitated and it had a sheriff's deputy talk to him and he eventually took off the hat.
LaRose has released guidance to county elections officials statewide saying voters are permitted to wear clothing with slogans such as “Make America Great Again” or “We’re Not Going Back” to the polls without that being considered improper campaign attire.
Ohio law has long prohibited voters from wearing clothing or displaying material stumping for or against a candidate or issue in the “neutral zone” around a polling location marked by American flags. Voters have been asked to remove hats or turn their shirt inside out if it expressed support for a candidate on the ballot.
Guidance issued by the state this week says: “Slogans that can be associated with a political party, candidate or ballot question or issue, but do not display the name of the political party, candidate, or ballot question or issue are not prohibited.”
LaRose’s office says this guidance has been the same since LaRose took office, though some county elections officials and a document previously on the Secretary of State’s website ― which the secretary of state’s office says they didn’t create — have previously interpreted Ohio law to prohibit material that implies clear support for a candidate.
The most common example of this is the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, slogan used by supporters of former President Donald Trump and often emblazoned on bright red hats. Slogans used by the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris include “When we fight, we win” and “We’re Not Going Back.”
Back in 2016, I took a random trip to Niagara Falls. I went to New York and Ontario in Canada. I took the seven hour drive and spent three nights in Niagara Falls, New York. I went to the Rainbow Bridge and walked across the border.
I saw the falls from the New York side. More tourist visit the Falls at night because they have a light show and sometimes fireworks.
I went to Toronto, Canada's largest city and provincial capital of Ontario. It was a beautiful city.
The traffic on the 401 Freeway was terrible but the scenery was beautiful. The city sits on the banks of Lake Ontario and it was the last vacation I had taken.
An American woman intentionally threw her children and herself over Niagara Falls. The U.S. and Canadian authorities have presumed the woman and children are dead.
The New York State Police said the woman named Chianti Means was holding her 9 year old son and 5-month old daughter when she jumped the guardrail and took the plunge over the falls.
The 33-year-old mother climbed over a safety rail and intentionally went over Niagara Falls with her two children according to New York state police, who said Wednesday that search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful.
Authorities responded to the park around 9 p.m. Monday and determined the family went over the rail on Luna Island, a small island between the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls that, along with the Horseshoe Falls, make up the popular tourist draw.
“The investigation has determined that this incident was intentional in nature, though the circumstances remain under investigation,” state police said in a news release.
Means and her kids — 9-year-old Roman Rossman and baby Mecca Means — were residents of Niagara Falls.
Authorities are using unmanned aircraft and underwater units in the investigation.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.
You can get help if you, loved one or friend are dealing with drug abuse.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
Be warned there will be graphic video and images. Take discretion in viewing.
I normally do a long posting about the failures of Congress, President Joe Biden, former president Donald J. Trump, former president Barack Obama and former president George W. Bush.
I am just going to flat out say it:
These idiots can't stop gun violence or Israel.
Another mass shooting in the United States and the usual remarks from lawmakers is "thoughts and prayers" or "my heart goes out to."
In the case of how Trump puts it, "we've got to get over it."
I am paraphrasing Trump but that is the shallow theme of his horrible campaign.
Mass shootings so far:
New Haven, CT
Northglenn, CO
Wilmington, DE
Dade City, FL
Memphis, TN
Clarksdale, TN
Kalamazoo, MI
Redding, CA
Corpus Christi (2)
Union Springs, AL
Durham, NC
Fresno, CA
McKee's Rocks, PA
Waco, TX
Montgomery, AL
Fall City, WA
Jackson, TN
Baton Rouge, LA
Fort Wayne, IN
Albany, GA
Lexington, MS
Philadelphia, PA
Detroit, MI
Elberton, GA
East Cleveland, OH
Nashville, TN
Oklahoma City, OK (2)
Newberry, SC
Kansas City, MO
The last mass shooting that became a part of American history was the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. Then governor Rick Scott promised he will do something. Still waiting on that something.
Now Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Gov. Ron DeSantis, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the U.S. House members (including Orlando's district member, Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL)) will react to the latest mass shooting in the city.
Halloween mass shooting.
Two people are dead and seven others were injured after a shooting in downtown Orlando early Friday as thousands celebrated Halloween, police said.
Police arrested a 17-year-old on suspicion of carrying out the shooting. No motive has been established, and the identities of those killed and injured have not been released. Police said the victims ranged in age from 18 to 39, and the two people who were killed were 19 and 25.
Police said six of the injured were shot and a 26-year-old woman had injuries from being trampled as the crowd fled.
UPDATE in reference to this morning's shooting in downtown Orlando.
The suspect, Jaylen Dwayne Edgar (DOB: 09/17/2007), has been charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder with a Firearm and six counts of Attempted First Degree Murder with a Firearm. pic.twitter.com/a90VpsYxX5
As of 4:45 p.m., four remained hospitalized in stable condition and three people were discharged, Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center said.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said shots were fired just after 1 a.m. at Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue and more shots were fired nearby minutes later.
Police said the suspect, Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, was arrested and taken into custody. He was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.
He had previously been arrested on a grand theft charge in 2023, a crime that remains an active investigation.
A night of Halloween fun becomes a deadly moment.
Smith told reporters Friday afternoon that the suspect has not been cooperative with police. Investigators are working to learn how he obtained the gun.
Surveillance video released by Orlando police showed the suspect in a yellow shirt walking in the crowd. He appeared to raise his right hand and open fire. Crowds dispersed in all directions as gunfire rang out, according to the footage. The police video showed an officer knock down the suspect and three others ran to help arrest him.
Smith said Halloween is one of the city's busiest nights of the year, with crowds between 50,000 to 100,000 people. About 100 police officers were patrolling the area and tackled the shooter soon after the shots were fired, Smith said.
"The officers did a great job. They responded right when they heard the shooting, you know. So everybody else is running. They’re not, they’re sitting in position looking for a shooter. They found a shooter. They took him down," he said.
He said the suspect was determined to carry out the shooting and did not appear put off by the police presence.
"Whatever his mindset was, he was going to shoot no matter what. He walked by multiple officers ... He walked by at least 10 officers, walked directly by them," Smith said.
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain told reporters it is likely the suspect would be charged as an adult as the investigation progresses.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced a local state of emergency in Orlando’s downtown entertainment area and enacted a 1 a.m. curfew in the wake of the shooting. For the next seven days there will also be no alcohol sales after midnight.
Dyer said the city had safety measures in place in the downtown area including coordinated entry and weapon screening.
He said changes in the state’s concealed weapons laws have “made it even easier for people to carry guns and bring guns downtown.” Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation allowing residents to carry a concealed loaded weapon without a permit.
Be warned images are graphic.
“Honestly, I am frustrated to have to stand in front of you all and again, share the news that we have senselessly lost another life due to gun violence,” Dyer said.
Near the scene of the shooting Friday morning, downtown workers and pedestrians went about their days without much sign of the violence that occurred hours before. About 10 feet of yellow police tape hung between a parking meter and a nearby business.
Rocio Taylor, 70, who lives about three blocks from where the shooting occurred, said she doesn’t go out past 7 p.m. on the weekends because the bar-and-club scene is too rowdy. She also mentioned the area often hosts festivals and draws a young crowd. Taylor, who works at a wedding dress shop, said she would like to see a bigger police presence.
“It’s Halloween,” she said. “They drink too much alcohol. They go to nightclubs. They’re out of control.”
Orlando Police quickly caught the shooter.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The suspect will be charged as an adult and will face a LIFE in the iron college without a graduation if convicted.
So I just want to say that the Second Amendment is White, period.
A bullet does not care about color. We all bleed red and so many lives are lost to gun violence and Republicans offer no solutions other than "thoughts and prayers" with a touch of "lock em up."
Gun violence is the number one threat in the United States.
I dismiss this ridiculous notion that criminals are the problem, not the guns. Firearms are often obtained through legal purchases.
Again, having more security, teachers being armed and offering safe rooms are not solving the problem. The problem is lawmakers not willing to stop gun violence.
According to the far right: White shooters are mentally ill. Black shooters are unrepentant thugs and criminals. Gay shooters are active groomers. Muslim shooters are terrorists. Hispanic and Asian shooters are illegal immigrants. According to the far right, almost all white [or non-white] mass shooters are registered Democrats [or some progressive activist] because they have liked or done one thing common to the left. Of course, they often share or post disinformation by using the "Sam Hyde" meme or make bogus social media platforms with the shooter's image as a way to denounce most mass shooters being white or associated with conservative causes. The far right says a white person should "protect" themselves from thugs, terrorists or protesters. They believe the use of firearms are "justified" if they are protesting or even instigating a conflict. The far right believes if a shooter is a police officer, an active military member, a veteran or a citizen who supports conservative causes, they are considered a "heroes" and use of firearms are justified. If the shooters are teens in urban communities, the far right automatically assume the gunmen are Black.
The Republicans usually amplify white victims. Anytime a person of color kills a white victim, it is often wall-to-wall coverage on Fox, Twitter and they force it into national news. They make the case to blame Black Lives Matter, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Democrats, Rev. Al Sharpton and rap music for Black on whatever violence. Republican lawmakers who do not live in urban neighborhoods often troll social media to talk about gun violence or crime in Chicago, Baltimore, Milwaukee and New York City while not doing a damn thing to stop it. If a white person shoots a Black person, the shooter is given the benefit of doubt. White shooters are given glowing profiles about their perfect lives and how friends noticed something but refused to do something. When it comes to Black shooters, automatic vilification. They don't see mental illness. They see it as gang violence, allegedly fatherless homes, Democratic policies or the need for more firearms.
A 17 year old terrorist. The shooter is in custody.
The far right and Republicans exploit gun violence in the Black community for culture wars and racism.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.
The call number to the White House and U.S. Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official White House numbers 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414. This is the Congress official phone number, 202-224-3121. Please be respectful to operators, staff members and elected leaders. Your calls are monitored by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police.
Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence. Let them know that we are tired of police officers using immunity when committing death of suspects in custody. Let them know that you are tired of private equity firms getting away with destroying small businesses and long established companies. Let them know that you are tired of your taxpayer money going to foreign nations like Israel. You are tired of hearing about "Israel having a right to..." and the bogus claims of being anti-semitic or in support of terrorism.
We have bigger issues at home and our tax dollars should solve the housing crisis, lowering food prices, fixing roads, bridges, helping reinvest in struggling urban and rural communities. We have hospitals closing, big box retailers leaving communities and television programs dying. There are bigger issues in the country than Israel. You want an immediate ceasefire and accountability for war crimes done by Israel. You want no more foreign influence in American elections. You also want to make sure future presidents and lawmakers avoid influence from lobbyists.
Young Thug is out but on heavy restrictions. He can't be in Atlanta anymore for 10 years.
Jeffrey Williams decided to take a plea deal. The rapper known as Young Thug has decided to negotiate a deal that requires him to rat out his former allies in order to avoid a LIFE sentence in the iron college.
Winners or losers of 2024.
Fox Atlanta has detailed what his obligations are to stay out of the iron college.
The Brief
The Grammy-winning rapper pleaded guilty to several charges, including gang involvement and weapons and drug offenses, without a plea bargain after negotiations failed.
A 40-year sentence was given by the judge, with the first five years commuted to time served, followed by 15 years of probation; any breach could lead to a 20-year imprisonment.
Williams must avoid the Atlanta area for a decade but is required to make anti-violence presentations locally four times a year, contributing to his 100 hours of annual community service.
Young Thug is barred from gang association, except for select individuals with whom he has contractual obligations, and he cannot use gang signifiers; he can travel for work and must undergo random drug testing.
Despite his legal team's disagreement with the prosecution's use of his rap lyrics as evidence and assertion of his innocence, Williams expressed remorse in court, promising to use his influence positively.
He can rap but no more mentions of slime.
Young Thug must pay all child support to any women who legally claim a child with him.
The 33-year-old Grammy winning artist could not come to terms with prosecutors after negotiations between the two sides broke down, lead prosecutor Adriane Love said.
"Negotiations totally broke down with the district attorney's office. Horribly broke down," said Brian Steel, Young Thug’s lead attorney, after the hearing.
"We ultimately decided to put our faith in the court rather than in the folks on the other side of the aisle," said Keith Adams, Young Thug’s attorney.
That left the sentence completely up to the judge.
"A scary feeling for all involved. There's probably no feeling quite like that, other than sitting in a courtroom waiting for a jury to come out," said Steele.
Williams was charged with conspiracy to violate RICO, 2 counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, 3 counts of violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a machine gun. He pleaded guilty toguilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges, but also entered a no contest plea to another gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge, meaning that he decided not to contest those charges and accepts punishment for them.
The prosecution is asking for 45 years with 25 to serve in prison. The defense is asking for 45 years with 5 to serve in prison, commuted to time served and house arrest for the remainder, and 40 years on probation. The judge was hearing from Love and from defense attorney Brian Steel before making a sentencing decision.
Steel asked the judge to impose a sentence of 45 years with five in prison commuted to time served and 40 years on probation.
Ultimately, the judge sentenced him to 40 years with the first 5 to be served in prison, but commuted to time served. He will then serve 15 years on probation, with the first half requiring him to report to a probation officer. In addition, he faces 20 years in prison following probation if he is unsuccessful with his probation.
It was not what I wanted. I don't believe that it is just. But I believe that under these circumstances, it is justice for Jeffrey Williams. And he is delighted, as are we. I'm thankful," said Steele.
He must leave the metro Atlanta area 48 hours after he is released and must stay away for the first 10 years of his probation, except for weddings, funerals, graduations or serious illness of family members, the judge said.
She also ordered him to return to the Atlanta area four times a year during his probation to make a live anti-gang, anti-gun violence presentation at a school or a community organization serving children. She said that can count toward the 100 hours of community service she ordered him to perform each year during probation.
Love had outlined for the judge the evidence she would have presented to prove Young Thug's guilt, including some of his rap lyrics. She asked the judge to sentence him to 45 years, with 25 years in prison and the remaining 20 years on probation.
Steel said they "vehemently disagree" with many of the statements Love made and said it was "offensive" that the state is using Young Thug's lyrics against him.
Steel said the evidence against his client is weak and accused prosecutors of misrepresenting and hiding evidence, saying Young Thug was "falsely accused." Steel said he told his client that he thought they were winning the trial and should go through to a jury verdict.
"But he told me, ‘I can't wait another three months if there is any possibility I could go home because I have children that are hurting. I have things to do,'" Steel said.
Deputies took the rapper from the Fulton County Courthouse back to the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street. Just before 8:30 p.m. Thursday, William’s inmate status in the Fulton County Jail log indicated he was released.
"Both sides gave up something, some more than others. There's a lot of valuations that are really tough to understand. Unless you're sitting in the shoes of the state or of those defendants looking at the conditions, and what's on the table," said Joshua Schiffer, a legal expert and longtime lawyer.
A tremendously successful rapper, Young Thug started his own record label, Young Stoner Life or YSL. Prosecutors have said he also co-founded a violent criminal street gang and that YSL stands for Young Slime Life.
He was charged two years ago in a sprawling indictment accusing him and more than two dozen other people of conspiring to violate Georgia's anti-racketeering law. He also was charged with gang, drug and gun crimes.
Young Thug's plea comes nearly a year after the prosecution began presenting evidence in the problem-plagued trial. Jury selection at the courthouse in Atlanta began in January 2023 and took nearly 10 months. The trial of six defendants began with opening statements last November, and prosecutors since then have called dozens of witnesses.
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