Iowa Republican Senator: Urban Crimes Reminds Me Of Black Killing Blacks!

Republican senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa runs his mouth! He doesn't look at urban gun crime as a problem! 

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is a conservative Republican. He's not as nutty as his governor Republican Terry Branstad or Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa), but Grassley is one with them!

In Grassley's warped mind, the notion of bringing up gun control when incidents involving firearms reached an all time high this month alone is an assault on the Second Amendment.

Soledad O'Brien debates Grassley.

Tell me, Republicans how many of your freedoms were lost under President Barack Obama?

How many amendments are in the U.S. Constitution?

Grassley with a majority of Republicans are going against the president's proposals to stop gun violence.

An overwhelming majority of Americans would like to see strict background checks and ways to prevent those with mental issues to own firearms.

But that's tone deaf to the Republicans, the National Rifle Association and those in the conservative media.

The nation's oldest cable network CNN is going through a major shakeup! This will soon put Soledad O'Brien on the sidelines. With Jeff Zucker at the helm of CNN, the network will go through a major overhaul of reporters, media personalities and network programming.

In the meantime, Soledad continues to bring the facts to the table and have Republicans and their conservative allies screaming!

Soledad reads from the Centers for Disease Controls report that links youth culture and gun violence and the Iowa senator didn't want none of that.

Also in mention to Hadiya Pendleton's tragic murder this week, Soledad mentions the issue about gun violence in Chicago.

Grassley stated: “Well, I think that’s the place in our society where you would study the issue of black violence on blacks.”

Now again, we got to look at how WHITE CONSERVATIVE MEN think!

They think with this macho bravado of how the United States is always "leading the world!"

They consider themselves the vocal opposition to gun control, Obamacare, immigration, gay rights, urban revival, women's rights, and climate change. Things that paint them more like a bunch of idiots and bigots instead of serious people.

Most of these recent violent incidents happened because of *gasp* WHITE MEN!

They use this phony patriotism to harbor single minded issues like the unanimous support of Israel. They'll go totally batshit over a critic of the Jewish nation, but in turn attack the president! They never think that attacking President Barack Obama is anti-American. This constant hate of Blacks, Latinos and Muslims led to multiple incidents that involved young men and women being killed by WHITE CONSERVATIVE men.

This incident in Chicago as well as many urban communities across the nation are looked upon the conservative media as "failed Democrat policies and President Barack Obama's sons and daughters!"

Instead of pointing out the issues with gun violence they'll scapegoat this as "black on black violence" or the faults of the entertainment industry (i.e. video games, rap music and movies). Stuff they've seen on the late local news.

Sure enough if this incident made it to the suburban school, church or business, then you'll hear non-stop coverage on the major news networks with each political agitator pointing fingers at one another.

(NOTE: Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is retiring and it's going to be a competitive senate race in 2014).

Wrong Way Shoot 'Em Up!

Georgia man was shot and killed by the owner. Rodgrio Diaz turning into the shooter's driveway. The owner rushed up towards him and shot him. The shooter was released on bond. Tensions could ensue!

Shooting in the defense of property or a mistaken identity?

This is what suspected shooter 69-year old Phillip Sailors did to 22-year old Rodrigo Abad Diaz who pulled up into his driveway. The man was apparently on a failed GPS system made a turn into the driveway of Sailors and the man killed him after a brief confrontation.

What amazes me is that the Sailors didn't wait a second to shoot Rodrgio! Even though Rodrgio apologized and pulled away from the property.

The man thought he was being burglarized. Instead of calling the police, Sailors rushed for the firearm. NBC Latino reports that the shooting suspect release on bond could trigger racial tensions.

Since Rodrgio was driving around with his girlfriend and two friends when he pulled into a driveway, thinking they had arrived at another friend’s house, it was considered a mistaken identity! But instead he pulled into the driveway of Phillip Sailors, who thought his home was being robbed, his lawyer says.

Sailors then shot Diaz, according to the police report, citing what Sailors told officers at the scene. Diaz later died while in the intensive care unit.

“Basically, what happened is they were looking for one of my brother’s girlfriend’s friends,” says his brother David E. Diaz-Valencia, 23. “The guy came outside and my brother’s girlfriend said he was screaming, ‘Get off my property!’ and he shot into the air. My brother was backing out fast because he was scared and he rolled down the window to say he was sorry and he was not doing anything wrong. Then the guy shot him in his head.”

Phillip Sailors was arrested in a tragic shooting.

When officers arrived, Angie Rebolledo, Diaz’s girlfriend, had blood on her jeans, both arms and both hands as she was attempting to get a response from him and screamed frantically that her boyfriend had been shot, according to police.

Police arrested Sailors, of Lilburn, Georgia, who was booked into the Gwinnett County jail Sunday afternoon and charged with murder, according to the police report.

“At this point we have established probable cause to charge Mr. Sailors and when the investigation is complete, we will turn over the case file to the Gwinnett County District Attorneys Officer for processing,” Lilburn police Chief Bruce Hedley told NBC Latino. “To preserve the integrity of the case, I will not be releasing further information concerning this incident.”

Sailors’ lawyer says his client is a Vietnam veteran with no prior criminal history and thought he and his wife were about to be victims of a home invasion. “You have to understand this is a 69-year-old man who is a military veteran who has been honorably discharged,” Michael Puglise says. “He dedicated his life to community service, specifically the Christian Lay Ministry in Latin America.”

The bond decision was signed off on by Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter, who defended the bond and said he did not put any consideration into whether Sailors’ release could inflame tensions after Diaz’s death.

“The purpose of a bond is to prevent a defendant from committing another offense or to prevent him from fleeing,” he says. “This is a 69-year-old man with no prior criminal record and I don’t think he’s a flight risk.

We confiscated his firearms, he’s supposed to turn in any firearms, and I don’t think there’s a likelihood that he’s going to commit another crime so I don’t want to commit jail space housing him.”

Diaz-Valencia says the funeral mass will be at 8 p.m on Thursday.

“We appreciate all of the support,” he said, adding that he and his family were on their way to pick up his brother’s ashes.

Diaz’s family thanked the public for its support on the website for their company J & D Cargo Express, where it posted the funeral memorial prayer card for Thursday’s mass.

“We give thanks to God for every single day, minute and second that we spent together,” the prayer card reads in part. “Today we give him to God with the profound hope of being reunited one day in a better world, free of pain.”

“This has been so hard on the community,” brother Diaz-Valencia says. “But we appreciate all of the support. I know everyone is talking about gun control — I’m not against guns — but people have to know how to use them.”

The family takes some comfort in the fact that while Diaz is gone, he may still save the life of others.

All of his organs were donated before he was cremated.

We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences Rodrigo Abad Diaz.

Nothin' CHI: Teen Killed Performed At Obama Inauguration Event!

Tragic shootings happen often in Chicago. This month closes out with 42 murders. The most murders in less than one month. Rahm Emmanuel better do something about this or he'll lose his mayoral position.

One in particular touched the nation and the White House. A young teenager who was a honor student was killed near the president's neighborhood.

Hadiya Pendleton was 15 years old when she had an opportunity to shine in the world. She had the honor to be a performer in the school marching band at the president's inauguration. A week later, the young girl was shot in the back. She died of her injuries.

This shooting went viral. The conservative media was of course spinning their racist word salad about the Black on Black crime epidemic while also defending White men owning firearms.

The liberal media was also in the spin cycle saying that this incident, the shootings in Phoenix and Midland City, Alabama were signs of a growing epidemic of gun violence. Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a victim of a near fatal shooting and former gun rights advocate wants Congress to pass reasonable gun control measures. Wayne LaPierre and the National Rifle Association are tone deaf to even the possibility of gun control. They slam the gun control measures sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) as imperfect and not a way to solve violence in the country.

Full of life.

Hadiya's death also atones to a growing problem in Chicago, Illinois. Gang violence. They city is swamped with gangs and these individuals are committing an act of domestic terrorism. Last year the city closed out with over 500 murders, a record year after years of steady decline. The Chicago Tribune reports that at a White House press briefing Wednesday, Obama spokesman Jay Carney was asked about Hadiya's death. "It's a terrible tragedy any time a young person is struck down with so much of their life ahead of them, and we see it far too often," he said.

Hadiya's slaying also came up in an interview Obama did with Telemundo. The president was asked whether the example of Chicago, with strict gun control laws, gave credence to the National Rifle Association's position that more gun laws don't necessary mean less gun violence.

"Well, the problem is that a huge proportion of those guns come in from outside Chicago," Obama said. The president said it was true that creating a "bunch of pockets of gun laws" without a unified, integrated system of background checks makes it harder for a single community to protect itself from gun violence.

Police announced an $11,000 reward for information leading to the killer's capture and conviction during a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the North Kenwood park where Hadiya was shot.

"I want this closed now," said police Supt. Garry McCarthy, who was among the police chiefs in Washington on Monday to meet with Obama on gun control. "I don't want to wait."

Hadiya was the 42nd homicide victim this year in Chicago, where killings last year climbed above 500. Mayor Rahm Emanuel spoke with Hadiya's mother Wednesday morning and later, at an unrelated news conference, said the teenager represented "what is best in our city."

"A child going to school, who takes a final exam, who had just been to inaugural," said Emanuel, looking down at the podium for several seconds to collect himself before continuing. "And I think if anybody has any information, you are not a snitch, you're a citizen. You're a good citizen in good standing if you help."

Hadiya's father, Nathaniel Pendleton, pleaded for someone to step forward and bring the 15-year-old's killer to justice.

"She was destined for great things," he said.

Hadiya was a majorette with the band at King, one of the city's elite selective-enrollment schools. She dreamed of going to Northwestern University and talked about becoming a pharmacist or a journalist, maybe a lawyer.

She had just finished her final exams at King, where she was a sophomore, and was hanging out with friends from the school's volleyball team Tuesday afternoon in a park in the 4400 block of South Oakenwald Avenue. The group sought shelter from a rainstorm under a canopy at the park about 2:20 p.m. when a gunman jumped a fence, ran toward them and opened fire, police said.

As the teens scattered, Hadiya and two teenage boys were shot. Hadiya was hit in the back and pronounced dead at Comer Children's Hospital less than an hour after the shooting. The wounds suffered by the boys were not life-threatening.


McCarthy stressed that neither Hadiya nor anyone in the group she was with were involved with gangs. But it appears the gunman mistook the students for members of a rival gang, he said.

"This guy, whoever he was, the gunman … you took the light of my life," Hadiya's father said. "Just look at yourself and just know that you took a bright person, an innocent person, a non-violent person."

No bullet casings were found by investigators at the crime scene, leading them to believe that Hadiya may have been shot with a revolver, according to McCarthy. While it took a while to gather witnesses, McCarthy said police were making "a lot of progress."

At King on Wednesday, classmates created a memorial at Hadiya's locker with pictures, teddy bears and balloons, said Jayla Rufus, 16, a junior who also traveled to D.C. with the King band. "A lot of people are saying, 'Why Hadiya? Why did it have to be her?'" Rufus said.

During the band's three-day trip to Washington, the students visited the Washington Monument and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Rufus said. Hadiya and the majorettes performed with the band in the Presidential Inauguration Heritage Festival.

The school won multiple awards while at the competition, including a first place honor for the band's auxiliary team that included the majorettes, according to Benjamin Washington, the school's director of bands.

Washington said Hadiya was a dedicated and enthusiastic member of the squad. She competed with nearly 100 students during her freshman year to land one of 12 spots.

"She was one of our bright, shining stars," Washington said. "She had a very outgoing personality, always eager to perform."

King's principal, Shontae Higginbottom, said Hadiya was "a wonderful student."

"She was well-loved by her friends, well-adored by her teachers," Higginbottom said. "We are going to miss her. Our hearts are so heavy."

Relatives of the girl said she was in an anti-gang violence video while she was attending the Carter G. Woodson Elementary School.

 "So many children are out there in gangs and it is your job as students to say no to gangs and yes to a great future," Hadiya says in the 54-second clip.

At Hadiya's Bronzeville home Wednesday, family and friends gathered to grieve and share stories about the boisterous teen they said had a quirky sense of humor.

Hadiya's little brother, Nathaniel Pendleton Jr., 10, recalled how his big sister would often greet him with a few gentle slaps on his cheeks whenever she came home from school.

"She said it was with love," he said.

"It's very painful to see your big sister get slaughtered," the soft-spoken boy said, tearing up as he went through photos of Hadiya on his phone.

Hadiya's aunt, Kimiko Pettis, laughed when talking about her niece, recalling how on Tuesday, the day she was shot, the teen put on makeup and what she declared was a "fabulous outfit" before school.

"She popped out of the bathroom saying, 'I'm ready!'" Pettis said, demonstrating how Hadiya threw her arms in air.

Pettis said her niece loved bands like Coldplay and Maroon 5. "You could not find any urban music on her phone," Pettis said with a laugh.

Because Hadiya was interested in so many things, her family said they were encouraging her to pursue a possible double major when she went to college.

"There were a lot of good opportunities that were coming her way. She was just taking them all," said LaKeisha Stewart, 37, Hadiya's godmother. "She was the kid who you had to say, 'Slow down, you can't do everything.'"

While in Washington for the inauguration, Hadiya sent her godparents a text and a photo of her and her teammates in the capital, Stewart said.

In the photo, Hadiya stands tall in her majorette's uniform, hands at her hips, face lifted in a wide smile.

The Chicago Tribune reporters Katherine Skiba, Christi Parsons, John Byrne, Carlos Sadovi and Cynthia Dizikes contributed to this story.

The problem continues and yet we allow it. The nation should do something about gun violence. With the president being reelected, many conservative White males are grabbing guns up! They are embolden by the angry voices of the NRA, talk radio, Fox News, the blogs. These individuals think they'll lose their Second Amendment rights by a semi-automatic gun ban. These individuals are the reasons for mental health checks.

Practically anyone who joins a gang has a group think mentality to be loved or wanted. That's a mental issue as well. I mean how many young teenagers wanted to be a part of something?

These children are inspired by video games, hip-hop music, rock music, magazines, talk radio and may have family members who own firearms. It's among the things that could inspire violence.

While the NRA is quick to blame the entertainment industry, they're not blameless. Over 1,000 shootings happen in the weeks after their press conference. There's a "survivalist" holding a child hostage as of today!

They've allowed Ted Nugent to say offensive themes about the president. They've released an online shooting game. The NRA have ran a political ad that slams the president and it went after his children Malia and Sasha. Last month's press conference held by Wayne LaPierre and David Keene didn't change the subject. It only made it worse.

Conservative agitators rush to defend the NRA. The conservative agitators want this issue to become another political landmine for the potential to help Republicans take back the U.S. Senate. The president has warned that if nothing is done, more lives may be lost. And the next story that's going to be covered will deal with the Midland City, Alabama incident.

I've said it many times and I stand by what I said!

GUN RIGHTS FOR WHITE MALES! GUN CONTROL FOR BLACKS, LATINOS AND MUSLIMS!

Whenever a tragedy happens in the suburbs, many Americans want serious talk about gun control. But in our urban areas, it's just another topic on the late local news.

Every live is valued. Whether it's our friend or enemy. We must figure out how to bring together reasonable ideas to resolve conflict.

I own a firearm and I at least know that I'm not going to use for the purposes of crime.

We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of Hadiya Pendleton.

NFL Player Pisses Off The LGBT Community!

I only do the ladies! - Chris Culliver.
The NFL corner back comes under fire when he spoke out against gay players in the NFL. The player apologized for his comments.

The NFC champions the San Francisco 49ers are going through a damage control by one of its players.

San Francisco is the hub of LGBT activism. The city represents the nation's growing Asian population and is the largest city with members of the LGBT community.

The 49ers play against AFC champions Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII at New Orleans Mercedez-Benz Superdome. The SuperBowl is one of the world's largest television events. Over 180 million people will watch the Super Bowl on CBS this Sunday.

Chris Culliver has put his team in a negative light! He was interviewed on sports radio and made the statement that "gays aren't welcomed to the [NFL]!"

Culliver, in a radio interview with Artie Lange, said he has no desire to have a gay teammate. In a Super Bowl week that has been dominated for the first time by stories about deer-antler spray, Culliver became the first player in Super Bowl history to use the forum to make anti-gay comments.

“I don’t do the guys. I don’t do that,” Culliver said. “We don’t have any gays on the team. They gotta get up outta here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff.”

Culliver’s comments were made Tuesday and began circulating Wednesday. That prompted the 49ers to issue a statement distancing themselves from Culliver.

“The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made (Tuesday), and have addressed the matter with Chris,” the statement said. “There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.”

Culliver, a third-round pick in 2011 from South Carolina, said if a player is gay, he should not go public with it. “Yeah, come out 10 years later after that,” he said.

No active NFL player has ever come out and said he was gay, likely fearing the backlash from teammates in the locker room. Culliver’s small-minded approach won’t go over well in San Francisco, which has a large gay community.

Later Wednesday after the comments circulated, Culliver offered a bizarre, half-hearted apology distributed by the 49ers.

“The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel,” Culliver said in the statement. “It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience.”

This controversy spins into the LGBT being outraged over the death of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University student who jumped off the George Washington Bridge.

Clementi was secretly filmed having sex with another man by roommate Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei. Ravi broadcast the encounter on the internet. It drove Clementi to killing himself.

Now the LGBT community is fighting against bigotry. Last year they've taken on former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, Chick-Fil-A, outed Arizona sheriff Paul Babeu and other bigots.

Although it's becoming more acceptable for those in the LGBT community some in the Black community are more conservative on gay rights. Hip-Hop music, Black athletes and even some Black politicians still have trouble accepting same sex couples. However there's cracks in the bubble. President Barack Obama came in defense of gay marriage last year. Blacks slightly oppose gay marriage.

I support equal rights for all Americans, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered.

I tolerate all races, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, economic and sometimes political standings.

The reason for sometimes political standings is mainly because I've gotten tired of conservatives masquerading patriotism under the guise of bigotry and hate.

MA Gov. Deval Patrick Picks Mo Cowan To Replace John Kerry!

Senator Mo Cowan (D-Massachusetts)

There will be two Black members of the United States Senate.

The confirmation of John Kerry as Secretary of State leaves a U.S. Senate without a member.

Massachusetts governor Deval Partick, names a replacement. The governor picked his chief of staff, William "Mo" Cowan to replace Kerry until a special election is held. The last Black senator who represented Massachusetts was Edward Brooke, a Black Republican.

This will give the U.S. Senate two Black senators. A first in history that there's more than one Black member of the U.S. Senate. He is 43 years old and resides in Stoughton, Massachusetts with his wife and has two sons.

Neither Scott or Cowan were elected to serve. The last Black senator elected to office was Barack Obama who later would become the current President Of The United States. The Illinois governor at the time Rod Blagojevich selected former attorney general Roland Burris as his replacement. Burris retired from the senate and the seat went to Mark Kirk, an Illinois U.S. Representative.

Last year, Jim DeMint resigned two years into his term to be the president of The Heritage Foundation and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley selected Tim Scott, a U.S. Representative to replace him. Scott was sworn in this month. He is the only Black Republican. For at least four weeks, Scott was the only Black senator.

Upon being sworn in, Cowan will become the eighth African-American United States Senator and the second from Massachusetts after Edward Brooke. He will also be one of two African-American Senators in the 113th Congress, along with Republican South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

Current members of the 113th Congress who were sworn in as replacements included:

Senator Dean Heller (R-Nevada)
Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colorado)
Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-New York)
Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (I/R-Alaska)
Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey)
Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi)

Deval Patrick the first Black governor of Massachusetts had picked replacement members of the U.S. Senate. When liberal icon Ted Kennedy passed away, the governor selected Paul Kirk as the replacement.

Republican Scott Brown a state senator from Massachusetts who allied by the Tea Party won the seat and continued the remaining term. He was defeated by consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren.

Brown is signalling that he may run again!

Scott is also signalling he'll run in the U.S. Midterms through a special election in 2014. Scott and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) will be up in a likely hold for Republicans.

The Huffington Post reports that Cowan will continue the legacy of Massachusetts longest serving senator.

He said there would be "no daylight" between him and Kerry on policy. When asked about the looming sequester, he said the "best-case scenario" was a "balanced approach" of spending cuts and tax increases. "I don't think anyone believes it's in the best interest to do straight across-the-board cuts," he said.

Patrick has consistently said that the pick to succeed Kerry should not run in the general election slated for June 25. Cowan embraced the temporary appointment Wednesday, repeating over and over that his stint would be short. Asked about his political future, he said, "I am not running for office; I am not a candidate in the future."

The late Senator Ted Kennedy requested in a letter written before his death that the interim pick to replace him not run in the general election, a principle that Patrick honored after Kennedy died by picking Kennedy's longtime chief of staff, Paul Kirk.

Former Representative Barney Frank was the only person to publicly campaign for the interim appointment, announcing his desire to fill the seat on MSNBC and doing subsequent interviews about it. Frank endorsed Representative Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) as the preferred candidate for the U.S. Midterm elections.

Frank praised Cowan in a brief statement Wednesday. "I know Mr. Cowan is committed to working hard and in a socially fair and economically efficient manner toward solving pending budget issues," he said. “I now look forward to working for the election of Ed Markey to continue this work, and to providing President Obama the support he deserves in carrying out the mandate he received in November." A Frank representative did not respond to interview requests from The Huffington Post.

The only announced candidate for the general election is Markey, who has received a flood of endorsements from Democrats -- including Kerry -- and has a $3.1 million war chest. Representative Stephen Lynch (D-Massachusetts) is expected to announce his bid Thursday for the seat. Lynch holds more conservative positions than Markey; he opposes abortion rights and voted against President Barack Obama's health care law.

If Cowan changes his mind and decides he'll seek a full term as a senator, he will compete in a three way Democratic race for the primary nomination against both Massachusetts Democratic Representatives Markey and Lynch.

Bullets Fly At Rozay!

Rick Ross and Lil' Wayne. Rick Ross was in Florida when a gunman shot at his vehicle. The rapper survives. The rapper is working on protecting his family from threats from The Gangster Disciples, a violent street gang that commits acts of domestic terrorism.

The Maybach Music Mafia boss was shot at and nearly killed.

I guess he's no longer a phony "gangsta rapper!"

Seriously, gun violence is on the rise and even in entertainment, rappers aren't immune to the violence.

Rick Ross appears under Def Jam Records. He is affiliated with Maybach Music Group and Slip-N-Slide Records. His real name is William Leonard Roberts, Jr.  He also uses the Teflon Don and Rozay moniker. 

Last year the rapper pissed off the Gangster Disciples. There is a target hit for the rapper. Rick Ross is now looking to keep him and his family safe. He's hiring security to protect him and his family.

CNN reports that "Teflon Don" rapper Rick Ross crashed his silver Rolls Royce into an apartment building after he heard gunfire along a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, street Monday morning, police said.

"The driver of the Rolls Royce attempted to drive away from the direction of the shots being fired and lost control of the vehicle, striking a nearby apartment building," Fort Lauderdale Police Detective DeAnna Garcia said.

Ross and a female passenger were not hurt by the wreck or the gunshots, Garcia said.

"The suspects fled from the area prior to police arrival," she said.

The incident, however, called attention to threats against the artist's life made in a street gang's videos and posted online in recent months.

"We're pulling up on you," a man who identified himself as a member of the Gangster Disciples warned in one of the videos. "Whatever city, whatever state, the pressure on."

Several videos purporting to be from Gangster Disciple members in several states -- including Georgia, North Carolina and Florida -- appeared on YouTube late last year demanding that Ross pay a fee to them for his use of the Star of David, which they claim as a gang symbol, and a reference to one of their founders in his music and marketing.

"You got to cut the check," one video said. "Tell your boss man he got to get that check, or all you in trouble."

"We need that cash right now," another said.

Ross, 37, whose albums include "Teflon Don" in 2010 and "Deeper Than Rap" a year earlier, told south Florida radio station 99 Jamz last month that he was not intimidated by the threats.

"Ain't never no checks getting cut," he said. "I don't play those games. I consider that extortion."

Is Nas hip-hop's finest MC?

Ross did cancel his North Carolina shows last month just days after a video appeared online threatening his life if he performed there.

"Never was it due to any threats," he told the radio station. Instead, he canceled because "the promoter wasn't really handling his business."

Ross wanted to make certain that listeners understood he was not frightened. "Don't ever get it twisted, Ricky Ross is the boss," he said.

The death threats are not the only challenge to Ross. A former drug lord and gang leader is suing in a Los Angeles court, accusing him of stealing his name and reputation.

"The reality is I want justice done," the original Ross wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "I know that he took his name and image from my life and believe he is unfairly profiting off my story."

Ricky "Freeway" Ross was serving a prison sentence a decade ago when rapper William Roberts, who previously worked as a Florida correctional officer, adopted "Rick Ross" as his stage name, according to the lawsuit.

"This rapper and his labels clearly knew of my name and story, and have tried to suck out the lifeblood without license," the former drug lord said. "I have my own use for my intellectual property and did not need this confusion created."

More recently, the rapper has been using the name "Ricky Rozay."

The rapper and his record label have not responded to CNN's request for comment.

Despite the death threats and legal issues, his music is doing well. Ross is nominated for a best rap album Grammy for his latest release, "God Forgives, I Don't."

The rapper's antics have consequences. Last year he got into it with Young Jeezy at the BET Awards. 

Rap music is under fire post Sandy Hook. Rappers like Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, Lil' Wayne, Game, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and 50 Cent are usually under fire for embracing the gun culture. 

CNN Cleans House!

Jeff Zucker is cleaning house over at CNN headquarters. The nation's first cable news network is trailing behind the partisan rancor of MSNBC and Fox News.

It's up to Zucker to save the network from demise.

American cable news has gotten too controversial. If you're not shouting at one another or making an enemy out of the opposition, you're not getting the ratings.

Soledad O'Brien loses her morning spot. Erin Burnett will take the helm of the morning.

Jeff Zucker brought on Jake Tapper and Chris Coumo. They both bounced off ABC to join CNN.

Jeff Zucker is cleaning house.

The married political couple Mary Matalin and James Carville are sent their walking papers. They've been longtime fixtures since the days of CNN's old show Crossfire.

Conservative blogger and founder of RedState Erick Erickson is gone. He's has no immediate plans to run for the seat of retiring Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia). He may join Fox News.

The old fixtures Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Howard Kurtz and Candy Crowley are still up in the air.

The Daily Beast reports the huge shakeup.

Zucker launched his makeover Tuesday by announcing the imminent arrival of ABC News anchor Chris Cuomo to take over the troubled 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. slot currently occupied by Soledad O’Brien. According to network sources, Cuomo, who was said to be unhappy at ABC’s 20/20 since being passed over in 2009 for the top job at Good Morning America, will be joined in the morning by the current anchor of CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront, leaving a hole for Zucker to fill at 7 p.m.

CNN veteran O’Brien’s fate is up in the air, though it’s probable she’ll receive a plum assignment. “Soledad is very important to the network and we are discussing various options with her,” a CNN spokeswoman said in a terse statement.

That sort of decisive leadership is exactly what Zucker was hired to bring by Time Warner chief executive Jeffrey Bewkes, who lured the former chairman of NBC Universal from his perch running Katie Couric’s syndicated daytime show.

The 47-year-old Zucker started his first official day of work at CNN Jan. 21 by kibitzing in the Washington control room of the outlet’s live presidential inaugural coverage. He was, by most accounts, on his best behavior, mostly observing instead of ordering camera shots punctuated by shouted obscenities—his M.O. two decades ago when he was the precocious, wildly successful executive producer of NBC’s Today program.

Gone from the network they've called home, Republican Mary Matalin and Democrat James Carville. They've been a married political couple and two longtime fixtures on CNN.

The previous week at a town meeting in New York for 600 CNN employees, Zucker made it clear that one of his top priorities would be trying to fix the cable outlet’s troubled morning program, and Tuesday, he was as good as his word. Among other programming changes, former ABC White House correspondent Jake Tapper is expected to anchor the 4 p.m. slot, appropriating an hour from The Situation Room's Wolf Blitzer, and former ESPN personality Rachel Nichols will preside over a weekend sports show.

Meanwhile, attendees of Tuesday’s regular 10 a.m. news meeting on the fifth floor of the Time Warner Center found the bald-pated Zucker sitting in the captain’s chair normally occupied by CNN Managing Editor Mark Whitaker, who’d announced his resignation a couple of hours earlier.

Soledad O'Brien loses morning show.

“We have a new leader with his own forceful ideas about where to take CNN’s reporting, programming, and brand,” Whitaker wrote in a lengthy memo explaining his departure, which he and Zucker have been discussing for the past few weeks. “For him to succeed, I believe he deserves his own team and management structure and the freedom to communicate one clear vision to the staff.”

Whitaker, a former editor of Newsweek, had been part of a management triumvirate that included CNN/US President Ken Jautz, based in New York and in charge of programming, and CNN International’s Atlanta-based vice president Tony Maddox, who runs news operations. The arrangement, by many accounts, fostered conflict and confusion, with no clear lines of authority—a problem immediately solved by Zucker’s decision to run the 10 a.m. meeting for the foreseeable future. More executive departures and arrivals are in the offing, CNN insiders predicted, and Zucker will likely recruit such longtime loyalists as Michael Bass, a member of Team Zucker at NBC and currently co-executive producer of Katie.

Meanwhile, CNN’s relationship with political contributor Erick Erickson, the major domo of the right wing Red State blog, has also ended; he's jumping to Fox News. Zucker also said goodbye after 11 years to James Carville and Mary Matalin.

“It makes perfect sense to me,” said Carville, who, in a friendly phone conversation 10 days ago with Zucker, was told that CNN’s pundits will be on-camera in studios in Washington and New York instead of from remote locations like Carville and Matalin’s  New Orleans. “It’s kind of the Fox Five model," Carville said, noting that he is plenty busy with speeches and international and corporate consulting. "I’m not surprised he wants to bring in his own people. I think he has every right to.”

Some years ago, Jeff Zucker became a controversial figure in the comedy feud between Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno. When Jay Leno "retired" from The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien became the new host. But when ratings started to sink, Zucker demanded that Jay Leno to return back to the show. That caused a major feud between O'Brien and Leno. The Tonight Show went back to Leno and O'Brien went to TBS to host his show on weeknights.

O'Brien got the support of David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel. Letterman and Kimmel continue a longstanding feud with Leno. It spawns back to when Johnny Carson retirement and NBC pushing Leno over Letterman. Letterman was hoping he'll host The Tonight Show but was passed over. Letterman left for CBS to host The Late Show. Jimmy Kimmel went on to host his show around the time at 11:35pm to compete with Letterman and Leno after his ratings improved.