Why The 'Race Card' Is Played

In His Eulogy, Obama Said That John McCain Made Him a "Better President" Barack Obama delivered a eulogy for John McCain on Saturday morning at the National Cathedral, in which he put into sharp relief the importance of bipartisanship—a theme that ran throughout the memorial service. Speaking before assembled array of political leaders, Obama said that McCain made him and fellow former McCain rival George W. Bush "better presidents, just as he made the Senate better, just as he made the country better."  Before his death from brain cancer last Saturday, Senator McCain carefully planned his memorial service, selecting Obama and fellow former president George W. Bush to be speakers and pointedly excluding sitting president Donald Trump from the proceedings. Like Obama, Bush bested McCain in an election, the 2000 Republican primary.  In his eulogy, Obama admitted to “a certain surprise” at being asked to speak at McCain’s memorial. The selection of his opponents ...

Bank of America freezing accounts of suspected undocumented immigrants Bank of America is facing scrutiny amid reports they have been freezing the bank accounts of customers suspected of not being legal U.S. citizens. The Miami Herald on Thursday published a report featuring numerous profiles from Bank of America customers who have alleged the bank either froze or threatened to freeze their accounts due to citizenship questions. Saeed Moshfegh, an Iranian doctoral student at the University of Miami, told the Herald he was denied access to his bank account after his local branch told him it could not accept the documentation that showed his current status as a student. "This bank doesn't know how the immigration system works, so they didn't accept my document," the 36-year-old told the Herald. "It's not the business of Bank of America to shut down someone's account," he added. "Immigration officers are different from Bank of America ...

Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid receive standing ovation at U.S. Open A day after the NFL‘s request to throw out Colin Kaepernick‘s claims that owners conspired to keep him out of the league was denied, the former 49ers quarterback and ex-teammate Eric Reid received huge ovations from the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium during Serena Williams’ 6-1, 6-2 win over her sister Venus at the U.S. Open. Kaepernick has become the face of the new civil rights movement ever since he began protesting police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem to draw attention to the oppression of people of color in the U.S. “I think every athlete, every human, and definitely every African American should be completely grateful and honored how Colin and Eric are doing so much more for the greater good, so to say,” Serena said after her match Friday night. “They really use their platform in ways that is really unfathomable.” She added: “I feel like they obviously have great respect from a lot of...

Man admits to burning black man alive in a letter to white supremacists  Tennessee authorities already had John Carothers in custody and charged him with murder for reportedly burning a black man alive. They also knew he had previously been convicted of one murder and pleaded guilty to lesser charges in another, but investigators still couldn’t figure out why Carothers allegedly committed the crime. According to News Channel 5, it was only when Rutherford County, Tenn., deputies intercepted a letter from Carothers to a white supremacist group that they discovered the reason for Carothers’ heinous act: Carothers was a racist. "My brothers in Jesus Christ our savior and Lord,” the letter begins, written in the barely legible chicken scratch preferred by white supremacists everywhere. Carothers continued: “My name is John Carothers and I believe the bible is about white people and for white people. I am in the Rutherford County Jail for burning a black man. I set him on fi...

Colin Kaepernick Is Not Going Away Proving that a team or a league colluded to keep a player off the field has been difficult over the years.  “Smoking gun” documents that show owners acted in a coordinated way are rare. Aggrieved players have a hard time proving teams deliberately passed them over in favor of less talented alternatives because teams hire and fire players for subjective reasons all the time, and are well within their rights to do so.  Then there is the case against the N.F.L. brought by Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who has accused the league’s owners of snubbing him because of his decision to protest by kneeling during the national anthem.  A case that was originally about Kaepernick’s skills has turned into something much larger: a referendum on his politics, free speech and even his legacy. N.F.L. teams have signed players who have beaten their spouses and run operations that killed dogs for sport, but protesting du...

Puerto Rico increases Hurricane Maria death toll to 2,975 Officials in Puerto Rico now say 2,975 people died following Hurricane Maria - a devastating storm that struck the US island territory in September 2017.  The revised death toll is nearly 50 times the previous estimate of 64.  Governor Ricardo Rossello "accepted" the findings in a long-awaited independent investigation.  The mayor of the capital, San Juan, accused the US government of deliberately downplaying the impact of the storm.  Puerto Rico has struggled to repair its infrastructure and power grid since the storm, and is asking US Congress for $139bn (£108bn) in recovery funds.  "I'm giving an order to update the official number of deaths to 2,975," Governor Ricardo Rossello told reporters on Tuesday. "Although this is an estimate, it has a scientific basis."  In a statement, the White House said the federal government supported the governor's efforts to "ensure a full accoun...

Andrew Gillum scores stunning victory in Democratic nomination for Florida governor TALLAHASSEE — Democrat Andrew Gillum rode a surge of liberal support from young people and African-Americans to a stunning primary victory Tuesday and the historic opportunity to be the first black governor in Florida's history.  With 94 percent of the votes counted, Gillum had an unofficial 3-point lead over his closest rival, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham. Gillum overwhelmed Graham in Miami-Dade and Broward, the state's two largest Democratic counties, by more than a 2-to-1 margin, in the highest turnout for a midterm primary election in Florida history.  "I am overwhelmed," Gillum told a cheering crowd of supporters at a victory party at Hotel Duval in downtown Tallahassee. "I want you to know that this thing is not about me. This race is about every single one of us. Those of us inside this room. Those outside of this room. Those who voted for me. Those who didn't vote...

Colin Kaepernick wins first head to head battle against the NFL In what is the most tangible victory thus far for Colin Kaepernick and his legal team, the arbitrator overseeing his collusion case has denied the NFL’s dismissal attempt. The decision comes in the wake of a summary judgement hearing in which the NFL argued Kaepernick’s attorneys did not have the evidence to meet an appropriate standard proving a collusive effort to keep the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback out of the league. A trial date for the collusion case is expected to be set before the end of the 2018 calendar – but not before the issue of additional discovery is decided. If Burbank reopens discovery for Kaepernick’s legal team, that would mean another round of evidence gathering and also likely entail additional depositions of team owners. The key component of this: The fact that the NFL passed and then froze a rule that would allow teams to discipline players for conduct during the national anthe...

Trump-loving GOP official in Pennsylvania raged against black NFL ‘baboons’ and told them to go back to Africa The GOP secretary of the Republican Committee of Beaver County, Pennsylvania called NFL players baboons for protesting the national anthem and suggested they go back to Africa. She also whined about reverse racism, reports the Times online, and predicted an impending Civil War. Carla Maloney posted the comments to Facebook in 2017. “Tired of these over paid ignorant blacks telling me what I should believe in. I will tell you what I believe in and that is our Flag the National Anthem and America period end of story,” she wrote. “You don’t like it here go to Africa see how you like it there. We are all Americans not African American not Hispanic American. WE ARE ALL AMERICAN.” She went on to call the players animals. “Steelers are now just as bad as the rest of the over paid baboons. You respect your flag, country and our national anthem. How many men and women have...

Marines Corps seeks to root out white supremacists and racial extremists in its ranks The United States Marine Corps has taken steps to combat racial extremists in its ranks, issuing an updated order emphasizing that participation in white supremacist and other groups is prohibited and encouraging service members to report fellow Marines involved with such groups. The actions come after an active-duty Marine was documented taking part in last year’s deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and two others were arrested after hanging a racist banner off a building in North Carolina. “The order reaffirms the Marine Corps’ commitment to maintaining a culture of dignity, respect and trust in which all members of the organization are afforded equal opportunity to achieve their full potential based solely upon individual merit, fitness, intellect and ability,” Maj. Brian Block, a Marine spokesman, said. A ProPublica and Frontline investigation this year revealed...

Officer Van Dyke speaks out for the first time since shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times In his first interview in the nearly four years since the shooting, Van Dyke spoke with the Tribune for about 40 minutes Tuesday at his lawyer’s downtown offices. Occasionally looking at handwritten notes, he would not discuss the shooting or its aftermath. Instead, he brought copies of his commendations, suggested he was a political scapegoat and decried “the bandwagon of hatred” on social media. With jury selection set to begin next week, he acknowledged a pressing desire to challenge the image many paint of him as a racist, trigger-happy cop who was indifferent to taking the life of a troubled 17-year-old. “I pray every day” for McDonald’s family, said Van Dyke, who is Catholic. “I offer up a rosary every day.” Van Dyke appeared uncomfortable in the spotlight, often pausing for long periods and struggling for his words in an interview that was tightly controlled by his attorneys an...

Jordan Edwards’ family calls ex-cop’s 15-year sentence too short By RYAN TARINELLI, Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — A Texas jury gave a white former police officer too lenient of a punishment when sentencing him to 15 years for the shootingdeath of an unarmed black teenager who was in a car leaving a house party, the victim’s family members said. Roy Oliver fired into the car filled with teens the night of the April 2017 party in suburban Dallas, killing 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. “He can actually see life again after 15 years and that’s not enough because Jordan can’t see life again,” Edwards’ stepmother, Charmaine Edwards, said of Oliver after he was sentenced Wednesday night. She praised the work of prosecutors as well as the jury’s decision to convict Oliver of murder on Tuesday. But she wanted that same jury to send Oliver to prison for a longer period. Daryl Washington, an attorney for Edwards’ father, said the sentence could have been longer but still sends a messa...

University of Arizona football player dismissed over racist video calling Black teammates ‘monkeys’ A University of Arizona linebacker was caught on video launching into a racist tirade calling his former Black Texas A&M teammates “monkeys.” That nasty comment got the football player Santino Marchiol dismissed from the team and launched a bigger investigation by the NCAA after Marchiol alleged he was involved in back door cash deals to recruit players for his former school. On Monday, University of Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin announced that he viewed a video where Marchiol made the offensive remark, on Marchiol’s Hudl account, a Web site where film and other analytics are stored, USA Today reports.  Texas A&M fans circulated the video widely on social media.  In the video Marchiol and a woman are watching film of him. The woman asks, “Who’s 26, carrying the ball?” A male voice, assumed to be Marchiol, responds “Yeah, one of those monkeys.”  In another clip, th...

Maryland Officer Referred to 'Black Bad Guy' in K-9 Lesson for Kids The chief of the Prince George's County Police Department apologized to residents on Monday after he says an officer misspoke and made "an unfortunate remark" on video. The officer, who Chief Hank Stawinski did not name, referred to "a black bad guy" while teaching a group of young children how K-9s help officers find suspects, video shows. "He knows from his training that he sits down when he finds something, when the handler tells him, that has human odor on it. So, for instance, if a black bad guy is running and he drops a cellphone, or he drops this piece of leather that may have evidence or DNA on it," an officer, who is white, said before the video cut out. The video was a Facebook Live published on the police department's own page on Friday. It did not appear on the page on Tuesday. In a video the police department released Monday, Stawinski said the off...

John McCain presidential campaign video defending opponent Barack Obama goes viral With the news of Senator John McCain's passing, many are looking back at his biggest political moments and his influence. One of those moments, an event during the 2008 presidential election, is going viral this weekend. RELATED: 10 big political moments in McCain's life In the video, McCain defends his opponent Barack Obama when audience members expressed worries about him. One audience member tells McCain, "frankly, we're scared" about the possibility of Obama as president. McCain responds with, "I have to tell you…he is a decent person and a person you do not have to be scared as president of the United States,” followed by boos from the crowd. Another woman told McCain of her worries about Obama partly because he is “an Arab.” To that comment, McCain quickly responded with “No, ma’am. He’s a decent family man...citizen…that I just happen to have disagreeme...

Police officer who fatally shot 15-year old Jordan Edwards found GUILTY. A Dallas County jury has found ex-Balch Springs police officer  Roy Oliver  guilty of  murder  in the  shooting  death of 15-year-old  Jordan Edwards  who was fatally wounded while trying to leave a house party with his brothers in Balch Springs, Texas last year. As the jury handed in its verdict, a photo of the young teen rested underneath Judge  Brandon Birmingham ’s bench—where it was left during the weeklong trial,  according to the Star-Telegram . News of the guilty verdict spread quickly on social media with users praising the outcome that happened to fall on the anniversary of the 1955 murder of  Emmett Till . The Edwards family reaction was also shared online by WFAA reporter  Rebecca Lopez : “Jordan Edward’s Family very emotional in courtroom saying “Thank You Jesus.” Lopez reports that Oliver was found not guilty of the aggr...

Michigan piercing shop owner forced out of business after customers recoil from his ‘white heritage’ rants A Michigan business owner decided he would rather post politically and racially charged videos on YouTube than continue operating his body piercing shop after customers complained about his language. A customer complained on social media that shop owner J.C. Potts had expressed racial views that made her uncomfortable during a visit to Pangea in Ann Arbor, reported MLive.com. “After a few minutes of small talk, the man that pierced my nose (J.C. Potts) began to talk to me about white supremacy, and why whites must ‘stick together,'” said customer Laura Stroudd. “He repeated many times that when it came down to ‘us vs them’ I would have to embrace my ‘white heritage’ to survive.” Stroudd said Potts repeatedly uttered racial slurs and became angry when she refused to agree with his conclusions, and she became fearful for her own safety. Spread the word if you’re i...

Kaepernick aims to trademark "I'm With Kap" for clothing line. Colin Kaepernick has reportedly filed an application to trademark his signature "I'm With Kap" slogan, which has been used on a number of t-shirts worn by multiple NFL players and celebrities, including Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills,  G-Eazy and others. According to  TMZ Sports , the former San Francisco 49ers QB recently filed paperwork in California to own the slogan for use on shirts, hoodies, caps and other apparel. Despite being out of the NFL since he became a free agent after the 2016 season, Kaepernick has continued his generous donations, including a $1 million pledge to various charities and non-profit organizations, such as his "Know Your Rights" campaign. Given the fact that Kaepernick has used his status to promote social equality and reform, it is expected that portions of the "I'm With Kap" clothing sales will go right back into the comm...

Cop who killed Terence Crutcher Betty Shelby to teach training course to deputies TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) -- Former Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby is scheduled to teach a class this week to Tulsa County deputies. One group says it is inappropriate for the officer who shot and killed Terence Crutcher in 2016 to be able to influence other law officers. TCSO Spokesperson Justin Green says the class is about what an officer may go through after a critical incident, like an officer-involved shooting. "The stresses you may go through, the potential for facing charges for doing your job, things of that nature," he said. Something Shelby knows a lot about. Following the shooting, a jury found her not guilty of manslaughter. "This class is not about that particular incident," Green said. Shelby is now a deputy for the Roger's County Sheriff's Office, which is where "We the People Oklahoma" representative Marq Lewis prefers she stays. ...

Former air marshals claim Orlando supervisor made them target black passengers ORLANDO, Fla. - Three members of Congress are asking the acting inspector general to investigate allegations made by three air marshals, who claim they were instructed to target African-American passengers.  The former air marshals talked to a television station in Charlotte, North Carolina. They claimed that, while they worked at Orlando International Airport, an Orlando-based supervisor instructed them to target African-American travelers.  The whistleblowers said the supervisor used the N-word while saying African-Americans are "the ones who have warrants” and that targeting them would generate better statistics to present to Congress when asking for more money.  U.S. Rep. Val Demings and two others on the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security have asked the acting inspector general to investigate claims of, "discriminating unlawfully against travelers based on race."  The fede...

Barack Obama to eulogize John McCain; Trump not invited to funeral Former Presidents  Barack Obama  and  George W. Bush  have been asked to deliver eulogies at Sen. John McCain ‘s funeral, according to  CBS News . Details of the funeral are still being mapped out, but  Donald Trump  is not expected to be among the list of attendees or speakers. That’s hardly surprising. Who could forget when then-presidential candidate Trump infamously proclaimed that McCain, a decorated Vietnam War veteran,  well , was not a hero because he was captured and imprisoned by member of the North Vietnamese Army?