Lies that Biden ‘lost’ Penn. take hold as tech companies fight claims

Platforms including Facebook and YouTube are yanking posts and deleting accounts that are sharing the misinformation

Tom Bevan, co-founder and president of Real Clear Politics, has slammed reports that his website pulled its call of Pennsylvania for Joe Biden in the election. 

Biden was declared the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, after securing 270 electoral votes. The Trump administration has since filed lawsuits which challenge Biden’s victory. 

On Monday, it was falsely reported that Biden had lost Pennsylvania and that the political news site “rescinded” its call that he was projected to win the state, New York Times reports. 

Read More: GOP Mississippi official calls for state to ‘succeed’ from US after Biden win

Just got word that they pulled Pennsylvania’s electoral votes from Biden today after the Supreme Court hearing on voting…

Posted by Christa Elisha on Monday, November 9, 2020

“Just got word that they pulled Pennsylvania’s electoral votes from Biden today after the Supreme Court hearing on voting fraud!” wrote Facebook user Christa Elisha in a Nov. 9 post. “Biden is no longer President Elect! Our prayers are working!!! Keep it up saints!” 

Elisha’s post includes screenshots attributed to Real Clear Politics, as well as a Nov. 9 tweet from Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani, that claims the president’s lawsuits “will invalidate 300,000 or more crooked democrat (sic) votes votes (sic) in Philly.”

Giuliani added, “Real Clear Politics just took PA away from Biden and made it a toss up.”

“This is false. We never called Pennsylvania, and nothing has changed,” Bevan tweeted on Nov. 9.

Read More: Pennsylvania postal worker admits his claim of ballot tampering wasn’t true

RealClearPolitics withdrew Biden's win in Pennsylvania. Biden went below 270 and now he has only 259 electoral votes. The media are starting to reverse the Joe Biden's fake news victory. Biden won nothing. This coup d'état has already started to collapse.https://t.co/BHqu7NhgCT

— Cesare Sacchetti (@CesareSacchetti) November 10, 2020

This misinformation about Biden has spread like wildfire, and Elisha’s post has been widely shared across social media. 

Platforms including Facebook and YouTube have been yanking posts or deleting pages and groups for containing false information about Biden “losing” Pennsylvania. But the fake news is surging, making it difficult for tech companies to curb the lies and inaccuracies.

A map of the 2020 presidential election results appears on the Real Clear Politics website, and it shows Pennsylvania shaded in gray/uncalled since the page went live on Election Day.

Real Clear Politics’ Washington Bureau Chief Carl M. Cannon co-signed Bevan’s comments. “We made no change on Pennsylvania whatsoever,” he said in an interview with Reuters.

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White House tells feds to prepare Trump’s February budget through 2022

‘We’re all supposed to pretend this is normal, and do all this work.’

The Trump White House is moving forward with planning a spending agenda through 2022, in what appears to be yet another attempt to reject Joe Biden’s election win. 

The president and his lame-duck staff have reportedly instructed federal agencies to continue working on the administration’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year, according to The Washington Post.  

The budget is usually issued in February. President-elect Joe Biden will take Trump’s place on January 20.

“They’re pretending nothing happened,” an unnamed official told The Post. “We’re all supposed to pretend this is normal, and do all this work, while we know we’re just going to have to throw it away.”

Read More: Following Trump, GOP congressional candidates refuse to concede

https://t.co/Ncauwdm8Sb

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2020

The Trump administration has also instructed senior government officials to not cooperate with Biden’s transition team. The president continues to refuse to graciously concede the election to the projected winner. 

theGRIO previously reported, Melania Trump refuses to congratulate the soon-to-be new first lady or set up a meeting – a customary pleasantry that was extended to her by Michelle Obama. She is also posting messages on social media that seem to echo her husband’s sentiments that he was cheated during the election.

“The preparations going on now are not surprising given the administration’s position on the outcome of the election,” Chantel Boyens, a policy associate at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, told the Post. “At the point at which you know the outcome of the election, it would not make sense to continue formulating policy recommendations for a new budget to be put out by the outgoing administration.”

Read More: Melania Trump refuses to meet with Dr. Jill Biden: report

Biden said Tuesday at a news conference in Wilmington, Del., that he has no plans to legally force the Trump administration to acknowledge him as the clear winner of the 2020 presidential election.

“I’m confident that the fact that they’re not willing to acknowledge we won at this point is not that much consequence in our planning and what we’re able to do between now and Jan. 20,” he said.

On Trump’s refusals to concede, Biden said “I just think it’s an embarrassment, quite frankly. How can I say this tactfully? I think it will not help the president’s legacy.”

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Former LMPD officer Brett Hankison accused of sexual assault in lawsuit

His alleged victims only began to come forward as the ex-cop made headlines over the summer for his role in Breonna Taylor’s death

Brett Hankison, the former LMPD officer at the center of the Breonna Taylor case, has been named in a new lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.

It appears Hankison is quite known around town by several local women who claim he is a sexual predator. His alleged victims only began to come forward as Hankison made headlines over the summer for his role in Taylor’s death. 

In the 24-page suit, a woman in her 20s, identified as Margo Borders, details an incident in 2018 in which Hankison gave her a ride to her apartment, and once she fell asleep, he sexually assaulted her, wave3.com reports.

“While Margo was unconscious, Hankison went into her room, stripped off his clothes and willfully, intentionally, painfully and violently sexually assaulted Margo,” the lawsuit alleges.

Read More: Breonna Taylor grand jury indicts former officer Brett Hankison – but not directly for her death

“(The alleged victim) was physically injured, mentally horrified and remained in emotional duress over both the assault and the feeling that any efforts made to hold Officer Hankison accountable for his actions would backfire,” the lawsuit read.

Hankison allegedly “messaged (her) later in the day to try and suggest that the two had engaged in consensual relations,” a move “true to (Hankison’s) playbook,” the woman’s lawyer’s states. 

Several other women have come forward with their own experiences with Hankison. They accuse him of targeting “intoxicated” and/or “vulnerable” young women at a St. Matthews bar where he was working security.

Read More: Louisville officer sues Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend for emotional distress, assault and battery

Hankison, former Chief Steve Conrad and several other officers are named in the lawsuit, which is seeking undisclosed monetary damages. 

theGRIO previously reported, in September, a Kentucky grand jury charged Hankison in the Breonna Taylor case, but not for allegedly killing her during a botched raid. Instead, he was charged for shooting into Taylor’s neighbors’ apartments.

The Jefferson grand jury chose to indict Hankison with three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree, which carries up to five years in prison. He was previously fired in June for his role in the shooting.

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Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron joins election lawsuit in Pennsylvania

‘We have to ensure that every legal vote cast is counted and every illegal vote cast is not counted.’

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has joined a GOP lawsuit in Pennsylvania to challenge the mail-in ballots that arrived after Election Day. 

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled last month that ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 and received three days after the election (by November 6) can be counted. Republicans are in the process of appealing the ruling and urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case, per Kentucky.com. 

“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our republic,” said Eric Schmitt, the Attorney General of Missouri, in a press conference. “We have to ensure that every legal vote cast is counted and every illegal vote cast is not counted.”

Read More: Pennsylvania postal worker admits his claim of ballot tampering wasn’t true

My statement regarding the rule of law in the election process:

Read the amicus brief here: https://t.co/Ulu7PU3akq pic.twitter.com/wMKfsOFkfV

— Attorney General Daniel Cameron (@kyoag) November 9, 2020

An earlier report on theGRIO noted that the legal issue is whether the 3-day extension ordered by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, relying on voter protections in the Pennsylvania constitution, violated the U.S. Constitution. The argument advanced by Republicans is that the Constitution gives state legislatures — not state courts — the power to decide how electoral votes are awarded, including whether absentee ballots received after Election Day can be counted, per The Associated Press. 

Cameron, a Trump supporter and the GOP attorney general at the center of the controversial Breonna Taylor case, signed onto an amicus brief supporting a Republican lawsuit related to mail-in ballots.

Meanwhile, experts have noted that the lawsuit is unlikely to change the outcome of the election.

Read More: Something is fishy about Daniel Cameron and the Breonna Taylor case

Kentucky counted Ballots received after November 3rd but were postmarked by Election Day. In a statement on Twitter, Cameron said the difference between the process in his state and Pennsylvania is that Pennsylvania counted ballots that allegedly had illegible postmarks. 

“What happens in other states during a presidential election matters to Kentuckians because we are electing our President and Vice President,” Cameron wrote. “Legal matters like the one involving Pennsylvania set a judicial precedent that not only affects this election, but future elections as well.”

Cameron said his interest in the case “is not about courts dictating who wins or loses, but about transparency and rule of law issues.”

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NY AG Letitia James preparing ‘long list’ of Trump initiatives to undo

The Democratic prosecutor says her office plans to begin quickly reversing Trump administration initiatives.

During a new interview, New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed her plans to immediately begin rolling back initiatives set in place by President Donald Trump.

Read More: New York attorney general Letitia James sues to dissolve NRA

James told NBC News her office is prepared to work through a substantial list to reverse regulations passed by the Trump administration.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a news conference about the ongoing investigation into the death of Daniel Prude on September 20, 2020 in Rochester, New York. Prude, who is Black, died March 30 after being taken off life support following his arrest by Rochester police. (Photo by Joshua Rashaad McFadden/Getty Images)

“We’re preparing a list. And the list is long,” she said Thursday. “We’ll have a team of individuals, again, working on reversing all of the bad regulations and laws that have been put forth … We will work with the Biden administration to ask them to file stays in a number of cases that are pending in the courts all across this country,” she said, according to NBC News.

Since her election in 2019, James has battled the current administration on issues ranging from the environment, immigration, the USPS and the census, according to NBC. The attorney general’s office also conducted a year-long probe into Trump’s charity, which was ultimately shut down, and is currently investigating financial irregularities in the Trump Organization.

James has faced criticism from Trump officials of being biased. Eric Trump delayed testifying in her probe of the company, calling legal efforts by her office “a continued political vendetta.” He ultimately did give a deposition in the case.

View this post on Instagram

No one is above the law.

A post shared by New York AG Letitia James (@newyorkstateag) on Sep 23, 2020 at 12:13pm PDT

Read More: Meet the 3 women who created New York’s Black Women’s March

James told the news outlet that she does not “pay a lot of attention to all the noise and all the critics,” when asked about Eric Trump’s claim.

“A number of elected officials have accused me of bias. Some Republican attorneys general have accused me of political bias. I just put my head down and just go to work,” she told NBC.

“Again, politics is not an issue that I will tolerate in my office,” she said. “It’s based on allegations, primarily from individuals within the Trump administration who have come forward, and laid bare a pattern of illegality and misconduct, which requires an investigation on the part of regulators, i.e., the New York State Office of Attorney General.”

The AG said she and her team are also reviewing “legal options to determine what action if any” state attorneys general will take, should the election results be contested.

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Indiana grand jury decides no charges in fatal shooting of Sean Reed

A grand jury will not pursue any charges against Officer Dejoure Mercer in the death of Sean Reed

A special grand jury in has decided not to indict an Indianapolis Metropolitan police officer in the fatal shooting of Sean Reed whose death was captured on Facebook Live.

Reed, also known as Dreasjon, live streamed the incident.

Special Prosecutor Rosemary Khoury made the announcement on Tuesday declaring that the grand jury returned with a “no bill,” Fox 59 reports. The six community members had been assembled after Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Dejoure Mercer killed Reed during a pursuit in May.

Police maintained that Reed, 21, had a weapon and fired at law enforcement. On May 6, Reed, a former Airmen and a legal gun holder, according to Fox 59, fled on foot after police stopped him for driving recklessly. He was first spotted speeding on the highway but a chase was called off due to his high rate of speed.

Reed’s car was recognized by police when he drove onto city streets and when they attempted to stop him, he exited the car. In the ensuing confrontation and chase, Mercer, who is Black, says he was fired upon. His account says he first used a stun gun, but it had no effect on Reed. According to The Washington Post, a gun found near Reed at the scene was likely fired twice.

Sean Reed (Social Media)

Read More: Detective in Sean Reed shooting joked ‘it’s going to be a closed casket’

In June, Reed’s family denied the IMPD version of events, insisting he was “shot in the back for no reason.”

Though Reed live streamed the entire incident, the first moments when he exits the car aren’t visible on camera.

“I’m here to say to you today unequivocally that Dreasjon Reed, Sean Reed, did not shoot a gun, did not point a gun, did not brandish a gun at an officer,” attorney Fatima Johnson said. “He did not. The narrative that you’ve heard is incorrect, is false, is misleading. It did not happen.”

Mercer fired 13 shots but investigators were unable, despite the video from Reed’s phone, and surveillance footage from a nearby business to determine who shot first, according to the Post.

Additionally, theGrio reported that an officer was suspended after remarking that “think it’s going to be a closed casket, homie,” about Reed’s funeral. Ofc. Steven Scott, another Black officer, was later named as the person who made the comment, which was captured on the Facebook live stream.

Reed’s shooting was the first of three officer-involved killings in Indianapolis within a day.19-year-old McHale Rose was shot by police and Ashlynn Lisby, 23, a pregnant white woman, was struck by an officer’s vehicle as she walked up an expressway off-ramp. The shootings led to protests in Indianapolis. In response, Khoury was named as the special prosecutor in Reed’s death but the investigation will not yield any legal action.

The jury decided that they could not find probable cause to bring charges against Mercer. Khoury was visibly emotional as she relayed their decision.

“This has not been an easy task and it’s been a very heavy burden,” she said.

Khoury acknowledged that the case had taken a toll on her.

“The most challenging part was to not let my emotions become involved. There was a lot of evidence to sort through,” Khoury said.

“Fairness. From day one that’s been my goal,” she told reporters. “No one wins here. I hope that anyone who was a part of this entire process can look at this and feel comfortable that the investigation was done in an impartial manner. That’s exactly what my team and I did over the past five months.”

She extended her sympathies to Reed’s mother, Demetree Wynn.

Read More: Indianapolis police fatally shoot Sean Reed, 21, during Facebook Live

“I don’t know how Mr. Reed’s mother feels…but I am a mother of two Black boys. I’m also very empathetic toward Officer Mercer. I know that had to be a difficult position to be in. Like I said, no one wins,” she said.

Reed has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the city, the four officers involved and the police department, alleging that officers were not properly trained in the application of deadly force. The city was later removed from the lawsuit due to legal precedent.

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YG’s ‘F— Donald Trump’ lands at No. 1 on iTunes following Biden victory

The late Nipsey Hussle, who also appears on the song, would be proud.

President Donald Trump has yet to concede to President-elect Joe Biden after his victory in the 2020 election but that didn’t stop Americans from celebrating with a little bop know as “FDT.”

Read More: The Game releases animated tribute to Nipsey Hussle, Kobe Bryant

On the day of the election, Los Angeles rapper YG’s 2016 tune “FDT,” featuring Nipsey Hussle began to pick up steam. By Nov.7, the day the election was decided in Biden’s favor, a bunch of politically-themed songs saw digital sales gains.

On Nov. 7, ‘FDT’ was downloaded 3,000 times according to Billboard. “FDT” which stands for f— Donald Trump, opens up with the simplistic yet catchy lines, “F— Donald Trump, F— Donald Trump.” The song saw a 740% gain over its sales count on Nov. 6.

Chart Data tweeted on Saturday the song had become # 1 on US iTunes.

.@YG and Nipsey Hussle's "FDT" has reached #1 on US iTunes.

— chart data (@chartdata) November 7, 2020

In 2016, when the song was first released, YG told Rolling Stone he immediately began getting calls about it.

“The Secret Service started calling in about the song when it got released,” YG told the publication. “The song didn’t release through Def Jam; we just leaked it. So then, weeks passed. I’m turning in my album and the song was. … It’s goin’ crazy. I saw that and I’m like, ‘Damn. I need to put this on the album.’ We had to censor damn near a big part of the song. But I did it because the record was important. I’m like, ‘Man, this shit got to be on the album. F— it.’”

Nipsey Hussle (L) and YG perform onstage at Live! Red! Ready! Pre-Show, sponsored by Nissan, at the 2018 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BET)

Read More: Georgia Senate runoffs outcome could make or break Biden administration

YG’s hit isn’t the only song seeing a major boost. Mary J. Blige’s “Work That,” saw an increase in downloads after Vice President-elect Kamala Harris walked out to it during her victory speech. “Work That” saw an increase of 2,000 downloads on Nov. 7. Whitney Houston’s version of Steve Winwood‘s hit “Higher Love,” also saw an increase of 1,011% after Harris and Biden exited to the song after their victory speeches.

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Following Trump, GOP congressional candidates refuse to concede

A handful of GOP candidates follow suit with President Trump and continue their fight after losing their races.

Across the country, Republican candidates refuse to concede although the elections have been called against them, following suit with President Donald Trump‘s claims of cheating and fraud.

Read More: Lindsey Graham: Trump shouldn’t concede or else US will ‘never’ elect GOP president

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Errol Webber, a Republican candidate running for Congress in California against Rep. Karen Bass, lost by more than 72 percentage points. However, the 33-year-old claimed he will not concede. He took to social media, another move from Trump’s playbook, to demand all votes be tallied.

“I will NOT concede. Every LEGAL vote needs to be counted!” he wrote.

I’m going to the Los Angeles County Registrar's Office in Norwalk today to audit the vote counting procedures.

I will NOT concede.

Every LEGAL vote needs to be counted!

— Errol Webber (@ErrolWebber) November 9, 2020

Like Webber, House candidate Kimberly Klacik of Baltimore also refuses to accept the results which label her the losing party. Klacik, a Republican, lost her race against Rep. Kweisi Mfume by over 40 points according to the Post. The Trump supporter also took to Twitter and wanted an investigation. According to the report, she falsely claimed to have beaten her opponent.

“I beat my opponent on day of & in-person early voting, along with absentee. However, 97k mail-in ballots were found in his favor?” she wrote on Twitter, quoting a post where Trump himself made claims of a stolen election.

Agreed. I beat my opponent on day of & in-person early voting, along with absentee.

However, 97k mail in ballots were found in his favor? Luckily, we raised enough money to investigate. https://t.co/s4berP6VRm

— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) November 8, 2020

Klacik had previously lost a special election against Mfume in April after the death of Rep. Elijah E. Cummings who previously held the Baltimore-area seat. Her profile was boosted after President Trump shared one of her campaign videos according to the Post.

Read More: GOP Penn. senator: No evidence to support Trump vote-fraud claims

John James, a Republican Senate candidate seeking office in Michigan joins Klacik and Webber in aligning with Trump in refusing to concede. James faced off against Democrat Sen. Gary Peters. According to the Washington Post, the race which started out to close to call on election day had Peters winning by the end of the night. He maintained this lead through Tuesday by 1.5 percent, or about 87,000 votes.

Although he accepted the results, the Republican hopeful shared “deep concerns that millions of Michiganders may have been disenfranchised by a dishonest few who cheat,” according to the news outlet. His lawyer sent a letter to election officials in Detroit claiming they had issues with the vote count. The Post reported James’ advisers also made claims and spread conspiracy theories about the vote.

Trump has not budged from his refusal to concede to President-elect Joe Biden. Not only are his actions being mirrored by GOP candidates across the country, but he also received support from party leaders. theGrio reported South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham believes POTUS should continue to contest the results of the 2020 election.

“If Republicans don’t challenge and change the U.S. election system, there will never be another Republican president elected again,” Graham said last week on Fox News.

According to theGrio Biden said Tuesday the refusal by Trump to admit defeat is embarrassing. The President-elect also said he does not plan on taking legal action to force the Trump administration out saying there is no need. He asserted the Trump administration’s actions will not hinder his plan to assume power on Jan. 20.

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Pennsylvania postal worker admits his claim of ballot tampering wasn’t true

Richard Hopkins’s claim that he was instructed to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day was cited by Republicans as evidence of voter fraud

A postal worker in Pennsylvania, whose claim of ballot tampering was touted by Republicans as evidence of voter fraud, now admits it was all a lie.

Richard Hopkins said that he was instructed by a postmaster in Erie, Pa., to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day. His claim was cited by GOP officials as the most credible evidence of voter fraud, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham who wrote a letter to the Justice Department calling for a federal investigation, reports the Washington Post.

Read More: After judge’s order, Postal Service sweep finds only 13 ballots

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Attorney General William Barr later authorized federal prosecutors to launch probes into allegations of voting irregularities and fraud. Barr’s decision was widely slammed by Democrats and department officials incensed that Barr had gone against a long-standing policy that the federal government should not investigate claims of voter fraud until after the election results are in and certified.

On Monday, Hopkins, 32, recanted his claim in an affidavit after speaking with investigators from the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General, according to the Post. In response to the revelation, Democrats serving on the House Oversight Committee tweeted the “whistleblower completely RECANTED.”

BREAKING NEWS: Erie, Pa. #USPS whistleblower completely RECANTED his allegations of a supervisor tampering with mail-in ballots after being questioned by investigators, according to IG.

THREAD:

— Oversight Committee (@OversightDems) November 10, 2020

Despite Hopkins’s decision to recant his claim of ballot tampering, it’s not yet clear why he signed a false affidavit claiming it happened in the first place. However, a GoFundMe page set up for Hopkins raised more than $136,000. Donors and Trump supporters hailed him as a patriot.

“Your donations are going to help me in the case I am wrongfully terminated from my job or I am forced into resigning due to ostrizization [sic] by my co-workers,” the page said. “It will help me get a new start in a place I feel safe and help me with child support until I am able to get settled and get a job.”

When the allegations were first made, Rob Weisenbach, the Erie postmaster, called Hopkins’s allegations “100% false.” He also said that Hopkins had been recently disciplined multiple times. “The Erie Post Office did not back date any ballots,” Weisenbach insisted.

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CBS announces half of all contestants on future reality shows will be people of color

The channel, that has been criticized in the past for its lack of minority representation is now committing to diversity

In a move that is sure to please millions of viewers, while potentially alienating others, on Monday, CBS Studios announced that moving forward it will be diversifying its unscripted shows, with an aim to make all future casts at least 50% Black, indigenous and/or people of color (BIPOC).

Read More: Chloe x Halle to perform, Tiffany Haddish to present at ‘People’s Choice Awards’

According to Deadline, this move comes after a fan petition was launched urging CBS to include greater diversity and inclusivity in their content and also after several contestants on its hugely popular show Survivor spoke out about the lack of diversity in the show’s lineup.  

Entertainment Weekly reports that over the summer, Survivor contestants including Sean Rector (Season 4), and Jolanda Jones (Season 10), formed a group called The Black Survivor Alliance which they say was created with the intention of “bringing light to our collective experience with implicit bias and racism on and off the show.”

Rector, who appeared on Survivor: Marquesas 19 years ago, told Entertainment Weekly that reality TV shows often promoted racial stereotypes and that Survivor largely ignored its Black castmembers and those of color even when they were successful. He cited the example of Marquesas winner Vecepia Towery Robinson and Earl Cole, neither of whom have been called back to the show during subsequent seasons highlighting previous winners.

Survivor winner Vecepia Towery poses after winning the “Survivor Marquesas” $1 million dollar first prize finals May 20, 2002 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)

Towery Robinson is the only Black female winner of the show. Jeremy Collins and Wendell Holland, both Black men, have won since. (In all fairness there are 18 other contestants over the years who haven’t been invited back for varying reasons, per Cheat Sheet).

“If you recall most of those early reality shows like The Real World, Road Rules and even Survivor and Big Brother, Black contestants, especially Black men, were always made to look stereotypically combative, lazy, ignorant, unaware, aggressive etc….” Rector said.

“These are historically coded and loaded descriptions and depictions that have had deep repercussions on how we are viewed in society. My insights and criticisms are not necessarily collective knocks on my castmates, because I don’t believe anyone was being blatantly racist or prejudiced,  but implicit bias and tribalism does exist in society, and especially in a game where you socially bond with people who share similar values and sometimes similar aesthetics.”

The alliance had several meetings with CBS executives and host/executive producer Jeff Probst about making the franchise more inclusive. Since then, the network has agreed to create programming with the NAACP and this new pledge means that future casts of hit shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and Love Island will be visibly more diverse starting with the 2021 – 2022 season. 

.@CBS’ slate of reality shows is set to become more diverse after the network introduced a series of representation targets https://t.co/aWcKD99OTe

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) November 9, 2020

“The reality TV genre is an area that’s especially underrepresented and needs to be more inclusive across development, casting, production and all phases of storytelling,” George Cheeks, president and chief executive officer for the CBS Entertainment Group said in a statement.

READ MORE: Beyoncé partners with Peloton on HBCU initiative

“As we strive to improve all of these creative aspects, the commitments announced today are important first steps in sourcing new voices to create content and further expanding the diversity in our unscripted programming, as well as on our Network.”

The pledge from network executives to be more intentional about diversity will carry on behind the scenes as well, with CBS allocating a minimum of 25% of its annual unscripted development budget to projects created or co-created by BIPOC producers. 

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Kamala Harris addresses Black women: ‘You are too often overlooked’

‘You are asked to step up and be the backbone of our democracy.’

Countless women and girls of color have been inspired by Sen. Kamala Harris’ history making vice president election.

On Saturday, Joe Biden was elected to be the 46th president of the United States. He and running mate, Sen. Harris garnered the most votes ever from a presidential ticket with over 70 million ballots cast, theGRIO reported. 

Biden thanked his Black supporters during his victory speech, telling them, “You’ve always had my back, and I’ll have yours.” 

Read More: Lil’ Kim celebrates Kamala Harris’ victory despite past comments

I want to speak directly to the Black women in our country. Thank you. You are too often overlooked, and yet are asked time and again to step up and be the backbone of our democracy. We could not have done this without you.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 9, 2020

Harris singled out Black women in her first post-election address to the nation on Saturday, calling them “the backbone of our democracy.”

“Tonight I reflect on their struggle, their determination and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been,” Harris said. 

“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” she added. Harris is the first woman in a president or vice presidential role. 

In a tweet on Monday, she praised Black women while acknowledging that they are too often overlooked in this county. 

“I want to speak directly to the Black women in our country. Thank you,” Harris wrote. “You are too often overlooked, and yet are asked time and again to step up and be the backbone of our democracy. We could not have done this without you,” she added.

Read More: Kamala Harris has a message for toddler niece who aspires to be president

The Biden/Harris election win represents hope for many Americans, most especially the youth. 

“Young girls are feeling like they are able to do more than they thought they were able to,” said 13-year-old Leilah from Fairbanks, Alaska, who watched Harris’ speech with her mother. “I felt amazing because it made me feel like I had a chance to do things that mostly men have done,” she added. 

“She’s literally the blueprint to women’s political possibility and now she is stepping literally into the Oval Office and she’s going to put an intersectional lens on everything this administration does from a gender or race lens,” said Glynda Carr, president and CEO of Higher Heights, which supports electing and elevating Black women into political offices.

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Bucks’ Sterling Brown awarded $750K settlement in police brutality case

The lawsuit stems from a 2018 violent encounter with police over an alleged parking violation

Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown has reached a $750,000 settlement in his civil rights lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee.

The lawsuit stems from a 2018 violent encounter with police over an alleged parking violation. Body cam footage filmed in January of that year supported Brown’s claim that excessive force was used against him, theGRIO previously reported. The video showed an officer stepping on Brown’s ankle as he lay helpless on the ground.

Brown sued the police department, claiming officers targeted him because he’s Black. The Associated Press reported that a group of officers swarmed on him at a Walgreens parking lot because he didn’t immediately remove his hands from his pockets. Brown was standing with the officers waiting for a citation for parking in a disabled spot early on Jan. 26, but never appeared to threaten police before or during his arrest. 

Read More: New body cam video of Milwaukee Bucks’ Sterling Brown’s arrest

Change the system.

During last week’s NBPA B.I.G Town Hall Series, Sterling Brown joined @BaronDavis and Chloe Cheyenne to talk about police reform and the importance of voting the right legislation into office to help push for change. pic.twitter.com/raEtRqzz99

— NBPA (@TheNBPA) October 5, 2020

According to Brown’s lawsuit, one of the (now former) officer’s involved, Erik Andrade, later took to Twitter to mock the athlete, saying, “Nice meeting Sterling Brown of the Milwaukee Bucks at work this morning! Lol#FearTheDeer”.

Andrade was ultimately fired because of the social media posts. 

Brown’s attorney initially ejected a $400,000 settlement offer in October 2019.

“I’ve got plenty of people going through the same thing in Chicago and back at home,” Brown told ESPN in December. “So I know it’s happening in Milwaukee, so I’m pretty much being that voice for those who don’t have the platform that I have to make this national news.”

Read More: Milwaukee Bucks boycott of game five of the NBA playoffs sparks shutdown of today’s games

In addition to the $750,000 settlement, Brown wants the City of Milwaukee to admit officers violated his civil rights. He has also called for procedural changes within the Milwaukee Police Department that must go into effect within 180 days of the agreement.

“We are pleased that Sterling’s lawsuit has been mutually resolved and that there’s been an important commitment by the City of Milwaukee and its Police Department to make changes to the MPD’s standard operating procedures,” the Milwaukee Bucks issued a statement on Monday. “No one should ever have to go through the horrifying abuse and injustice that Sterling experienced. We commend Sterling for his courageous response to this terrible situation by repeatedly sharing his story and working tirelessly with countless local groups and organizations to help make change in our community. And we also commend the City’s leadership for its commitment to implement these important changes to better Milwaukee.”

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McConnell pushing to confirm more Trump judges as Senate returns

‘These judges are going to be ruling for decades to come.’

President Donald Trump has already appointed nearly 200 federal judges to lower courts, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell intends to resume efforts to fill outstanding vacancies with conservative nominees. 

The Kentucky Republican has not yet commented on Joe Biden’s election win, but as reported by Raw Story, McConnell has vowed to confirm U.S. circuit and district court nominees until the 116th Congress adjourns Jan. 3.

“We’re going to run through the tape. We go through the end of the year, and so does the president,” McConnell said Friday during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “We’re going to fill the 7th Circuit. And I’m hoping we have time to fill the 1st Circuit as well.”

Read More: Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell reelected to 7th term

Trump is a total disgrace, but Mitch McConnell may go down as the most corrupt and duplicitous politician in modern American history.

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) November 9, 2020

After Amy Coney Barrett was elevated to the Supreme Court last month, the seat on the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals opened up. The seat on the 1st Circuit was vacated after the death of Juan R. Torruella at age 87.

The Senate returns this week amid a divided country following Biden’s election victory. Monday kicked off the start the lame-duck session, with the Senate reportedly voting on Trump nominee James Ray Knepp II to be a judge for the Northern District of Ohio. 

More than two dozen nominations for lifetime appointments remain pending.

“Let’s leave no vacancy behind,” McConnell has said. 

“We’re going to clean the plate, clean all the district judges off as well,” he said on Hewitt’s radio show last week.

Read More: Judges dismiss Trump ballot count claims in Georgia, Michigan

“McConnell confirmed the fewest judges since President Truman during Obama’s last two years in office,” said Christopher Kang, who vetted judicial nominees during Obama’s presidency, per NPR. “So the reason President Trump had 200 judgeships to fill in the first place is because McConnell obstructed.”

“Even if Donald Trump is gone from office in January, these judges are going to be ruling for decades to come,” Kang added. 

McConnell was reelected to a seventh term in Kentucky on Election Day.

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Keke Palmer faces backlash for suggesting EBT cards should only ‘work for healthy items’

The singer/actress TV personality was accused of glossing over the real issue of food insecurity

Keke Palmer is getting major side eye from her fans.

The actress and singer generated a lot of backlash for recent comments she made about EBT food benefits and healthy eating.

“Imagine if your EBT card could only work on healthy items,” Palmer tweeted on Monday morning.

It didn’t take long for critics to accuse her of being out of touch and say the issue surrounding the availability of healthy food is more complex than her tweet indicated.

One user commented, “Where is the money for new fresh food stores, urban farms & Uber credits coming from?? I really think you’re outta touch because it’s deeper than just making all healthy foods free. There are people who don’t even get enough ebt to buy the basics.”

Where is the money for new fresh food stores, urban farms & Uber credits coming from?? I really think you’re outta touch because it’s deeper than just making all healthy foods free. There are people who don’t even get enough ebt to buy the basics. https://t.co/9AFAok8Lsb

— Absolutely Not. (@Camyyy__) November 9, 2020

EBT cards, once known as food stamps, are supplemental benefits for the millions of Americans who are challenged with food insecurity. According to Hunger + Health a partner of Feeding America, food insecurity is “the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.” Already a significant problem, the economic instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has just made it worse, something Palmer’s critics referenced.

A Twitter user commented that simply giving EBT holders free “healthy food,” doesn’t solve the larger issue.

Imagine if food deserts didn’t exist in communities with high use of ebt…..

— Anthony V. Clark (@anthonyvclark20) November 9, 2020

Palmer may have believed that her tweet might improve health disparities that disproportionally impact African Americans. But if one in nine Americans are food insecure, according to Hunger and Health, and given the wealth of food deserts in poor communities, even if the “healthy” food becomes free for EBT users, many may still not have access to it.

But Palmer doubled down on her comments. She responded to some critics one by one and even took the initial tweet to Instagram to clarify her comments.

View this post on Instagram

I’m just here for the comments. GM ☀️ Added for context: I have been eating extremely healthy lately and I have been sad about my debit card balance because of it. Healthy food is more expensive for a reason. It’s fresh, good for you and gives you energy. Bad foods are bad for a reason. They last long they taste good because of tons of sodium and they aren’t expensive because they’re honestly not food. Mostly likely they are food-LIKE products. In any event imagine if you could get whatever healthy foods you wanted on your EBT card. Like all the healthy foods could swipe for free. Pretty much a reward for being healthy but even more so giving homes a break that want to eat healthy but can’t afford it!

A post shared by BIG BOSS 🔑🔑 (@keke) on Nov 9, 2020 at 5:09am PST

“I’m just here for the comments. GM ☀️

Added for context: I have been eating extremely healthy lately and I have been sad about my debit card balance because of it.

Healthy food is more expensive for a reason. It’s fresh, good for you and gives you energy. Bad foods are bad for a reason. They last long they taste good because of tons of sodium and they aren’t expensive because they’re honestly not food. Mostly likely they are food-LIKE products.

In any event imagine if you could get whatever healthy foods you wanted on your EBT card. Like all the healthy foods could swipe for free. Pretty much a reward for being healthy but even more so giving homes a break that want to eat healthy but can’t afford it!”

This is the second time recently that Palmer has found herself as a trending topic on social media. She made headlines after a post showing her kissing her boyfriend, Dutch rapper Styn, according to Madame Noire.

Read More: Twitter ridicules Keke Palmer for kissing mystery white man

The backlash came after Palmer tweeted,

“I see a lot of people living one way but voted another.”

I see a lot of people living one way but voted another. 😔

— Keke Palmer (@KekePalmer) November 4, 2020

View this post on Instagram

What is reels ?

A post shared by Styn (@itstheboii) on Sep 11, 2020 at 12:16pm PDT

Critics called out her tweets as contradictory given that her boyfriend isn’t a man of color.

“Keke Palmer laid up with her Caucasian boyfriend tweeting about representation,” one Twitter user posted.

Keke Palmer laid up with her Caucasian boyfriend tweeting about representation 😂😂😂😂😂

— Scino LLF (@Squadelujah) November 7, 2020

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