22

Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B offered a blunt critique of a recent House bill automatically registering young men for the military draft. The legislation, passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), aims to streamline the Selective Service System.

Cardi B, known for her outspoken personality, took to social media to voice her disapproval. In a since-deleted post, she reportedly stated, using strong language, that the current generation of young men may not be prepared for wartime service. She questioned the effectiveness of automatic registration, suggesting that many young men “ain’t gonna fight no war.”

Cardi B speaks on the house passing a bill for all men 18-26 automatically getting registered for the draft. 😭 pic.twitter.com/CgcHO9LVzO

— Cardi B Updates (@BardiGangUpdate) June 16, 2024

The rapper’s comments highlight the ongoing debate surrounding the draft. While the U.S. has maintained a volunteer military for decades, the Selective Service System remains a contingency measure. Proponents of the House bill argue it ensures a fair and efficient system for a potential future draft. Critics, like Cardi B, raise concerns about the readiness and suitability of a potentially involuntary force.

The House recently approved the NDAA, which also allocates $895.2 billion to military spending, a significant increase over the previous year. The bill has now been moved to the Senate for consideration.

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DETROIT (AP) — Donald Trump blamed immigrants for stealing jobs and government resources as he courted separate groups of Black voters and hardcore conservatives in battleground Michigan on Saturday.

The Republican former president also made several new baseless claims attacking the nation’s voting system.

But Trump’s fiery comments on illegal immigration, long a staple in his unapologetic message, marked a connecting theme in downtown Detroit as he sought to stitch together a delicate political coalition at both a Black church and a group known to attract white supremacists.

“The people coming across the border — all those millions of people — they’re inflicting tremendous harm to our Black population and to our Hispanic population,” Trump told a cheering crowd of thousands of conservative activists packed into a vast convention hall.

“They’re not human beings. They’re animals,” he said later in referencing members of violent immigrant gangs.

Trump’s diverse weekend schedule underscores the evolving political forces shaping the presidential election this fall as he tries to deny Democratic President Joe Biden a second term.

Few states may matter more in November than Michigan, which Biden carried by less than 3 percentage points four years ago. And few voting groups matter more to Democrats than African Americans, who made up the backbone of Biden’s political base in 2020. But now, less than five months before Election Day, Black voters are expressing modest signs of disappointment with the 81-year-old Democrat.

Trump, who turned 78 on Friday, is fighting to take advantage of his apparent opening.

His crowd was far smaller, but also warmly receptive, when he visited the 180 Church earlier in the day. Derelict vehicles sat outside the modest brick building with “Black Americans for Trump” signs affixed. Rap music and barbecue smoke wafted from a pre-event gathering organized by the Black Conservative Federation group.

“It’s a very important area for us,” Trump told the church crowd, which included a significant number of white people. He promised to return “some Sunday” for a sermon.

He argued that the Black community “is being hurt” by immigrants in the country illegally.

“They’re invading your jobs,” he said.

Trump offered a similar message later in the day while addressing the “People’s Convention” of Turning Point Action, a group that the Anti-Defamation League says has been linked to a variety of extremists.

Roughly 24 hours before the former president spoke, well-known white supremacist Nick Fuentes entered the hall surrounded by a group of cheering supporters. Security quickly escorted him out, but Fuentes created political problems for Trump after attending a private lunch with the former president and the rapper formerly known as Kanye West at Trump’s Florida estate in 2022.

Turning Point has emerged as a force in GOP politics in the Trump era, particularly among his “Make America Great Again” movement, despite the Anti-Defamation League’s warning that the group “continues to attract racists.”

“Numerous individuals associated with the group have made bigoted statements about the Black community, the LGBTQ community and other groups,” the ADL, an international anti-hate group, wrote in a background memo. “While TPUSA (Turning Point USA) leaders say they reject white supremacist ideology, known white nationalists have attended their events.”

Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet dismissed the ADL’s characterization as “smears and lies.” He added that Turning Point has been blocking Fuentes from attending its events for “years.”

“The ADL is a scourge on America, which sows poison and division. They’ve completely lost the plot,” Kolvet said, describing the ADL’s criticism as “a badge of honor.”

Meanwhile, Democrats offered a competing perspective from afar.

“Donald Trump is so dangerous for Michigan and dangerous for America and dangerous for Black people,” said Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, who is African American. He called it “offensive” for Trump to address the Turning Point conference, which was taking place at the same convention center that was “the epicenter of their steal the election effort.”

Indeed, dozens of angry Trump loyalists chanting “Stop the count!” descended on the TCF Center, now named Huntington Place, the day after the 2020 presidential election as absentee ballots were being counted. Local media captured scenes of protesters outside and in the lobby. Police prevented them from entering the counting area.

The protests occurred after Trump had tweeted that “they are finding Biden votes all over” in several states, including Michigan.

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The false notion that Biden benefited from widespread voter fraud has been widely debunked by voting officials in both parties, the court system and members of Trump’s former administration. Still, Trump continues to promote such misinformation, which echoed throughout the conservative convention over the weekend.

Speaking from the main stage, Turning Point founder and CEO Charlie Kirk falsely described the conference location as “the scene of a crime.”

Pitching the conversation forward, Trump raised the possibility of election fraud this fall.

“We need to watch the vote. We need to guard the vote,” Trump charged. “It’s so corrupt, the whole election process.”

Such extreme rhetoric does not appear to have hurt Trump’s standing with Black voters.

Among Black adults, Biden’s approval has dropped from 94% when he started his term in January 2021 to just 55%, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll published in March.

About 8 in 10 Black voters have an unfavorable opinion of Trump, with roughly two-thirds saying they have a “very unfavorable” view of him, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted in June.

Trump won 8% of the Black vote in 2020, according to AP VoteCast. And in what is expected to be a close election, even a modest shift could be consequential.

Omar Mitchell, a Detroit restaurant owner who participated in the church gathering, said he supports Trump because “money was pumping” when he was president.

“In the old days, how we grew up was just because you’re Black means you’re a Democrat,” Mitchell said. “That’s out the door nowadays.”

Trump argues he can pull in more Black voters due to his economic and border security message, and that his felony indictments make him more relatable. At the church on Saturday afternoon, he repeatedly vowed to “bring back the auto industry” while also noting, “The crime is most rampant right here and African American communities.”

Kimberly Taylor, who was invited on stage at the church by the Trump campaign, thanked Trump for “coming to the hood,” while pastor Lorenzo Sewell said Biden attended an NAACP dinner in the city “but never came to the hood.”

The pastor asked Trump how to “keep the Black dollar in the Black community.”

The Black community, Trump said, “needs to stop the crime.”

14

House of the Dragon soars back into our lives with a premiere episode that sets a somber yet gripping tone for the season ahead. While the series retains its signature elements of fantastical creatures and political machinations, the focus here is decidedly darker, exploring the depths of grief and the destructive power of vengeance.

A Realm in Mourning

The episode wastes no time in confronting the emotional fallout from the events of season one. We find Rhaenyra Targaryen, brilliantly portrayed by Emma D’Arcy, consumed by grief over the death of her son, Lucerys. The search for his remains, culminating in the discovery of Arrax’s wing, is a harrowing scene that lays bare the emotional core of the conflict. Rhaenyra’s steely resolve, tinged with raw pain, is a stark reminder of the personal cost of the brewing war.

A New King, Uncertain Future

King Aegon Targaryen’s claim to the throne casts a long shadow. Played with a youthful arrogance by Tom Glynn-Carney,Aegon embodies the very traits that make him a dangerous ruler – an uncontrollable temper, stubbornness, and a hair-trigger for violence. The parallels to the tyrannical Joffrey Baratheon are undeniable, creating an atmosphere of unease and foreshadowing potential calamity. Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Dowager Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and her scheming father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), attempt to solidify their grip on power. Their maneuvering highlights the complex web of alliances and betrayals that define the game of thrones.

Daemon’s Bloody Wrench

Prince Daemon Targaryen, ever the impulsive wildcard, throws a metaphorical Molotov cocktail into the already tense situation. Matt Smith continues to deliver a captivating performance, showcasing Daemon’s unpredictable nature and ruthless streak. His actions trigger a chain reaction of violence, with horrifying consequences that serve as a stark reminder of the brutality inherent in this world. The episode also introduces a disturbing storyline for Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), a plot point that underscores the show’s willingness to explore the darker aspects of Westerosi life.

While the premiere lacks the large-scale battles and explicit content that some viewers might expect, its deliberate pacing builds a sense of anticipation. The focus on character development and emotional resonance is a welcome change,allowing viewers to connect more deeply with the players in this high-stakes game. The episode concludes with a scene that will leave fans glued to their screens, eager to see how the fallout from Daemon’s actions will shape the coming conflict. 

House of the Dragon appears poised to deliver a season steeped in grief, vengeance, and the inevitable escalation of the Dance of the Dragons. The roar of war is upon us, and the future of Westeros hangs in the balance.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Gervonta “Tank” Davis made a triumphant return to the ring after more than a year away, once again showing why he is one of the top pound-for-pound boxers.

Armed with a punching power not typically associated with a lightweight, Davis made full use if his skills Saturday night in dominating Frank Martin and knocking him out at 1:29 of the eighth round to retain the WBA championship.

“I knew the way he fell he wasn’t getting back up,” Davis said.

Davis delivered a right and two lefts to Martin’s face to send the Indianapolis resident to the canvass for his first career loss after he won his first 18 fights. Tank again proved to be one of boxing’s most ferocious punchers, improving to 30-0 — all but two by knockout.

He predicted before the fight an eight-round knockout.

“I was just throwing that out there. Next fight in the first round,” Davis said, smiling.

This fight showed why Davis, a Baltimore native and resident, was a substantial favorite at 7-1, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

That bout between 29-year-olds headlined the 100th championship fight night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which has been supplanted by T-Mobile Arena as Las Vegas’ prime spot for combat sports. To mark the occasion, four title fights took place, including the interim WBC light heavyweight championship that David Benavidez won by unanimous decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

But there was no doubt who the main attractions were on this night, and that was clear at Wednesday’s press conference. Davis and Martin bantered back and forth during the Wednesday news conference. Then when the two boxers did the traditional poses afterward, Davis pretended to take a swing at Martin. Martin flinched and Davis left the podium laughing.

This was Davis’ first fight since April 22, 2023, when he delivered a devastating left uppercut that handed Ryan Garcia a seventh-round knockout at T-Mobile Arena. Garcia, wearing a shirt that read “Tank’s No. 1 Fan,” congratulated and hugged the champion after the victory over Martin.

The 421-day layoff showed early as Martin won two of the first three rounds, including a right that caught Davis in the face.

That seemed to wake up Davis, who then took over the fight by repeatedly sending Martin into ropes and corners. Davis appeared ready to finish off Martin with several hard blows in the sixth round, bringing the pro-Tank crowd of 13,239 to its feet.

“I had to get in the right range,” Davis said. “He has a decent jab. I had to break him down as the fight was going on.”

Then in the eighth, Davis ended any doubts by charging after Martin early then knocking him out midway through the round. As Martin was being counted out, Davis bounced on the second rung of the ropes, jumped off, and then went to the top cords and did a backflip and stuck the landing.

“I got caught with a shot that I didn’t see,” Martin said. “It came from underneath.”

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Benavidez (29-0) made a successful debut in his move up from super middleweight. The Las Vegas resident defeated Gvozdyk (20-2), a Ukraine native who trains in Oxnard, California, by scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109.

Alberto Puello (23-0) of the Dominican Republic won the WBC interim super lightweight championship with a split decision over Gary Russell (17-1) of Capitol Heights, Maryland. Two judges gave Puello the victory with scores of 115-112 and 114-113 and another had it for Russell 118-109.

Dominican middleweight champion Carlos Adames (24-1) retained his WBC belt with a unanimous decision over Terrell Gausha (24-4-1) of Encino, California. Two judges scored the fight 118-110 and the other had it 119-109.

Heisman Trophy winner and Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was among those in attendance. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan and coach Antonio Pierce and owner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders also were in the crowd.

11

A significant development has occurred in the year-long investigation into the murder of Rachel Morin, a Harford County mother of five. Authorities have arrested Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, a 23-year-old undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mr. Hernandez is charged with first-degree murder and sexual assault in connection with Ms. Morin’s death, which occurred in August 2023 on a popular hiking trail. The investigation revealed that Mr. Hernandez entered the United States illegally in February 2023, shortly after allegedly committing a similar crime in El Salvador the prior month.

Through meticulous investigation, detectives were able to link Mr. Hernandez to Ms. Morin’s murder, as well as a separate assault and home invasion incident that occurred in Los Angeles, California, in March 2023. This connection suggests a potentially broader pattern of criminal activity.

A breakthrough in genetic genealogy analysis provided a crucial lead that ultimately led to Mr. Hernandez’s identification and apprehension. He was taken into custody at a Tulsa bar on Friday evening. Law enforcement officials report that Mr.Hernandez attempted to provide false information regarding his identity and the charges against him.

This arrest marks a significant step forward for law enforcement and offers some solace to Ms. Morin’s family. It also raises serious concerns about the potential for a serial offender operating across multiple states. The investigation into Mr.Hernandez’s activities remains ongoing.

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MIAMI (AP) — Amari Cooper’s football jersey hangs in the Coconut Grove Sports Hall of Fame. So does Frank Gore’s, alongside tributes to Negro League baseball player Jim Colzie and football coach Traz Powell, whose name adorns perhaps the most revered high school football stadium in talent-rich South Florida.

They represent West Coconut Grove when it was a vital majority-Black neighborhood hidden among some of the most affluent areas in Miami that boomed with family businesses, local hangouts and sporting events. Some call it West Grove, Black Grove or Little Bahamas in a nod to its roots. Most just call it The Grove — a place steeped in cultural history transformed by the decades.

“When you talk about what is The Grove, you’re talking about true history of South Florida,” said Charles Gibson, grandson of one of the first Black members of the Miami City Commission, Theodore Gibson.

Sports was its heartbeat. It nurtured the early careers of Olympic gold medalists and football stars like Cooper, national champions and future football Hall of Famers like Gore, all of whom trace their first sports memories to this close-knit community.

Today, few remnants of that proud Black heritage exist. Years of economic neglect followed by recent gentrification have wiped out much of the neighborhood’s cultural backbone. Robust youth leagues and sports programs have dwindled. Now, the community that once created an environment for young athletes to succeed — a trusted neighbor watching out for a young football player on his walk to practice, a respected coach instilling discipline and persistence in a future track star — is at risk of extinction.

“I think in two or three years, if something’s not done, Black Grove is going to be totally eradicated,” said Anthony Witherspoon, a West Grove native and founder of the Coconut Grove Sports Hall of Fame.

Witherspoon, known as “Spoon” by everyone in town, is a former college basketball player and coach who returned to West Grove in 2015 after nearly 30 years in Atlanta and found a neighborhood far different from the one that raised him.

Witherspoon recalled the late 1970s, when he would walk down the aptly named Grand Avenue — once the economic epicenter of West Grove — after a Friday night high school football game, grab dinner at a local mom-and-pop place and hang out at the popular Tikki Club.

The neighborhood’s earlier generations died, many of their families moved elsewhere and disinvestment led to poverty and neglect. Then redevelopment moved in, replacing longtime locals with non-Black newcomers. The mom-and-pops are largely gone. So is the Tikki Club, now an empty building, its last bit of vibrancy the Bahamian-inspired colors lingering on its walls.

“I was here. I lived in the community. I felt the impact of sports,” Witherspoon said. “I came back from Atlanta, Georgia, and I ran into the gentrification. And this was in the back of my mind: We still need to preserve this history.”

Witherspoon founded the Hall of Fame as a way to keep that legacy alive. A time capsule of about 90 athletes and coaches from the area, it starts with figures like Colzie, a World War II veteran who played baseball for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues, and continues with the former pro running back Gore and Cooper, a receiver with the Cleveland Browns.

“Coconut Grove is the nesting place for all of us athletes from this neighborhood,” said Gerald Tinker, a West Grove native who won a gold medal at the 1972 Olympics as a member of the U.S. 4×100 meter relay team. “They would always expect us to be just as good (as earlier generations), and just as humble as well. And it’s always been that way.”

The community’s reputation for athletics was birthed at George Washington Carver High School, a segregated Black school. Carver was a football powerhouse in the 1950s and 1960s, winning five state championships under Powell, who helped shape the landscape of Miami’s high school sports scene.

Harold Cole, a former coach and athletic director at nearby Coral Gables High School who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, said Powell’s influence has lasted generations.

“He was a coach; he was a mentor,” Cole said. “He was responsible for so many of the athletes that have come out of Coconut Grove.”

Cole said West Grove still has youth sports programs, but since many families have moved out and kids have dispersed to other school districts, “it isn’t quite the same.”

Integration in the 1970s forced Carver to close. It’s a middle school now, located in the wealthy nearby town of Coral Gables.

“That division broke the fabric of the community to a degree in the ‘80s,” Witherspoon said.

Nichelle Haymore’s family hopes to preserve some of the old neighborhood by reopening the Ace Theater, a popular spot for Black residents during the Jim Crow era. Haymore’s great-grandfather, businessman Harvey Wallace Sr., bought the theater on Grand Avenue in the 1970s. Born in West Grove, Haymore spent years in Texas before moving back in 2007 to help maintain the theater.

“The feel of the neighborhood is different,” Haymore said. “Neighbors who may have looked out for your house in the beginning, they don’t say hello, they don’t speak. People walk their dogs in your yard. That neighborly respect is different because the neighborhood is different.”

Shotgun-style homes belonging to Black residents have been torn down for sleek, boxy estates — called ice cubes by some — and condominiums far too expensive for the middle-class people that built the community. Abandoned, boarded-up buildings sit where landmarks used to draw crowds. Giant real estate advertisements are plastered on the fences of vacant lots.

“They’re knocking down homes that’s been in people’s families for years and they’re building townhomes,” said Denzel Perryman, a Coconut Grove native and former University of Miami star who is a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers. “So, it does affect the community because some kids who are from there, they end up going to different places, different parks because they don’t live in the Coconut Grove area.”

Perryman, who lived in Miami’s historic Black neighborhood of Overtown as a kid, spent most of his time in West Grove playing football at Armbrister Park or participating in the many after-school activities the community had to offer.

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Some still exist today. Perryman watched his childhood football team, the Coconut Grove Cowboys, win a Pop Warner championship in December. Youth teams still hold practices at Armbrister Park, though some of them look different from teams of years past.

“It’s unfortunate because you lose so much, the character,” said Gibson, a football and lacrosse coach. “There’s certain things in a community that has family ties to it. When you lose that, I think that it’s a sadness.”

Gibson is determined, like many other residents, to foster the same family environment that nurtured him.

“You can’t put a dollar sign on saying, ‘Go to grandma’s house. She (lives) next door,’” Gibson said. “You don’t even have to look outside because you know that it’s just 10 steps away and they’re inside the house. How can you put a value on that?”

In The Grove, that is the question people are struggling to answer — before it’s too late.

34

Sean “Diddy” Combs, once celebrated as a trailblazing music mogul and entrepreneur, has returned the key to New York City after a request from Mayor Eric Adams. This move follows a surge of allegations and a disturbing video showing Combs assaulting singer Cassie.

The controversy erupted when a video surfaced showing Combs in a violent altercation with Cassie, his former partner. This revelation came amidst a backdrop of numerous legal cases against him, further tarnishing his public image.

Mayor Adams, addressing the gravity of the situation, wrote a letter to Combs on June 4, 2024, expressing his dismay. “The key to the city is a symbol of recognition and honor, awarded to individuals who exemplify the highest standards of citizenship,” Adams stated in his letter. “The disturbing nature of the video involving Ms. Ventura (Cassie) and the ongoing legal issues are incongruent with the values this honor represents.”

Combs returned the key on June 10, 2024, acknowledging the gravity of the accusations and the implications of the video. His decision to relinquish the key reflects the mounting pressure and public scrutiny he faces.

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