Tunisia and Anti-Black Racism.

 How Tunisia became a hotspot for anti-migrant racism (newarab.com)

Violence in Tunisia against black migrants ended with their deportation from Sfax (rfi.fr)

Candi Staton ~ Nights on Broadway (Official Music Video - 1977)

The No Label Movement Exposed.

 

No Labels Exposed: Here’s a List of Donors Funding Its Effort To Disrupt the 2024 Race – Mother Jones

As Manchin Eyes Presidential Run, His Allies at No Labels Face Mounting Legal Challenges - The Intercept

No Labels Group Accused of Having Toxic Workplace (esquire.com)

How No Labels Went From Preaching Unity to Practicing the Dark Arts (thedailybeast.com)

 

Friday Updates.

 

Some breaking news is that SAG-AFTRA (which is powerful union in Hollywood) that represents 160,000 actors have decided to strike by midnight PT. They have negotiated for many solutions, but so far, the negotiations with the large corporations have failed. Actors and other workers want increased pay, residuals, more regulations of A.I. entities, and other benefits. They will join the 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who have been on strike for two months. The major studio is opposed to the strike as they believe it will cause financial hardship. This is the first major actors strike against television shows and movie productions since 1980. Hollywood actors and writers haven't been on strike at the same time since 1960. The strike can bring many productions to a halt. Sheryl Lee Ralph, Margot Robbie and Matt Damon support the SAG-AFTRA strike. Fran Drescher (yes, the famous actress) is the SAG-AFTRA union President.  Fran Drescher said that the large corporations receive massive profits at the expense of the actors and actress who sacrifice so much for the industry. At the end of the day, the strikers have the right to possess just compensation and real economic rights, so the strike is an opportunity for a resolution to come about that is fair to actors and writers alike.

Right now, the Special Counsel has interviewed top officials on election interference in Michigan, Arizona, and in Georgia. It is obvious that Donald Trump wanted a do over of the election after he lost the 2020 election. Trump's lawless attempt to steal the election in 2020 is unprecedented, and his actions to me represent criminal misconduct. Jack Smith is finding out what Trump wanting to do, what was he told about his plans, and other information on the attempt to ruin democracy as we know it in the United States of America. Special Counsel Jack Smith is serious about his work, because if he was to bring about more charges against Trump (relating to election interference), he wants to make sure that the evidence has been analyzed and is completed thorough in its composition.

President Biden gave a speech at the NATO summit at Vilnius, Lithuania to promote a total commitment to the survival of the Ukrainian nation. He said that he wants to promote democratic rights in the world, handle climate change, and strengthen NATO. Now, Finland is a new member of NATO and Sweden is about to have a new NATO membership too. Biden and NATO said that Ukraine ultimately will have NATO membership, but it will take some time as the war exists. Russia is angry at these developments, but Putin has nothing to blame but himself. Putin's forces attacked civilian targets in Ukraine, created an illegal invasion of Ukraine, and even harmed the free speech rights of Russian citizens in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talked with President Biden and both leaders agreed with a long-term plan to ultimate have Ukraine to win membership in NATO. G7 nations want to negotiate long term bilateral security commitment for Ukraine to build up its land, sea, and air defenses to deter future Russian attacks.

Recently, FBI Director Christopher Wray was sent a barrage of questions and criticisms from House Republicans. Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee. The hearing was heated as the GOP members accused the FBI of going a politically motivated witch hunt against Donald Trump. Obviously, this isn't true. We know that the federal government executed a legal search warrant against Donald Trump to retrieve classified documents that Trump desired to stay in his home. Chairman Jim Jordan accused the FBI of trying to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story of 2020 and suppressing reports about certain issues. FBI Director Wray said that he is not protecting Biden as that isn't the job of the FBI. The irony is that Wray was a Trump appointed leader, and the GOP extremists just want Trump to escape justice for his corruption and crimes against America.

One California Hosptial faces a federal investigation over accused mistreatment of black women. A recent United Nations report document the maternal health disparities among black women and found that racism and sexism are driving factors in higher maternal death rates for black women in America. This should change. Certainly, the federal government has every right to be involved as we want any black woman who made a choice to carry a pregnancy to birth to have total adequate medical care and human dignity (without systematic racism against black mothers). One California black father who lost his wife (who was a mother) supports the federal investigation. We live in unique times in America. The racism found in many in the GOP is overt in 2023. One Arizona Republican used the derogatory phrase of "colored people" to refer to black people on the House floor debate over a proposed amendment to a military bill. Rep. Joyce Beatty (a Democrat from Ohio) asked that the derogatory phrased that he used be stricken from the record, because it's offensive and racist. The phrased were removed by unanimous consent. We also have Tuberville from Alabama confused about the reality that white nationalism is about racism, and one person in Oklahoma denying the racist nature of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921. Crane's amendment is an attack on diversity. Many conservatives are wrong to hate diversity and inclusion, because no human is created monolithic. We are from different backgrounds, sexes, colors, and cultures. There is nothing wrong with that as diversity is part of human strength fully. 

By Timothy

Justice Department sues Mississippi.

 Mississippi discriminates against Black residents with appointed judges, Justice Department says (msn.com)

NATO and other News.

 

Recently, a judge dismissed the lawsuit from Tulsa Race Massacre survivors. This dismissal is wrong and a disgrace, but the survivors will appeal the decision and move onward. The Tulsa Race Massacre happened in 1921 when white racist terrorists bombed buildings, killed innocent men, women, and children, and used other methods to destroy a thriving black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The terrorists did this because of jealousy and a false allegation. About 300 African Americans were murdered and thousands of black Americans were homeless. Greenwood was a prosperous location known as Black Wall Street. It had restaurants, stories, movie theaters, and homes, and other forms of vibrant infrastructure. The lawsuit wants reparations for the victims. Randle, Viola Fletcher, and Hughes Van Ellis Sr. are all survivors of the massacre being over 100 years old. Attorney Solomon-Simmons will have an appeal. We certainly seek justice for the victims of an injustice.

Fulton County DA Fani Willis is continuing the investigation over Trump's alleged election tampering in the state of Georgia. There is a new grand jury selected in Fulton County, Georgia. This grand jury will look at the evidence and consider bringing charges against former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies for trying to overturn the 2020 election. There was a three-hour selection process in Atlanta to get a new grand jury. Trump failed to get Georgia officials and the governor to steal the 2020 election. It will take months for the jury to look at all of the evidence from the prosecutors about the Trump plot to try to steal the Georgia election. To secure an indictment, 16 of the 23 voting grand jury members would need to be present. Once that quorum is created, 12 votes would be needed to hand an indictment. A possible indictment could come between July 11 and September 1, 2023. Possible charges could be solicitation of election fraud, making false statements to state and local government bodies, conspiracy, violation of an oath of office, etc.

One important news is the NATO meeting at Vilnius, Lithuania. NATO said that Ukraine won't join NATO until certain conditions are met. This means that they want Ukraine to not join NATO until after the Ukraine war is over. Biden doesn't want Ukraine to join NATO for many reasons. One is that if Ukraine joins NATO during a war against Russia, NATO would be required to fight against Russia in Ukraine by treaty. This potentially means that U.S. troops in NATO could fight Russia causing possibly an escalation of the war into many places of Europe outside of Ukraine. Also, this could jeopardize many Americans in prison in Russia who desire to leave. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants Ukraine to join NATO ASAP. Zelensky told a crowd in Vilnius that Ukraine will make NATO stronger, and NATO will give Ukraine security. The war continues, and President Biden will go into Helsinki. Like always, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is immoral and illegal. We want Ukraine to be a free nation without the Russian invasion.

A study made by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior found that nearly half of all U.S. tap water has the industry made chemicals of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (or PFAS). These are forever chemicals can't degrade unless over 1,000 years from all if at all. These are synthetic substances made during the Manhattan Project (the government research project that caused America to create the first atomic bomb on Earth). These substances have the potential for causing cancers, behavior disturbances, metabolic derangements, harm to pregnancy, and harm to childhood development. These forever substances can be heat resistant and stain resistant. The 2015 Madrid Statement on PFAS said that these substances are found in indoor and outdoor environments, human tissues, wildlife, etc. They can travel into the food, soil, ground, and drinking water. They can damage the liver, the immune system, and other parts of the body. The EPA, the White House, and the government in general have to deal with this reality.

Days ago was the Birthday of Sister Mavis Staples, and she is 84 years old. She is one of the best in music. She has been an R&B singer, blues singer, and gospel singer for over six decades now. She also is a very well-known civil rights activist who was part of the family band called The Staple Singers. She was born in Chicago. She worked in her family group since 1950. Later, the Staples singers had many hits like Uncloudy Day. By 1957, Mavis Staples graduated from now what is called Paul Robeson High School. The Staple Singers toured the country of America to express their music with the leader Roebuck "Pops" Staples being a mentor to them. Mavis sang music along with Cleotha, Yvonne, and Pervis. The father played the guitar. Roebuck Staples was a friend to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, so they were very spiritual and conscious. The group covered pop hits with positive messages like Bob Dylan's A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fail and a version of Stephen Stills' For What It's Worth. The Staples had songs with more messages like Long Walk to D.C. and When Will We Be Paid? in favor of reparations for African Americans. She worked with members of Booker T. and the MGs (from Stax Records). The Staples singers made more hits like I'll Take You There, Let's Do It Again, etc.  Mavis made an album called Only For the Lonely in 1970. Her debut album was self-titled in 1969. She made more album like Time Waits for No One and The Voice in 1993. She gave a tribute release album in 1996. Mahalia Jackson was a family friend to Mavis Staples. Mahalia Jackson was the greatest gospel singer in history in my view. She made more music like the album That's What I Say, a tribute to the great Ray Charles. Her voice has been sampled by Hozier, Salt 'N Pepa, etc. Staples performed at the 33rd Kennedy Center Honors, singing in a tribute to honoree Paul McCartney. Her February 2016 album was Livin' on a High Note. The album had songs written for Staples by Nick Cave, Justin Vernon, tUnE-yArds, Neko Case, Aloe Blacc, etc. She worked with many artists. By 2017, her 16th album was If All I Was Was Black. She celebrated her 80th birthday in a concert at the Apollo Theater in May of 2019. In 2022, she released Carry Me Home with Levon Helm. She won many Grammys including Album of the Year in 2022 with We Are (with Jon Baptiste and others as a songwriter). 

I wish Sister Mavis Staples more Blessings.

By Timothy

The History of Rock and Pop Music Part 3: The 1970's Rock, Pop, Folk, and other Genres of Music

 The History of Rock and Pop Music Part 3: The 1970's Rock, Pop, Folk, and other Genres of Music | PDF | Funk | Music (scribd.com)