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Court supports firing Milwaukee police officer following Sterling Brown’s 2018 arrest

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was rightly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that sparked public outrage.

Officer Erik Andrade was involved within the 2018 arrest of Sterling Brown, who went on to play for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Brown alleged that police used excessive force and targeted him because he’s black when he was confronted about illegally parking in a handicap accessible space. When the situation escalated, he talked to officers while waiting for a call. The officers caught him and used a stun gun because he didn’t immediately comply and took his hands out of his pockets.

Andrade didn’t take part in Brown’s arrest, but transported him after his arrest.

Brown filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against town, police and a number of other officers who were involved in his arrest, including Andrade.

In the lawsuit, Brown referred to a series of racist memes posted on Facebook by Andrade. In one post just a few hours after his arrest, Andrade wrote: “Nice to meet Sterling Brown of the Milwaukee Bucks at work this morning! Lol#FearTheDeer.”

Sterling Brown #23 of the Milwaukee Bucks holds a Hyperice Hypervolt throughout the first quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Orlando Magic throughout the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena on the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida . (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The lawsuit alleges that about three months later, Andrade also shared a disparaging meme about NBA star Kevin Durant.

Andrade was fired in 2018 after being suspended for violating the department’s code of conduct over his social media posts, not for his conduct during Brown’s arrest.

Then-Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said during Andrade’s disciplinary hearing that he was fired since the Facebook posts could be used to undermine his credibility in future criminal proceedings and due to this fact he wouldn’t be allowed to testify.

Andrade deleted his Facebook account the day the lawsuit was filed. He sued the Milwaukee Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, which reviewed and upheld the chief’s decision to fireside him. Andrade argued that his due process rights had been violated.

Both the Milwaukee County Circuit Court and a state appellate court upheld his dismissal, leading Andrade to appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

In Tuesday’s ruling, the Supreme Court voted 5-2 to search out that the police chief adequately explained the evidence supporting Andrade’s firing and gave him a likelihood to reply.

“We conclude that the Due Process Clause does not require a more stringent and rigid early termination process than the one Andrade received,” Justice Brian Hagedorn said, writing for almost all.

The court also found that the police chief followed the law by listing the policies Andrade violated and referring to the Facebook posts that formed the premise of the violations in filing a criticism with the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commissioner.

Hagedorn was joined in the bulk by judges Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky and Janet Protasiewicz. Chief Justice Annette Ziegler and Justice Rebecca Bradley disagreed.

The dissenting judges said they didn’t condone Andrade’s behavior but believed his due process rights were violated.

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Andrade’s attorney, Brendan Matthews, said he was “disappointed but not surprised” by the ruling.

“This continues the disturbing deterioration of due process, not only for police officers, but for all ‘defendants’ in the state of Wisconsin,” he said in an email. “It is unfortunate and will certainly have tragic consequences in the future.”

Brown’s attorney, Mark Thomsen, said the ruling confirms that the police chief has the authority to fireside an individual for violating the code of conduct.

“Andrade knew he violated Sterling Brown’s rights and knew his social media posts were racist,” Thomsen said. “He got what was coming to him.”

Under the 2021 settlement, town paid Brown $750,000 and issued an apology. The Milwaukee Police Department also said it “deems the incident escalated in an unnecessary manner and despite Mr. Brown’s calm demeanor.”

brownHe spent his first three years within the NBA with the Bucks, from 2017 to 2020. He also played for the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers before joining Alba Berlin of the German Basketball Bundesliga and EuroLeague in 2023.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’; group chats are going crazy

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Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com

There are few things more exciting than receiving an infinite barrage of text messages at the very same time in numerous group chats. This normally implies that something vital has happened in popular culture. Well, the exact same thing happened about noon on November 22, within the yr of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, higher often called Kendrick Lamar, released the album “GNX”, nod towards Buick Grand National Regal GNXa rare muscle automobile released in 1987 – which also happens to be the yr Kendrick was born.

“GNX” is coming to the tip of what has been a banner yr for Kendrick Lamar. From epic diss records geared toward Drake, to creating the largest song of his profession (and a Drake diss track) on “Not Like Us”, to the “Pop Out” concert streaming live to tell the tale Amazon Prime, Kendrick won this yr. He even received seven Grammy nominations, mostly for “Not Like Us.” And this victory will proceed in the brand new yr. In September, it was announced that Kendrick would stay Super Bowl 2025 headliner will happen in New Orleans. This announcement sparked some controversy and comments from several New Orleans legends similar to Juvenile and most notably Lil Wayne, who felt disrespected; Kendrick immediately refers to this topic within the opening song of the album (all stylized in lower case), “wacced out murals”.

The thing is, Kendrick didn’t sleep for many of 2024. And then, while the remaining of us were minding our own business, listening to other albums that had just dropped, like Ice Cube’s “Man Down,” I began receiving text after text… and I knew that would only mean that something vital happened.

At this point in my life (and possibly even yours), Kendrick Lamar releases are a drop-everything-and-listen event. I immediately went to the streaming service, launched “GNX” and pressed “Play”.

I need to admit that the primary time I heard the album I used to be a bit confused. Kendrick has probably never been more popular or famous; if there was ever a time to drag a Kanye West and release his own version of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – an album largely produced as Kanye’s best and most representative of Kanye’s greatness – now could be the time. “GNX” has a far more modern West Coast vibe and is certainly more for his die-hard fans than anyone who just began gaining attention due to his beef with Drake. Maybe that was the purpose; possibly not.

Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com
Photo: Dave Free

Either way, I can imagine that folks whose favorite lines are “OV-Ho” won’t be immediately thrilled. I wasn’t immediately blown away (though very amused by how sensitive Kendrick is to what people say about him on social media, well, everyone), but as is all the time the case with Kendrick albums, repeated listens are likely to correct any immediate monotony that I even have about his projects. For example, now that I’ve listened to it just a few times, I can not wait to listen to black college bands playing “tv off” style, which seems like a cousin of “Not Like Us.” The Shoot, Bayou Classic, which also takes place yearly in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day, stands out as the first time we hear a band playing “TV off.”

Since the album didn’t come out long enough to be reviewed, group chats and social media were abuzz with immediate reactions. This is the a part of music releases I really like, where everyone seems to be listening to the identical thing, offering premature takes that will not even delay the following day. I’m not different; I’m sure I’ll say something about this album that can sound silly by Monday. Shoot, I can have already done it. But that is what happens when great artists release music. We spend time with others after which we refer to them, analyze them, criticize them, praise them, destroy them and let all our prejudices fly free. Love it.

It’s value noting that certainly one of Drake’s diss tracks that did not appear during last summer’s fracas was titled “The Heart Part 6,” and was an apparent try to usurp Kendrick’s pre-album practice of removing a non-album song titled “The Heart.” Well, Kendrick has a song on his recent album called, you guessed it, “The Heart, Pt. 6,” which I feel will probably be released soon Drake. Good job, Kenny.

Argue.


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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New music this week: Tyla, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones and more – Essence

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Happy Friday, people! Whether you are drinking a warm beverage or preparing for a fun-filled weekend, this week’s latest music releases set the tone. From sensual R&B melodies to powerful hip-hop anthems, these songs have something for everybody.

Coco Jones leads the pack along with her seasonal album, and Tyla offers a heartfelt change of tone with “Tears.” Miguel’s smooth “Always Time” and Jorja Smith’s tender “Stay Another Day” showcase R&B at its finest, while Lola Brooke and Killer Mike turn up the warmth on “Go To Yo Head” and “Warryn’s Groove,” respectively. Today’s list also includes music from Eric Bellinger, Coi Leray, Blxst and more.

Below you possibly can read our list of latest products.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Serena Williams is cutting short divorce talks for a second time after the couple reunited and put months of rumors to rest

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Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian are still doing well despite months of unconfirmed divorce rumors.

On November 17, Williams and the Reddit co-founder took a walk down memory lane and tested one another by asking questions on themselves and their family in a recent promotional ad. The couple ate a few of their favorite meals and meanwhile checked their glucose levels using Hello Lingo, a glucose monitoring device.

Nearly five minutes into the recording, Williams tested her husband’s memory by asking, “Who said I love you first?”

Ohanian, who shares two daughters, Olimpia and Adira, with the tennis legend, responds quickly by saying, “Mmm,” before writing his answer on the board.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian recall who said “I love you” first amid divorce rumors. (Photo: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

“It’s like ‘The Newlywed Game,'” Williams said, writing down her answer, referring to the mid-Nineteen Sixties show “The Newlywed Game,” which tested couples who had been married for lower than two years to see if how much they learn about their relationship. amplifier.

Both Williams and Ohanian turn the board over to reveal their answers and, quite shockingly, they received two different answers. Ohanian wrote that Williams said it first, but Williams claims it was Ohanian.

“Come now. Are you going to lie about this? he declared to Williams, who responded with a laugh: “I said I would be honest.”

“That’s not an honest answer,” Ohanian continued. “I still keep in mind that phone call. Oh, you realize I felt the same, but you certainly said it first.

Williams joked: “My glucose levels were high. I ate some ice cream, my glucose level was too high. Then I tell this guy and I feel like saying things I would not normally say. The moment ended with Williams replaying how she told Ohanian those three special words.

Of course, there was no shortage of reactions from fans who showed their love for the couple and how well they interact of their normal element.

One YouTube commenter he wrote“It’s great to see Serena and Alexis in this normal environment, they are so lovely and have great charisma. I love them even more now and I feel great chemistry between them.”

Someone else said: “I liked this part. They seem to really like each other.”

However, as rumors swirled about problems of their marriage, one fan was confused by the video shared on Instagram.

“I thought I read that they got divorced?” he wrote one person in Williams’ comment section.

Someone else also addressed the rumors, writing: “Where are the haters who said divorce was imminent? Sometimes people will be crazy. Seriously, how are you going to even start assuming things like that about people you have never met?

This summer, fans began speculating that Williams and her seven-year marriage to Ohanian were in trouble after they noticed she hadn’t posted from him on her social media pages in some time.

Moreover, Ohanian was noticeably absent from the June premiere of the documentary “In the Arena: Serena Williams” and was also absent from her side at the Met Gala in May.

But they got back together this summer after they attended the Paris Olympics with their daughter Olympia in July.

Among the many viral moments spent with the Ohanian family, she organizes: umbrella for his wife and the European commentator – who didn’t realize he was her husband – and called Ohanian Serena’s “umbrella holder”.

The tech guru reacted to the moment hilariously by snapping a photo of himself holding an umbrella over himself and his daughter.

Ohanian joked, “I am also a personal Olympia umbrella owner. Sidebar: You all set the bar too low for me and celebrity daddies only get flowers for *admitting* they have kids.”

The proud dad is probably also Adira’s personal umbrella holder.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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