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Former NBA player Royce White shakes up US Senate Republican primary

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon surrendered in a federal prison in Connecticut, he asked the unconventional U.S. Senate candidate from Minnesota to face by his side.

Royce White, who’s searching for the Republican nomination in next week’s primary to challenge incumbent Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, embraced Bannon last month and praised him as an “American hero.”

White also counts conspiracy theorist Alex Jones amongst his friends, and his past social media comments have been condemned as misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Semitic and blasphemous. His legal and financial troubles include unpaid child support and questionable campaign spending. As first reported by The Daily Beast, Among the possibly illegal expenses was $1,200 spent at a Florida strip club after losing the 2022 congressional election.

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But White surprised Minnesota politics in May when, with Bannon’s backing, he won the state Republican Party’s endorsement to tackle Klobuchar. He still needs a victory in Tuesday’s primary and is a transparent underdog against Klobuchar in November.

But his surprising success in a state that has a practice of electing unusual candidates — akin to wrestler Jesse Ventura for governor and comedian Al Franken for senator — made the race anything however the sleeper event it was made out to be.

Republican Senate candidate Royce White speaks to The Associated Press in Minneapolis, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)

His rise from a basketball player whose NBA profession was cut short by mental health issues to politics is an indication of the growing strength of the populist wing of the GOP that Bannon helped construct. White was a frequent guest on Bannon’s “War Room.”

It’s also telling of the present state of the Republican Party in Minnesota. It’s a state that has long been reliably Democratic in presidential politics, though Trump has promised to compete there this yr. Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate Tuesday further shakes up the state’s political landscape, and the GOP has yet to prove it’s able to compete within the state’s races. Yet Trump’s shadow looms over all, sometimes in ways in which amplify the voices of the extremists who embraced him, pushing those figures to the forefront.

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“Please Call Me Crazy” is the name of White’s podcast. He can also be a prolific user of social media, where he recently called himself “the new gold standard of American tough-guy, crushing, nationalist populism.”

His targets include the Federal Reserve, which he says is run by “Jewish elites,” in addition to the national debt, the border, LGBTQ+ activists, the mainstream media and his critics. He argues that as a black man, he can assist broaden the party’s base by appealing to voters of color within the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and others who’re disillusioned with establishment politics.

White drew little attention when he finished second within the 2022 GOP primary to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. That’s why, he said in an interview, he was as shocked as anyone when he won on the primary ballot on the state party’s convention in May, beating a more traditional Republican, Navy veteran Joe Fraser, who can also be running within the primary. White credits Bannon’s endorsement — and his own speech — with convincing delegates that he could be the strongest advocate for the pro-Trump “America First MAGA” movement.

Larry Jacobs, a political scientist on the University of Minnesota, said White’s endorsement was a “shocking example” of how easily the method might be manipulated when turnout is low. The convention was sparsely attended, and lots of delegates knew little about Fraser and were won over by White’s “energy and charisma.”

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“Royce is clearly not prepared to be a U.S. senator and candidate,” Jacobs said. “His past is shameful and he will be easy prey for Amy Klobuchar.”

It was only after the Republican Party endorsed that White’s story got here under scrutiny. The Campaign Legal Center he filed a grievance In June, the Federal Election Commission charged that White used congressional campaign funds to illegally pay greater than $157,000 for private expenses, stating that he “appears to have misappropriated donor money to benefit himself.”

White denies any improper spending. In a letter last month, he said he reimbursed his campaign for “unauthorized expenses,” including a visit to a strip club. He tweeted that he loved the food there. He admitted that he owed child support.

As a basketball player, White led Hopkins High School to a state championship in 2009. A shoplifting arrest hastened his departure from the University of Minnesota, but he was a star at Iowa State and was drafted by Houston in the primary round of the 2012 NBA draft. He had an anxiety disorder that included a fear of flying and never played in a game for the Rockets. His only NBA playing time was three minutes in three games with Sacramento in 2014. Now, he says he flies when he has to and that it won’t be an issue if he’s drafted.

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He returned to play in Big3, the 3-on-3 league co-founded by Ice Cube. It was Big3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz who introduced White to Bannon.

Republican Senate candidate Royce White (R) stands in solidarity with longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon as Bannon checks right into a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Haigh)

White also became friends with Jones, the Infowars host who’s owed thousands and thousands of dollars for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. White said Jones himself has admitted that a few of the things he said were improper, but he continues to be a fan.

“He has a lot of courage to say things a lot of people wouldn’t say,” White said.

Klobuchar, with greater than $6 million in campaign funds, could have an enormous financial advantage over any of the Republican candidates.

Klobuchar spokesman Ben Hill made no mention of his rivals, touting the senator’s legislative record on forcing pharmaceutical corporations to barter drug prices and winning aid for military veterans. “Senator Klobuchar is focused on her work in the Senate and delivering results for Minnesotans,” Hill said in an email.

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Fraser said in an interview that White’s confrontational style and message wouldn’t attract moderates and independents. He said he offered a more mainstream approach, emphasizing fiscal conservatism, a robust defense, global leadership and small government. White’s alliances worry Fraser.

“Bannon is Bannon, but I actually think his support for Alex Jones is an affront to decency,” Fraser said.

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Fraser points to his 26 years within the Navy, where he was an intelligence officer. His service included a combat tour in Iraq. He and his wife, also a Navy veteran, settled in Minnesota due to her family. He said their frustrations with the Biden administration “and its terrible foreign policy and its ineffective domestic policy” drove him into politics.

Former Minnesota Republican Party vice chairman Michael Brodkorb said White’s endorsement shows the method is flawed and a part of the issue is that Republicans like him not attend conventions.

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“You’ll see an active coalition of pro-Amy Klobuchar Republicans who will proudly and vocally support her if Royce White wins the primary,” Brodkorb predicted.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Politics and Current

The candidate of the mayor of New York Zellor Myrie releases a black program

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Zellnor Myrie, mayor, New York, Black agenda


New York Senator Zellor Myrie released his black program for New York He reports that before the Mayor’s campaign in New York.

His The agenda deals with 4 key points The increase in the black wealth of the community – international, public health, economic development and climate resistance and infrastructure repair – all based on his experience growing up in Brooklyn. “I grew up around Black New Yorkers who understood that if you were working hard, you had the opportunity to succeed in this city. Being on the road to success,” said Myrie during a press conference.

“But for too many black New Yorkers this is no longer a reality. The city is different, and the next mayor of this city must have a plan that will help black New Yorkers.”

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Myrie’s term of office as a senator of state from 2019 has placed him to support civil rights of black New Yorkers.

Together with the latest administration of Trump in office, a 38-year-old politician believes that one should concentrate on protecting pioneering citizenship by black leadership, because he says: “We have a president who clearly attacks black people throughout the country. The president, who eliminates disputes regarding civil rights, accuses employees of accused of enforcing civil rights,” said the candidate for Rican.

“The victories that we have fought for decades to achieve are now erased under this president.”

It has a strategy coping with all points in the public program, with one of the premises is accessible to everyone. When parents have difficulty obtaining inexpensive childcare in the city, Myrie He proposed an out -of -school program that may be free and would come with children from the age of three to seniors of high schools. . progRAM will operate until 18:00 on weekdays and guarantees Stains in a free summer academic city and the enrichment youth program.

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Others concentrate on his program include the establishment of the Fund for Buyers of First Generation Houses and counting on regulations regarding anti -discrimination in mortgage loans. While coping with public security, Myrie announced plans to expand the program of each CountS block, a pilot program launched in October 2024, which directs the prevention of violence using weapons. Taking public health, his agenda positions funds for dedicated delivery centers in black superiority districts and the extension of the Medicaid range for Doulas and midwives in the hope of reducing the high mortality of moms amongst black women.

His plan may even take care of mental health resources, implement free mental health services and a profession path for young black men and launches the center of trauma in the Rockaways districts in Queens.

Along with the democratic basis, which took place on June 24, 2025, Myrie collected nearly $ 4 million donations during her campaign, but is one of 4 black candidates applying for the mayor’s place. Candidates are the current mayor Eric Adams, Marshal of the City Council of Adrienne Adams and a former member of the Congregation Michael Blake.

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(Tagstranslate) nyc Mayor

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Politics and Current

Trump’s staff are trying to stop the “abuse” of Elon Musk’s relationship with the president, who cannot demand him because “there is no leverage over him, and Elon gives Zero FS”

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He is a spoiled brat of the inner circle of the magician, opening the thumb with Donald Trump’s “Tatus”, seemingly remaining a privileged son.

A jealous older brother Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Trump, who once enjoyed the same close president, declared war with the younger, richer Nemesis a couple of months ago, swearing that he banished him on January 20.

But this date has passed, and Elon is still standing, often alongside the president.

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The president of American Elekt Donald Trump and Elon Musk observe the launch of the sixth Starship Spacex rocket test on November 19, 2024 at Brownsville, Texas. The owner of the billionaire SpaceX, Elon Musk, Trump’s trustee, was used to manage the latest performance of the government department together with the former presidential candidate Vivka Ramaswamy. (Photo Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

However, this week, the General Director of Tesla could go too far. Musk undermined Trump’s announcement on Tuesday about an investment price $ 500 billion in the infrastructure of artificial intelligence, claiming that supporters of the “Stargate project” only a fraction of the proposed investments price $ 500 billion.

He even published a joke This suggested that the directors were burning Crack “to come up with the number of $ 500 billion for Stargate.”

Bannon saw, telling Musk journalists, “he should not reverse what the president was already talking about. This is unacceptable and unsatisfactory. You see how he is out of control.”

Trump, when asked about the number of Musk’s failures at a press conference on Friday, seemed to move his arms.

“I mean that Elon does not like one of these people,” Trump replied, referring to musk contempt for the general director of OPENAI Altman itself, one of the primary investors of the Stargate project.

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That’s all? No pink slip? Even insult? What does the President’s Musk have?

“It is obvious that he abused the proximity of the president,” Trump’s ally he said Politico. “The problem is that the president has no levers over him, and Elon gives zero f – s.”

As Politico noted: “It is very unusual for the senior adviser-Muska-in public to criticize the president’s initiatives, and his broadly favorable speculation in GOP circles about whether he and Trump will finally seem.”

But there are no signs of the upcoming breakup. Trump is unable to hide his feelings and although there have been reports that he has enough musk, the general director of Starlink retains almost unusual access to the president.

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Musk even has an office in West Wing, during which he pilots the “Department of Government”, an advisory commission created by Trump to eliminate waste in the federal government.

“We are now working with him to understand his ideas – the ideas are innovative. Make done not so much,” said a political official of the White House.

Bannon called on the chief of staff of Susie Wiles to “sit (musk) down” and “immediate sorting”.

He should already know: no person puts Elon in the corner.

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This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Black historians and leaders condemn the executive order of Trump addressed to the Smithsonian African American Museum: “Literal attack on Black America” ​​- essence

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Black historians and leaders condemn the executive order of Trump addressed to the Smithsonian African American Museum:

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, near the Washington monument. (Photo: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group by Getty Images)

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One of the latest executive orders of President Trump is to arouse serious slack and for a reason. New order entitled “Restoring truth and mental health to the history of America” He follows the Smithsonian institution particularly the National Museum of History and Culture of African American-conquering it consisting in pushing “a divisible, focused ideology on the race.”

But about this: the executive order ignores key facts about the history of America, akin to the founders’ fathers wrote slavery in the structure and announced enslaved people as three fifth people.

As Essence informed earlier, the order is about by JD Vance Vice President liable for reviewing the museum content and gives the internal secretary Doug Burgum the right to examine whether any monuments have been removed or modified “to consolidate a false reconstruction of America’s history.” In other words, direct effort is to rewrite history to match the president’s narrative – one which removes the influence of racism and black contribution to the nation.

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In 2017, at the starting of his first term, Trump actually praised the African American Museum and culture, saying that “he was deeply proud, that there is now a museum that honors millions of African Americans and women who built our national heritage.” Now he conducts the effort to undermine the institution itself, which he once called the treasure. But historians and black leaders don’t withdraw. As Clarke put it: “Let’s be a bright, black story is America’s story. Every rhetoric that opposes this concept is not only incorrect, but grossly racist.”

Historians, supporters of civil rights and black political leaders shouldn’t have this. Here’s what that they had to say about the latest attempt to whiten history.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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