What started out as a gesture of remembrance has turned into quite the controversy. On Monday (June 8), members of the Democratic Party joined together to remember the life and loss of George Floyd amid the multiple memorial services that are taking place nationwide. American citizens continue their peaceful protests against police brutality and socio-economical injustice, and to show their solidarity, Democrats took a silent knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds at the Capitol's Emancipation Hall.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and around two dozen other Democratic members of Congress participated in the event, all wearing African textile Kente cloth stoles. "The significance of the Kente cloth is our African heritage," Rep. Karen Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus said. "And for those of you without that heritage, we're acting in solidarity. That is the significance of the Kente cloth -- our origins and respecting our pasts."
Even so, not everyone received the gesture and look with open arms. People stormed social media to criticize the politicians with accusations of cultural appropriation for wearing a traditional African print for political gain. Check out a few responses below and let us know if you think people are overreacting.
Nancy Pelosi Calls Donald Trump "Morbidly Obese"
Nancy Pelosi says it's not a good idea for Donald Trump to be taking hydroxychloroquine since he's "morbidly obese."
If you were logged onto Twitter last night, there's a chance you saw one of the many trending topics about President Donald Trump. This time, there was a hashtag being circulated about the leader of the free world being morbidly obese. It all originated from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments about him taking hydroxychloroquine to ward off the coronavirus.
Trump shockingly revealed that, for the last few weeks, he has been taking hydroxychloroquine in an effort to stay protected from COVID-19. The medication has not been approved for the treatment of the virus, which makes his choice surprising.
Speaking about his choice with Anderson Cooper, Nancy Pelosi said that she doesn't believe it's a good idea.
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"As far as the President is concerned, he's our President and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists," she said. "Especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group -- morbidly obese, they say. So, I think it's not a good idea."
The comment brought forth an important question: is Donald Trump actually morbidly obese? In short, no, he is not.
The CDC defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 30. Trump, who is 6'3", most recently clocked in at 243 pounds during his annual physician's check-up in February 2019. That gives him a BMI of 30.4, which is just over the obesity mark. However, in order to be considered "morbidly" obese, he would need to be about sixty pounds heavier.
Despite Trump not actually being morbidly obese, he should probably not be taking hydroxychloroquine... Scientists haven't approved it for a reason...
House Passes $2 Trillion Stimulus Package To Fight Coronavirus
The United States has officially passed a $2 trillion stimulus package, the "Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act."
United States history has been made amid one of its darkest crises in recent memory, the coronavirus pandemic. The House Of Representative has officially passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, complete with the appropriate acronym of CARE. The stimulus package, which consists of $2 trillion dollars, has now moved to the White House to be signed by President Donald Trump.
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Naturally, coming to a conclusion took hours of debate, as is often the case when politicians are forced to gather. Yet they did manage in the end, coming up with a solution designed to provide $1,200 to every American citizen, with hundreds of billions of dollars reserved for businesses both small and large. Apparently, $50 billion has been designated to assist the struggling passenger airline market, which has taken a major hit since the coronavirus rendered recreational travel all but impossible. $367 billion has been designated for small businesses with an employee count of fewer than 500.
CNN reports that the package's creation was nearly stymied by the Republican representative, Kentucky's Thomas Massie, whose insistence in calling an in-person vote had to be thwarted by House leadership -- but not before several fellow representatives were forced to travel to Washington to mobilize against his effort. The move led to a scornful tweet from Donald Trump, who called for Massie's removal of the Republican party.
In any case, the historic package is all set to be made official. The economic effects of the stimulus package have yet to become evident, though it should go a long way in providing some much needed financial stability to an economy on the verge of an unexpected collapse.
Snoop Dogg & 50 Cent Propose A Gayle King Trade For Nancy Pelosi
Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent have been criticizing Gayle King for asking Lisa Leslie about Kobe Bryant’s rape trial and how it affects his legacy.
The tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and eight others in a helicopter crash several weeks ago shook the world to its core. That’s how impactful the Los Angeles Lakers legend was. Throughout his career on the court, he employed his Mamba Mentality to win titles and off the court, he used it to be the best father to his girls and an exemplary husband to his longtime love Vanessa Bryant. Not only is the basketball community feeling his loss but the entire world is as well. Gayle King spent time with Lisa Leslie to chat with her about her friendship with the late star and, in a viral clip, she discusses the rape trial that Bryant was involved in in 2003. People are being very critical of her questions and King has since explained that the video going around is from a much longer interview that has yet to air. Despite her explanation, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg have been lobbying against the television personality, urging her to refrain from speaking further about Kobe and even suggesting a “trade” between her and Nancy Pelosi.
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Both Pelosi and King were in headline news this week. King for her Kobe Bryant question and Nancy Pelosi for ripping up one of Donald Trump’s speeches on live television. With the NBA trade deadline occurring this week, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent want to extend the finish line a bit to allow a trade between Pelosi and King, joking that the “black delegation” no longer wants Gayle on their side.
“Yeah fuck it, get her out of here, at least we still got Whoopi,” said Fif in his caption. Snoop posted the same image, adding, “Trade accepted.”
Fair trade or nah?
State Of The Union: Trump Snubs Pelosi So She Rips His Speech & Parkland Dad Gets Booted
The father lost his daughter in a school shooting and yelled when Trump mentioned the Second Amendment.
President Donald Trump is a highly criticized political leader who drums up controversy wherever he goes, and Tuesday (February 4) evening's State of the Union address was unsurprisingly contentious. There were plenty of noteworthy moments that occurred during the event, but there were a couple of highlights that social media can't stop talking about.
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To begin, Trump and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi continued their Petty Betty tit-for-tat. When Trump made his way to center stage, he gave a copy of his speech to both Vice President Mike Pence and Pelosi. It looked as if the president avoided shaking hands with his foe, so Pelosi paid him back when Trump's speech concluded by tearing it up in front of everyone.
There was a point when Trump spoke about American's rights and he said, “So long as I am president, I will always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms." That didn't sit well with Fred Guttenberg, a man who's 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed during the Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. He was personally invited to the State of the Union by Pelosi.
A Huffington Post reporter at the scene stated that Guttenberg disrupted the speech by yelling "victims of gun violence like my daughter" at the president. He was quickly escorted out of the building. Check out highlights below.