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  • Writer's picturethebite
    • Jan 16, 2019
    • 2 min read

Hey Cousins

Government Shutdown Continues

Mr. Not My President (is he yours?) has now turned his temper tantrum over his border wall into the longest government shutdown in history. What is he asking for again? Just $5B to “protect” roughly 200 miles of the US border with Mexico. What will it be made of? Concrete, steel, or solar panels, depending on the day.  Democratic leaders did offer $1.3B (in line with what was approved last year), but 45 responded with “Wah wah wah, b**** I’m the baby.” So now 800,000 federal employees are stuck working with no pay and there’s no end to the shutdown in sight. We personally can’t help but wonder if this is part of a larger effort to distract the public from the ongoing FBI investigation into 45 and his campaign. As we head into the 4th week of the shutdown, his Fixer is preparing to testify before Congress, his campaign lead’s proverbial Instagram is still a liar,  and we now know that Donnie is officially being investigated as a Russian asset. Criminal Justice Wins

This week, Cyntoia Brown, who was convicted as a teen for killing her rapist, was granted clemency and the internets rejoiced! She will be released from a Tennessee prison on August 7. Also, voting rights were recently restored for 1.4 million felons in Florida. This can have a huge impact on upcoming elections, especially for a state consistently known to play voter suppression games at the polls. Liberty and Justice for All or Nah?

A Birmingham civil rights group recently canceled an upcoming awards ceremony honoring Black Panther icon Angela Davis because she supports human rights for Palestinians. CNN fired Marc Lamont Hill for taking a similar stance and US House newcomer Ilhan Omar has faced criticism for the same. Can folks criticize Israel for their human rights violations against Palestinians and not be anti-Semitic? Feels like déjà vu. Don't Sleep on 2020

A few new contenders have expressed that they’ll be ‘bout that action in the 2020 presidential election. Learn more about them here. It’s never too early.

Around the Diaspora

Calling the ganja farmers, Jamaica is planning to roll out a marijuana cultivation project that will allow small farmers to benefit. Changes are expected to start in March 2019.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an opposition candidate recently won the presidential election, but he’s neither collecting $200 nor passing go without achallenge.

Culture that Pops Big Boi makes an interesting move and agrees to be the 2nd hip hop artist on the line up for the Super Bowl halftime show. Is this the right move for the culture?

Missy Elliott got some respeck put on her name by being first female rapper to beinducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  Well deserved, sis!

The Points Guy helped this Brooklynite explore Benin and Togo based on the results of his Ancestry DNA test. Talk about travel goals inna real life!

There's a new card game in town and it's for us, by us. Check out The Meme Game. It's like Black Twitter and Spades had a baby.



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