Politics
Merch Aimed at Taylor Swift Fans Removed From Virginia Democrats’ Web Store
Piggybacking off the ads, the Democratic Party of Virginia started selling hats, mugs and buttons with the phrase “Swifties Against Youngkin” emblazoned on them in magenta writing, as reported by Washingtonian magazine on Thursday. A screenshot of the merch was tweeted Friday (Oct. 8) by Mediate reporter Katherine Higgins. There’s no word yet why the merch was pulled, but back in February 2017, Swift filed a series of trademarks for the word “Swifties” — the nickname for her fanbase. Swift’s spokeswoman has not responded to requests to comment about the singer/songwriter’s unwitting involvement in the Virginia gubernatorial race. In a statement to Billboard about McAuliffe’s Swiftie-targeting ad campaign, Democratic Party of Virginia sp...
Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Appeals to Taylor Swift Fans In New Campaign
The ads also contain images of Swift and Youngkin and the hashtag #WeStandWithTaylor, which fans used to support the singer amid the controversy. In 2019, Braun’s Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine Label Group — and with it, the entire catalog Swift released via the Scott Borchetta-owned label — in a $300 million deal. Following the deal, Swift took to Tumblr to reveal that she learned about it “as it was announced to the world,” and the news reminded her of the “incessant, manipulative bullying” she “received at [Braun’s] hands for years.” In a 2019 tweet, Swift asked The Carlyle Group to intervene after Braun and Borchetta, she claimed, prevented her from performing her music at the American Music Awards, where she was set to receive the Artist of the Decade award. She also said Borche...
SXSW Releases Statement Decrying ‘Discriminatory Laws’ in Texas
Both laws were met with widespread outrage and condemnation by artists as well as the general public, as well as calls for boycotts of the state. In its statement released today, SXSW said it would not abandon Austin, saying that leaving “would economically damage the city much more than it would the state. Much of the economic impact derived from our event benefits the city’s small business and creative communities. Austin is part of SXSW’s DNA, and we are committed to staying and fighting alongside the people who have made us who we are. We will continue to use our platform to further the progression of human rights at home and across the globe.” The statement was also released ahead of this weekend’s National Women’s March in support of reproductive rights, set to take place...
GOP Shoe Buffer Sen. Tim Scott Allegedly Lied About “Defunding The Police” Claims In Policing Reform Discussions
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Sen. Tim Scott has a record of being something of a stooge for the Republican Party and often gets marched out in front of cameras to serve in an elevated token Black role. The GOP senator made explosive claims that policing reform talks in Congress fell apart due to defunding the police being included in measures, but it appears Scott lied about it, allegedly. According to a report from The Washington Post, the South Carolina politician issued the claims after Democrats ended the talks after Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Karen Bass stated that they made several compromises to satisfy the demands of their GOP counterparts but their side was unwilling to relent. This lead to Scott publicly saying that Democrats were pushing for a “defund ...
White House “Music Man” Played Show Tunes to Calm Donald Trump
It wasn’t 76 trombones leading the big parade, but Donald Trump’s White House did employ a “music man” who solved problems with show tunes. According to a new book by former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, the “music man” was the only person who could manage Trump’s “terrifying” temper, playing hit songs from musicals to help calm him down. Grisham, who in her nine months on the job never held a televised briefing with reporters, has written a tell-all book entitled, I’ll Take Your Questions Now. Via the New York Times, she wrote that, “When I began to see how his temper wasn’t just for shock value or the cameras, I began to regret my decision to go to the West Wing.” When Trump spiraled out of the control, the only remedy was the “Music Man” — an unnamed...
Edge Deficient Candace Owens Trends After Alleged Parody Account Posts Image Of Stacey Dash In Her Stead
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Jason Davis / Getty Candace Owens gets dunked on quite routinely on Twitter and more of the same has occurred this fine Monday morning (September 27). The controversial conservative commentator and media personality found herself trending on the social media service after a reported parody account tweeted an image of former Trumper Stacey Dash in Owens’ stead. “Candace Owens will be our first female President of the United States, and wokesters won’t vote for her, because they’re the real racists,” tweeted @GaryPetersonUSA, which Twitter framed as a parody account of an older conservative white man who is all about the MAGA vibes if you get our meaning. If true, the account is actually pretty spot on when it comes to the sorts that frequent that sid...
Ted Nugent Confronted at Rally Where He Called Black Lives Matter a “Terrorist Organization”: Watch
Ted Nugent was challenged by a Black man during a political rally in Centreville, Michigan, where the guitarist called Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organization.” Only around 100 people attended Nugent’s appearance on Friday (September 17th) as part of the Jack Coleman Presents Ted & Shemane Nugent Constitution Tour. Apparently, 600 attendees were expected. Nevertheless, a camo-clad Nugent took the stage to pontificate his right-wing views to the mostly white crowd. At one point, Nugent touched on Black Lives Matter, even goading the audience to challenge his opinions regarding the movement. Advertisement Related Video “Aren’t there any BLM punks who want to come up and harass me?” Nugent asked, as reported by local news station WWMT. At that point, a Black man named Jalen Brown app...
Roland Martin Calls Out Chris Christie For Enabling Donald Trump
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz There’s an effort by former supporters of Donald Trump, like former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R), who are attempting to downplay any connections with him and the current state of the Republican Party. But other members of the press aren’t having it, such as journalist and broadcaster Roland Martin. During a segment on domestic terrorism on ABC’s This Week on Sunday (September 12th), host George Stephanopoulos brought up recent remarks made by Christie in a speech last Thursday suggesting that the party needs to walk away from the position of claiming that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump. “You’re now seeing more and more Republicans saying they’re buying into the conspiracy theories,” Stephanop...
StubHub Clears Final Hurdle of Viagogo Merger With Sale of Non-U.S. Assets
The sale ends a period of government-imposed silence between the two firms, which were allowed to communicate while the agreement worked its ways through the U.K. regulator system. “We are finally allowed to collaborate and begin planning the integration between the two companies,” says Jill Krimmel, StubHub’s interim president who said she will stay on as president once the integration is complete. That process couldn’t begin until the sale of StubHub’s international business was completed. It’s unclear how much Digital Fuel Capital paid for the international assets, which include 23 companies and limited liability corporations held by StubHub including its branded marketplaces in the U.K., Germany, Taiwan and parts of Europe through its Luxembourg ...
Poll: Only 1% of Californians Want Caitlyn Jenner to be Governor
In the midst of crisis, Californians recall a Democratic governor and elect a moderate Republican with little political experience but high name recognition. It worked for Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003, but Caitlyn Jenner doesn’t seem likely to repeat the trick. The reality TV star and Olympic gold medalist is only favored by between 1% and 2% of voters, according to multiple polls ahead of the September 14th election. Part of that is the simple fact that most Californians are Democrats, and they seem to be backing current governor Gavin Newsom. Via the FiveThirtyEight poll tracker, something like 52% of Californians have told pollsters they’ll vote to keep Newsom, compared to about 44% who would like him removed. A normal polling error would make the election extremely competitive, but ev...
Larry David “Screamed” at Alan Dershowitz in Martha’s Vineyard Store: “You’re Disgusting!”
A reminder that Larry David wore a MAGA hat on Curb Your Enthusiasm to make an ironic point: The comedian reportedly openly screamed at Alan Dershowitz in public after bumping into him in a store. David and Dershowitz were once pals, both staunchly Democratic, but apparently the Seinfeld creator took issue with the law professor’s involvement in Trump’s first impeachment defense. According to a report by Page Six that was confirmed by Dershowitz himself, the two crossed path at the Chilmark General Store on Martha’s Vineyard. When Dershowitz approached David, the latter tried to walk away, but the former pressed on. “We can still talk, Larry,” Dershowitz reportedly said. “No. No. We really can’t,” replied an increasingly irate David. “I saw you. I saw you with your arm ...
Willie Nelson Headlines Texas Protest Rally in Support of Voting Rights
“If you don’t like who’s in there, vote them out,” Nelson sang, inviting the crowd to join him in singing lyrics he’d previously written about taking a stand at the ballot box. “I felt like I needed to be here. It is a history-making event that is so necessary right now,” said Brenda Hanson, 75, of Austin. “I am a descendant of slavery and I am not interested in moving back. I want to see this country go forward. I have lived well over three quarters of a century and I have never seen us go backwards like this before.” Hanson said she is disabled but otherwise would have participated in the nearly 30-mile walk. Instead, she hoped to make a statement with her presence as she sat chanting in support on a bench under a tree. The march began Wednesday and ended Saturday when participants walke...
