Donald Trump is not racist, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith says as he insists 'brothers found him to be cool' READ MORE: Jake Paul's savage response to fellow Donald Trump supporters READ MORE: My message to athletes doing the Trump dance - TIM HOWARD Follow DailyMail.com's politics live blog for all the latest news and updates By ALEX RASKIN and ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 21:56 GMT, 25 November 2024 | Updated: 22:02 GMT, 25 November 2024 e-mail 5 View comments Donald Trump is not a racist, or at least not in the eyes of black men, says ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. Speaking with comedian Bill Maher on his show, Club Random , the increasingly political Smith dismissed the accusations of racism Trump has faced since the early 1970s. 'If we're being totally honest, all the brothers found him to be cool,' said Smith, who has been very critical of Democrats since their election defeat. 'They found him to be very cool. So, let's be clear. Because he knew his sports, all right? He would say what he feels, he bucked the establishment, which we love, and we gravitated to that.' Maher agreed. 'I don't think his motivation is ''I don't like black people,''' Maher said. 'I think his motivation is: ''Everybody must love me.'' Donald Trump is not a racist, or at least not in the eyes of black men, says Stephen A. Smith Smith leapt to Trump's defense following his victory in the presidential election this month Read More Trump at UFC footage Claiming he knew Trump from before his days as a politician, Smith then denied ever calling the 78-year-old racist. 'I have never spoken about him that way,' Smith said. 'Ever. Not one time. Not one time. Because I knew him beforehand.' Trump was able to make slight inroads with black voters nationally, who made up about 1 in 10 voters across the country. Nationally, about 8 in 10 black voters supported Harris. But that was down from about 9 in 10 in the last presidential election who went for Joe Biden. Trump about doubled his share of young black men – which helped him among key Democratic voting group. About 3 in 10 Black men under the age of 45 went for Trump, roughly double the number he got in 2020. Allegations of racism against Trump did not originate with his first foray into politics eight years ago. In 1973, for example, the Justice Department sued the real estate tycoon and his father for their alleged refusal to rent apartments in predominantly white buildings to black tenants. Testimony showed that applications filed by black apartment seekers were marked with a 'C' for 'colored.' The lawsuit ended in a settlement in which the Trumps acknowledged they 'failed and neglected' to comply with the Fair Housing Act, though they were never required to explicitly acknowledge discrimination had occurred. Stephen A. Smith and Bill Maher disputed the notion that Trump is a "terrible racist." Smith: "If we’re being totally honest, all the brothers found him to be cool. They found him to be very cool. So, let’s be clear. Because he knew his sports, all right? He would say what he... pic.twitter.com/AWT9NbmQt7 — Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) November 25, 2024 Trump, seen alongside billionaire donor Elon Musk, has faced racism accusations since the 70s In 1989, Trump infamously took out full page newspaper ads calling for New York state to reinstate the death penalty as five black and Latino teenagers were set to stand trial for beating and raping a white woman in Central Park. Black clergy leaders responded with their own full-page ad denouncing Trump's as a 'thinly veiled racist polemic' meant to divide the city. The Rev. Al Sharpton also organized a demonstration outside Trump Tower. The five men were eventually exonerated in 2002 after another man admitted to the crime and it was determined their confessions were coerced. In the 1990s, the Atlantic City casino mogul frequently cast doubt about the legitimacy of tribes seeking to build casinos in the New York area, citing their dark skin as evidence they were faking their ancestry. 'They don't look like Indians to me, and they don't look like Indians to Indians, and a lot of people are laughing at it,' Trump said of the Mashantucket Pequots who operate Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut during testimony before Congress in 1993. Tribe leaders at the time called out the remarks as racist. The National Indian Gaming Association filed a Federal Communications Commission complaint after Trump made similar remarks on Don Imus' talk radio show. The group described his on-air comments as 'obscene, indecent and profane racial slurs against Native Americans and African Americans.' The FCC declined to take action, though it called the remarks 'deplorable' and 'offensive.' Trump picked one prominent African-American candidate for his second term in ex-NFL player Scott Turner (right), who will head Housing and Urban Development The Republican businessman also famously used the 'birther' conspiracy to propel himself into national politics in the late 2000s. During the Obama administration, he baselessly claimed the nation's first black president wasn't qualified to hold the office because he was born in Kenya, not the U.S., as is required under the Constitution. He recanted the statements, however, during his winning 2016 campaign. Trump's cabinets have been largely without of any African Americans with the notable exception of his Housing and Urban Development nominees: Ben Carson, from 2017 through 2020, and his current pick, former NFL player Scott Turner. Donald Trump Share or comment on this article: Donald Trump is not racist, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith says as he insists 'brothers found him to be cool' e-mail Add commentPETER VAN ONSELEN: The rot at the core of Team Albo has been exposed by these shady last minute acts - including a startling admission about the misinformation bill By PETER VAN ONSELEN, POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 18:46 EST, 24 November 2024 | Updated: 18:48 EST, 24 November 2024 e-mail 6 View comments The poor priorities and inconsistencies of Anthony Albanese 's government are nearly summed up by the political manoeuvres taking place as we enter the final parliamentary sitting period before the summer break. They are tangible evidence for why Labor is floundering in the polls in just its first term in power. On the one hand, Labor spent months telling us its misinformation bill was a vital reform aimed at stamping out... you guessed it, misinformation in public discourse. Yet Labor dumped the bill once a united front lined up against it - the Coalition, the Greens, a plethora of crossbenchers representing the right and the left. But it didn't just walk away from what it once claimed was so important in the here and now. It has promised not to pursue the changes even after the election - assuming it is victorious - with Special Minister of State Don Farrell saying: 'That's the end of it'. I guess what was proposed can't have been that important after all. In truth the proposed laws were highly subjective, badly drafted, lacked consultation and transparency in their development, impinged on free speech, and even if you liked the idea of muzzling opinion they didn't go far enough to satisfy supporters. So they have been thrown in the policy garbage bin, as they should be. Anthony Albanese's government spent months telling us its misinformation bill was a vital reform aimed at stamping out misinformation. It has now promised not to pursue the changes even after the election, assuming it is victorious. I guess it mustn't be so important, after all Submissions for public comment on the misinformation bill closed back in September. However they have never been uploaded and made public. I suspect the government wanted them hidden from view because they were so scathing. It is so ironic that when Labor walked away from the misinformation bill its political spin to justify doing so was littered with untruths. They claimed, for example, that the Coalition and the Greens were in cahoots - even though their opposition to the bill was for diametrically opposing reasons. The Greens said the bill didn't do enough to stop misinformation, while the Coalition said it was an attack on free speech. The government's approach to its planned social media laws that ban under 16s from accessing platforms such as TiKTok and Reddit is equally shady. The government opened public comments on the bill for just a single day. That's not how good government takes consultation seriously. Labor will be successful rushing its youth social media bans through the parliament because the Coalition came up with the idea before the government did, and it plans to support the changes. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is now pushing her bill to ban under 16s from social media. The government is likewise employing shady tactics to ram it through It will likely do the same when it comes to election donations reforms , which haven't even been sent to a parliamentary committee for consultation and public feedback. So much for good policy process on that front. Meanwhile, there won't be legislation forthcoming to curb online gambling or gambling ads, as had previously been promised. Why? Probably because Labor doesn't want to upset big media organisations who enjoy streams of revenue from its advertising. So what excuse have they used to justify the inaction and the broken promise? 'This is a very difficult and complex piece of work that simply cannot be finalised in the remaining week that we have of parliament this year', according to minister Murray Watt. Yet so are changes to social media usage and laws designed to curb misinformation. As are adjustments to political donations. Yet Labor found ways to rush these law making processes when it suited them. Such inconsistency is equally evident when you listen to Labor's rhetoric about concern for young Australians as it moves towards social media bans. But the sound of crickets is all you hear when asking the same politicians why they won't act to curb online access to violent and graphic pornography for minors. Be the first to comment Be one of the first to comment Comments Now have YOUR say! Share your thoughts in the comments. Comment now All of the above highlights the policy-making failures of this government. It's proof positive that it is a bad government unworthy of re-election. Which is not to say it won't win re-election. No first term federal government has lost a re-election attempt since 1931, so history favours Albo's chances of securing a second prime ministerial term. While social policy scripts such as those referred to above are dominating the final sitting period, voters could be forgiven for wondering why Labor's priorities are focused in that direction and not on the economy. On Wednesday we'll get updated monthly CPI figures. We already know inflation is higher than in other western nations and there are no guarantees interest rates will fall in the first half of next year. That's despite anaemic economic growth and falling real living standards. You would have thought Labor wanted the optics of its final sitting week to be all about the economy and its plans to address cost of living concerns hurting so many Australians. Yet that isn't the focus at all, probably because Labor can't say anything too positive on that front because it's fiscal policy settings - spending too much - are grinding up against the RBA's monetary policy advice. Reddit TikTok Anthony Albanese Share or comment on this article: PETER VAN ONSELEN: The rot at the core of Team Albo has been exposed by these shady last minute acts - including a startling admission about the misinformation bill e-mail Add commentPress Council Adjudication
Romanian leftist PM and hard-right candidate in a tieNoneNone
Time for talking and campaigning is over. Politicians will now have to sit back and observe how voters express themselves in the voting booths on Wednesday.We have seen how politic ... If you are an active subscriber and the article is not showing, please log out and back in. Free access to articles from 12:00.
NonePANDEF rejects ACF claim, says only Niger Delta endures marginalisationTop 25 College Hoops Picks Against the Spread – Sunday, November 24
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans on Sunday voted in the second round of the country's presidential election , with the conservative governing party and a left-leaning coalition locked in a close runoff following level-headed campaigns widely seen as emblematic of the country's strong democracy. As polls closed Sunday evening, turnout stood at 89.4% — around the same as during the first round last month in which the two moderate coalitions both failed to win an outright majority. Voting in Uruguay is compulsory. Depending on how tight the vote turns out to be, electoral officials may not call the race for days — as happened in the contentious 2019 runoff that brought center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou to office and ended 15 years of rule by Uruguay’s left-leaning Broad Front by a razor-thin margin. Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate who won nearly 27% in the first round of voting on Oct. 27, has campaigned under the slogan “re-elect a good government." Other conservative parties that make up the government coalition — in particular, the Colorado Party that came in third place last month — notched 20% of the vote collectively, enough to give Delgado an edge over his challenger. Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, who took 44% of the vote in the general election, is promising to forge a “new left” in Uruguay that draws on the memory of stability and economic growth under his Broad Front coalition, which presided over pioneering social reforms that won widespread international acclaim from 2005-2020, including the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and sale of marijuana . With inflation easing and the economy expected to expand by some 3.2% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, surveys show that Uruguayans remain largely satisfied with the administration of Lacalle Pou, who constitutionally cannot run for a second consecutive term. But persistent complaints about sluggish growth, stagnant wages and an upsurge in violent crime could just as easily add the small South American nation to a long list of places this year where frustrated voters have punished incumbents in elections around the world. With most polls showing a virtual tie between Delgado and Orsi, analysts say the vote may hinge on a small group of undecided voters — roughly 10% of registered voters in the nation of 3.4 million people. “Neither candidate convinced me and I feel that there are many in my same situation,” said Vanesa Gelezoglo, 31, in the capital, Montevideo, adding she would make up her mind at “the last minute.” Analysts say the candidates’ lackluster campaigns and broad consensus on key issues have generated extraordinary indecision and apathy in an election dominated by discussions about social spending and concerns over income inequality but largely free of the anti-establishment rage that has vaulted populist outsiders to power in neighboring Argentina and the United States. “The question of whether Frente Amplio (the Broad Front) raises taxes is not an existential question, unlike what we saw in the U.S. with Trump and Kamala framing each other as threats to democracy," said Nicolás Saldías, a Latin America and Caribbean senior analyst for the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. “That doesn't exist in Uruguay.” Both candidates are also appealing to voter angst over the current government's struggle to stem the rise in violent crime that has shaken a nation long regarded as one of the region’s safest, with Delgado promising tough-on-crime policies and Orsi advocating a more community-oriented approach. Delgado, 55, a rural veterinarian with a long career in the National Party, served most recently as Secretary of the Presidency for Lacalle Pou and promises to pursue his predecessor’s pro-business policies. He would continue pushing for a trade deal with China that has raised hackles in Mercosur, an alliance of South American countries promoting regional commerce. "We have to give the government coalition a chance to consolidate its proposals,” said Ramiro Pérez, a street vendor voting for Delgado on Sunday. Orsi, 57, a former history teacher and two-time mayor from a working-class background, is widely seen as the political heir to former President José “Pepe” Mujica , an ex-Marxist guerilla who became a global icon for helping transform Uruguay into one of the region's most socially liberal and environmentally sustainable nations. “He's my candidate, not only for my sake but also for my children's,” Yeny Varone, a nurse at a polling station, said of Orsi. “In the future they'll have better working conditions, health and salaries.” Mujica, now 89 and recovering from esophageal cancer , turned up at his local polling station before balloting even began, praising Orsi's humility and Uruguay’s famous stability. “This is no small feat,” he said of Uruguay's “citizenry that respects formal institutions.” Orsi planned no dramatic changes, and, despite his call for a revitalized left-wing, his platform continues the Broad Front's traditional mix of market-friendly policies and welfare programs. He proposes tax incentives to lure investment and social security reforms that would lower the retirement age but fall short of a radical overhaul sought by Uruguay's unions. The contentious plebiscite on whether to boost pension payouts failed to pass in October, with Uruguayans rejecting generous pensions in favor of fiscal constraint. Both candidates pledged full cooperation with each other if elected. “I want (Orsi) to know that my idea is to form a government of national unity,” Delgado told reporters after casting his vote in the capital's upscale Pocitos neighborhood. He said that if he won, he and Orsi would chat on Monday over some yerba mate, the traditional herbal drink beloved by Uruguayans. Orsi described Sunday's democratic exercise as “an incredible experience" as he voted in Canelones, the sprawling town of beaches and cattle ranches just north of Montevideo where he served as mayor for a decade. “The essence of politics is agreements,” he said. “You never end up completely satisfied.” Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Villa Tunari, Bolivia, contributed to this report.More than 18,000 people expressed interest in standing as candidates in Mexico’s first ever judicial elections in 2025, the federal government announced Monday. Arturo Zaldívar, coordinator of policy and government in the administration led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, thanked 18,447 people for registering their interest in participating in the judicial elections scheduled to be held on June 1, 2025. Zaldívar, a former Supreme Court justice who resigned in late 2023 to join Sheinbaum’s presidential election campaign team , noted that the registrations were made on an “executive power” website. Mexico’s Congress and the judiciary also accepted registrations, as they — in addition to an “executive power” committee headed up by Zaldívar — will select candidates to contest the judicial elections. The Congress received more than 11,900 registrations while the judiciary received over 3,800. Some would-be judges likely submitted registrations to the federal executive, the Congress and the judiciary. A total of 881 judges, including nine Supreme Court justices, are set to be elected by popular vote next year. Mexico’s inaugural judicial elections will take place as a result of the enactment of a controversial judicial reform that was approved by Congress in September . Sheinbaum said that the registration process for judicial aspirants — which began on Nov. 5 and concluded at midnight Monday — was “a complete success.” “[It was] something unprecedented, historic,” she said. A second round of judicial elections is scheduled to be held in 2027. Critics of the judicial reform argue that the direct election of judges will politicize the judiciary, but Sheinabum and other government officials reject claims that Mexico’s courts will lose their independence. The president asserts that a judicial overhaul via the election of judges is necessary to eliminate corruption and other ills from Mexico’s justice system. Zaldívar said that 10,862 men, 6,101 women and 106 people who identify as nonbinary successfully registered their interest in contesting next year’s judicial elections. An additional 1,378 people made errors when submitting their registrations and will therefore not be considered by the executive’s candidate evaluation committee. Zaldivar said that 480 people “aspire” to become Supreme Court (SCJN) justices. But just 27 will ultimately be selected to contest the election to win one of nine positions on the bench of Mexico’s highest court. More than 10,000 people registered their interest in contesting federal district judge elections, while over 5,000 want to stand as candidates in circuit court elections. The remainder of those who registered on the federal government website want to become electoral judges or magistrates with the Judicial Discipline Tribunal. Minerva Martínez Garza, an academic and former president of the Nuevo León Human Rights Commission, is among those hoping to win a position on the SCJN. She told the Associated Press that the election of judges will help Mexico’s justice system overcome “the legitimacy crisis” it suffers. “We need a justice system that provides results,” Martínez said, adding that the recently-enacted judicial reform will help to eradicate corruption in the judiciary and favor a more rapid delivery of justice. “This change is profound,” she said. Sergio Méndez Silva, a legal official with the Fundación para la Justicia (Foundation for Justice), a Mexico City-based non-governmental organization, has a different view about the direct election of judges. “One doesn’t choose a doctor for an operation based on popularity,” he said, explaining that a surgeon is chosen because of his or her “technical knowledge, expertise and skill.” “... The same thing [should] apply for a judge,” Méndez said. He expressed concern about the makeup of the executive, congressional and judicial committees that will assess the qualifications and experience of those vying to become judges, asserting that people aligned with the ruling Morena party are among their members. Of the 11 current SCJN justices, just three — all of whom are widely seen as sympathetic to Morena’s agenda – intend to contest the 2025 judicial elections . Over the next three weeks, the federal executive’s candidate evaluation committee will look at the qualifications and experience of those who expressed interest in becoming judges to determine whether they comply with the “formal requirements,” Zaldívar said. Among the requirements are the following: Lawmakers had proposed setting a minimum age of 35 for judges but ultimately decided against that requirement. Zaldívar said that the executive’s evaluation committee will be looking for people who are “honest, qualified” and “committed” to delivering “the justice we all expect” as well as “building a better justice system.” “It’s clear that the one we have now doesn’t satisfy the yearnings and legitimate demands of the people of Mexico,” he said. Zaldívar said that the “most suitable” candidates will be selected by Dec. 14. Those “finalists” will participate in a public interview process after which some of them will be selected as candidates via sortition , or selection by lottery. The official said that the response from Mexico’s lawyers to the call to register as judicial election candidates was “amazing.” “The results are spectacular, they exceeded all expectations, which demonstrates the interest of the people of Mexico in this process,” he said. “... It’s a historic event because for the first time we’re going to elect judges in Mexico, it’s an event that will completely transform our democratic, social and political life,” Zaldívar said. With reports from Infobae , Reforma , El Financiero and AP
Jowell Global Ltd. Announces First Half 2024 Unaudited Financial ResultsDear Santa Interview: Farrelly Brothers on Working With Jack Black & Post Malone
Collingwood are Dad’s Army. How do other clubs compare?
Is Walmart Making a Play to Win Market Share From Amazon? Here's What Investors Need to Know
NFL Week 12 was filled with sloppy play, especially on special teams
Rosen Law Firm Encourages Zeta Global Holdings Corp. Investors to Inquire About Securities Class Action Investigation - ZETALee — There is a new glow downtown. The town is in the final steps of completing a new technology rollout that refurbishes its downtown decorative streetlights with energy-efficient LED lighting for better visibility on roads and crosswalks. Courtesy of a $250,800 Massachusetts Rural Development Fund Grant and an additional $79,500 appropriated by the town of Lee as matching funds, the project also added three outdoor Wi-Fi access points to Main Street’s southern end for public use, Town Administrator Christopher Brittain stated in an email response to The Berkshire Edge. Those points stretch from roughly the Lee Town Park to St. Mary’s Church at 140 Main Street, he said, with the municipality previously lacking those points and hindering cell phone service. Other pluses from the update allow for future extensions including digital signage, emergency buttons, and environmental sensors. “Not only do the new fixtures look much better but the new light patterns make Main Street much safer for pedestrians at night,” stated Brittain in a November 25 news release. “The Wi-Fi should be a huge benefit to restaurants and merchants on Main Street that sometimes struggle with poor cellular service.” Audio features are also part of the project package, with the December 6 “Holiday Stroll” serving as the first opportunity to try out the new program. Although all of the project hardware is in place, Brittain stated some software programming is needed “before everything is fully functional.”None
Bucks snap a 2-game skid with a 118-113 victory over the Nets