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Donald Trump Hits Back At San Juan’s ‘Nasty’ Mayor Over Maria Response Criticism
President Donald Trump has lashed out at San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz for claiming that the federal government isn’t doing enough to support Puerto Ricans in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. On Saturday morning, Trump used Twitter to criticize Cruz for her “poor leadership ability” and that of “others in Puerto Rico” who were “not able to get their workers to help.”
“The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump,” he wrote. “They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort,” Trump added, noting how there were now 10,000 federal workers on the “totally destroyed” island who were “doing a fantastic job.” The president’s posts were an apparent reaction to the criticism that Cruz has leveled at his administration in recent days over its handling of the fallout from the natural disaster, which has claimed at least 16 lives since ripping through the island more than a week ago. Cruz appeared on MSNBC after the president tweeted Saturday morning and reiterated that Puerto Rico needed additional aid. “Actually, I was asking for help,” she said. “I wasn’t saying anything nasty about the president.” “I will continue  to do whatever I need to do, say whatever I need to say, compliment the people I need to compliment, and call out the people that I need to call out,” she added. “This isn’t about me. This isn’t about anyone. This is about lives that are being lost if things do not get done properly real quickly.” 
Source:huffingtionpost.com



TIDAL Is Sending 200,000 Pounds Of Much-Needed Supplies To The People Of Puerto Rico

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TIDAL is contributing to the Hurricane Maria relief effort in a major way.
Announced yesterday, the music streaming platform is partnering with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Empire State Relief and Recovery Effort to fill a 200,000-pound cargo plane with the items Puerto Rico residents desperately need. Supplies will be collected at 19 drop off locations across New York State, with the goal of sending the first plane to the battered region on October 7. Entertainers and other celebs are also chipping in to help with the effort.
In addition to TIDAL's efforts in Puerto Rico, Jay Z has pledged that all net proceeds from his annual TIDAL X concert will go to aid victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, as well as the recent earthquakes in Mexico. This year's concert, titled TIDAL X BROOKLYN, is taking place on October 17th at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. Angie Martinez will host the star-studded affair, which will feature a star-studded line up of performers including DJ Khaled, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Remy Ma, Vic Mensa, Cardi B and Jay Z  himself, among many others. Angie Martinez will host the event, with special guest appearances by Rosie Perez and Lin Manuel Miranda, both of whom boast Puerto Rican roots.
​Source: essenceMag.com

Stephen Curry's social status doesn't take away from the message

OAKLAND, Calif. - Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is very much aware that he lives a life most people can't relate to. But he made it abundantly clear that it doesn't mean he can't be a voice for those people.In an interview with ESPN, the two-time MVP said it's disturbing when his critics deem him unqualified for speaking out on social injustice because of his wealth and global stature. Individuals who share that opinion visited Curry's social media platforms in large numbers to let their feelings be known following President Donald Trump's tweet "withdrawing" Curry and the Warriors' White House invitation. "I've heard a lot of backlash from this whole thing last weekend about how much money we make and 'what are we complaining about?' and 'we're in a bubble, we don't have the same struggles and stresses of life [compared] to other people,' " Curry said. "And obviously, I come from a privileged background with my dad playing in the NBA. I'm not denying that, but the majority of the NBA players come from the same backgrounds and socioeconomic situations that these criticisms are coming from. "It gets lost. We have families. We've got people around us that are going through the same thing. How that all kind of takes shape is ridiculous to me -- trying to minimize what we're talking about because we have money. That doesn't make any difference to us. And hopefully with that money, we can do a lot of good with it. We still have family and people that we are connected to, that we feel what real life is like."
Curry is arguably the face of the NBA. According to NBA.com, he has the most popular jersey in the league. He's not overwhelmingly tall, and he doesn't have blazing speed or freakish athleticism. But he dominates the game in a manner that has never been done before.Regardless of racial identity, Curry is as relatable to the masses as they come, which contributes to the robust adoration. The numerous posters, commercials, social media posts, and prime-time games equate to ultimate exposure, and it all contributes to him now being a household name. check out the rest of the interview
​Source:ESPN.com

2 Texas HS Football Players Kicked off Team for Protesting During Anthem

A pair of football players at Victory and Praise Christian Academy in Crosby, Texas, were reportedly kicked off the team for protesting during the national anthem Friday. According to the Houston Chronicle's Adam Coleman, Cedric Ingram-Lewis raised his fist and his cousin, Larry McCullough, kneeled. Ingram-Lewis said they had been warned before the game by their coach, who reportedly served in the military, that they would be disciplined if they demonstrated. "He told us that disrespect will not be tolerated," Ingram-Lewis said of the coach's reaction to the protest, per Coleman. "He told us to take off our uniform and leave it there."
The dismissals came less than a week after teams across the NFL engaged in displays of unity following divisive comments by President Donald Trump, who said he would like to see owners fire the "son of a bitch" who kneels during the anthem.
On Thursday, The Intercept's Shaun King relayed a memo from Parkway High School in Bossier City, Louisiana, that stated student athletes would be required to stand for the national anthem in light of the NFL demonstrations.
"Parkway High School requires student-athletes to stand in a respectful manner throughout the national anthem during any sporting event in which their team is participating," principal Waylon Bates wrote. "Failure to comply will result in loss of playing time and/or participation as directed by the head coach and principal. Continued failure to comply will result in removal from the team."
​Sources: Essence Mag

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Trump Will ‘Decertify’ The Iran Deal, Punt The Issue To Congress

The President will ask lawmakers to change U.S. commitments under the nuclear agreement — a move that could blow the whole thing up.Iran is “under technical compliance” with its obligations under the agreement, Tillerson said ― but Trump has decided he cannot certify that the sanctions relief the U.S. is providing Iran under the nuclear agreement “is proportionate” to Iran’s efforts to constrain its nuclear program.Because of an oversight law passed by Congress in 2015, which the Obama administration reluctantly signed, Trump’s decision to decertify the international agreement will trigger a 60-day period, during which time Congress can fast-track legislation to reimpose sanctions against Iran with a simple majority vote in the House and the Senate. But Trump will ask Congress not to take that step, Tillerson said, acknowledging that doing so would likely kill the agreement.
source Huffintion post 

What Happened To Kenneka Jenkins?

What the world knows about the death of Chicago teenager Kenneka Jenkinsdoesn't paint a full story — the 19-year-old went to a party with friends around 11:30 p.m. Friday and was found dead in a suburban hotel freezer after midnight on Sunday. 
Between those hours, friends of the teenager called her mother to report her missing. Staff at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel & Conference Center claimed that a missing persons report would need to be filed before her family reviewed surveillance video of the property. Her mother, Tereasa Martin, was told to wait before filing the report just in case the teen turned up. And nearly 24 hours later, Jenkins' was pronounced dead by the Cook County medical examiner's office.
While police are mum about the investigation, her mother and sister suspect foul play. "I believe someone in this hotel killed my child," Martin told WGN.
The medical examiner's office did confirm that an autopsy was performed on Jenkins. "The only information I can provide at this time is that an autopsy was performed and that the cause and manner of death is pending further studies and the ongoing investigation," Becky Schlikerman, spokesperson from the medical examiner's office told ESSENCE. 
But on the internet — in Facebook pages, on petitions and Twitter timelines — the story of how Kenneka Jenkins ended up in a freezer are more menacing, disturbing. Many suspect her friends left her to be assaulted and violated by a group of men. There are whispers of trafficking, money and rape. And the conspiracies are getting louder — on Tuesday morning, news that police were reviewing a now-viral Facebook live video that appears to show Jenkins and her friends in a hotel room only fanned the flames.
ESSENCE was unable to confirm if the video in question is connected to the disappearance of the teen. Rosemont Police have yet to respond to a request from ESSENCE to comment on the ongoing investigation.
With little detail, it's hard to say what happened to Kenneka Jenkins. And while police have yet to retract their belief that the teen, who they say was inebriated, stumbled into the freezer and died, the calls for a thorough investigation are getting louder.
Here's what we know so far about Kenneka Jenkins' case.
Kenneka Jenkins went out with two friends Friday night, but did not tell her mom about the hotel party:
Tereasa Martin, Jenkins' mother, told the Chicago Tribune that she last saw her daughter at their West Side home around 11:30 p.m. Friday before she left to hang with friends. Initially, Jenkins told her mother she was going bowling. Around 4:00 a.m., the friends called Martin to explain that they went to a hotel party in the suburb of Rosemont, but couldn't find Jenkins when it was time to leave. An hour later, Martin arrived at the hotel to look for her daughter, but was told she would have to file a missing persons report before she could view surveillance tapes.
Her friends were in possession of her car and cell phone after she disappeared:
When Jenkins' friends called Martin, they were in the car her daughter borrowed from her that night. They also had her cell phone. According to the Tribune, the two girls said she was last seen on the ninth floor of the hotel. They told Martin that while they were preparing to leave the party, they realized Jenkins left her phone and car keys in the room. Leaving Jenkins in the hallway, the friends when back to get her items. When they returned, she was gone.
The friends "stories changed over and over:"
Martin also expressed some doubt over the accounts, telling the Tribune that their stories "changed over and over."
Jenkins' sister, Leonore Harris, filed the missing persons report:
After some delay, the family was finally allowed to file a missing persons report late Saturday morning. Around 1:15 p.m., a search for the teenager commenced. She was found at 12:48 a.m. in the freezer, which reportedly was in a construction area of the hotel.
Harris may also be the last person to speak with Jenkins — she had contact with her sister around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
Police reportedly saw Jenkins "staggering" on surveillance video:
Police told the teen's family that they spotted her on surveillance video from the hotel "staggering" near the front desk around 3:20 a.m. Saturday. According to reports, the police initially believed she went into the freezer by herself. 
Jenkins' family does not believe she opened the freezer by herself:
Police told Martin that her daughter went into the freezer alone. But the mother is having a hard time believing that's true, telling the Tribune that her daughter, if drunk, would have had trouble opening the heavy freezer doors by herself. Harris echoed that sentiment in an interview with CBS Chicago: "The freezer door is heavy. I worked in a cafeteria before. It's no way if she's drunk, and they saying she's stumbling, so she don't have no strength. That's my baby sister. How can I live life knowing I'll never see her again?"
Martin believes the police stalled in searching for her daughter:
"If they had taken me seriously and checked right away, they could have found my daughter much sooner and she might have been alive," Martin told the Tribune. 
In a statement to ESSENCE, Natalie Wilson, co-founder of Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. highlighted the difficulties Black parents often face in rallying law enforcement to search for missing Black children and teens:
"Kenneka Jenkins' case brings to light the difficulties families experience in getting authorities to take our missing persons cases seriously and to respond in a timely manner," she wrote. "This pattern of a lack of concern for families and victims continues to reflect that our women and girls are devalued."
We still don't know how Jenkins died:
Though Jenkins was found in a cold freezer, it still isn't clear if she died from hypothermia, foul play or something else entirely. "It will likely take several weeks for a cause and manner of death to be determined," Schlikerman told ESSENCE.
Police are investigating a video posted to Facebook that may lend insight into what happened:
Police confirmed Tuesday that they were investigating a video posted by one of Jenkins friends on Facebook. The video, which has since been viewed millions of times, appears to show Jenkins and others in the hotel in the hours before her disappearance. According to Rosemont spokesman Gary Mack, police have identified most of the people in the video, which shows a woman in glasses, speaking to the camera. In the reflection of her glasses, you can see part of the hotel room, where Jenkins is apparently sitting.
ESSENCE, however, has not been able to confirm the identities of those in the video. In an interview with ESSENCE, Mack said that while police have identified several people, "they are still trying to get information from others" at the party.
Jenkins' death is not being considered a homicide as of Tuesday afternoon:
Mack told ESSENCE that while the inquiry into the teen's death is garnering the "highest attention," the status is still a "death investigation."
"Since there is no hard evidence pointing in the direction of foul play or homicide, it is still being considered a death investigation," he said. "Everything is on the table."
We will keep you updated on the ongoing investigation as details surrounding Kenneka Jenkins death become available.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that the medical examiner's office refused to release details of the autopsy report to ESSENCE. The report is not yet complete as the case is still under investigation.
​Source Essence Mag

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