• Jill Scott Defends Bill Cosby on Twitter; Comedian Resigns from Temple University's Board of Trustees

    Soul singer Jill Scott came to the defense of fellow Philadelphian Bill Cosby on Twitter recently in regards to multiple women alleging that the comedian raped them. Scott received an honorary doctorate from Temple University in May and Cosby, an alumnus, was on hand to present her with it. The singer got into a heated exchange on social media, standing by Cosby as a friend and advocate for proof of the allegations.When one follower, also a Temple alum, asked Scott to sign a petition for the university to cut ties with the comedy star, the singer responded in the negative, philly.com noted. Cosby resigned from the university's board of trustees yesterday, Dec. 1.

  • Killer Mike Writes Op-Ed for 'USA Today' about Rap's Unfair Treatment in the Courts Following Ferguson Speech [EXCERPT]

    Killer Mike is use to voicing his opinions, whether it be through rhymes with Run the Jewels, emotional onstage speeches or op-eds. Most recently, the rapper co-wrote an article for USA Today about his genre's unfair treatment in the courts. Erik Neilson, an assistant professor at the University of Richmond, helped pen the op-ed, which takes issue with the recent Elonis v. U.S. case in which Anthony Elonis was sentenced to 44 months in prison after posting violent verses on Facebook

  • Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Believes Darren Wilson's Case Never Should Have Been Before a Grand Jury, Calls It 'Political Theater'

    Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani really gets heated when the topic of Ferguson comes up. In the last few weeks he has popped up on various news programs, insisting that while this case took on racial overtones early on, the problem actually starts with what is wrong within the community itself. Giuliani insisted on "Fox News Sunday" that Darren Wilson's shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown never should have made it in front of a grand jury in the first place."I don't see how this case normally would even have been brought to a grand jury. This is the kind of case — had it not had the racial overtones and the national publicity — where a prosecutor would have come to the conclusion that there is not enough evidence to present to the grand jury. [U.S.] Attorney General [Eric] Holder's gonna have to take a case in which a jury couldn't find probable cause to indict, and he's gonna have to try to find probable cause in front of a federal grand jury. It's an impossible case to present to a grand jury," said Giuliani.He also held firm to the notion that it is the community's job to get itself together and to work to bring the violence down among themselves. While it is the local police department's job to protect the peace, if people were treating each other humanely in the first place, then situations like Ferguson would rarely occur.

  • Darren Wilson Resigns from Ferguson Police Department, Will Receive No Severance Package

    The fact that Darren Wilson has officially resigned from the Ferguson Police Department comes as no surprise to anyone. Once the grand jury decided against indicting Wilson last Monday, Nov. 24, in the shooting death of Michael Brown, it technically meant that he was free to return to active duty with the Ferguson department, but in reality that was never going to happen, and Wilson was the first to admit it.Death threats have been made against the department and Wilson was clear on the fact that if he returned to duty he was not only risking his own safety, but also that of his fellow officers.It was never a matter of if he would resign, but when and yesterday, Nov. 29, ended up being the day, according to CNN. While Wilson has been out on paid leave since the Aug. 9 shooting, officials confirmed today that his resignation does not include a severance package of any kind. As of yesterday, Wilson is off the Ferguson payroll and he also does not have health insurance to help counter the cost of his new wife's pregnancy bills.

  • Garth Brooks Brings Ellen DeGeneres and Fans to Tears During Performance of "Mom" from 'Man Against Machine' [WATCH]

    Garth Brooks has one heavy hitter in his new arsenal of songs titled "Mom," and it's a tribute to mother's everywhere. He made Robin Roberts and some audience members of "Good Morning America" break down earlier this month with the 'Man Against Machine' ballad. Now, there's video from the singer's Nov. 25 stop at "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and he gets the host a little teary-eyed there too. Brooks himself has trouble keeping it together during the song too.

  • Ted Nugent's Ferguson Twitter Rant: 'Stranglehold' Singer Says Justice was Served in Michael Brown Case

    Out-spoken rocker Ted Nugent took to Twitter after a Ferguson grand jury decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of African American teenager Michael Brown. The "Stranglehold" singer took the side on Wilson, saying justice was served for the whole ordeal that took place in August. Other artists like Macklemore, Pharrell Williams and Katy Perry expressed their displeasure with the verdict previously.

  • Rick Ross Calls Lack of Indictment In Mike Brown Case A "Travesty," Other Hip-Hop Artists React Via Social Media [WATCH]

    As the world questions the lack of an indictment of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson who shot and killed unarmed teen Mike Brown, rapper Rick Ross and many other members of the hip-hop community have come forward to express their disapproval in the justice system. During a recent interview, Ross called the move a "travesty" while other artists took to social media to share their reactions.

  • ABC News Gets Exclusive First Interview with Ferguson's Darren Wilson

    Less than 24 hours after learning that there would be no indictment in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, we were all handed embattled Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson's first interview. While it was confirmed that Wilson had met with several journalists last week, he ultimately decided to speak on the record with ABC News heavyweight George Stephanopoulos, according to Yahoo! News.It was the first time Wilson has been seen in public in months, and he told his side of what happened during that violent altercation with Brown Aug. 9. According to "Time" magazine, Wilson claims that he feels like his conscience is cleared because he was doing his job by the book, and if he did not stop Brown, then he knew he would have been killed by him. He also made it clear that from his standpoint race was irrelevant and it would have ended the same way even if Brown had been white.

  • Ferguson Protesters Riot, Loot, Set Fires as Grand Jury Decides Not to Indict Darren Wilson in the Death of Michael Brown

    The worst-case scenario is what has unfolded in Ferguson, Missouri, after a 12-person grand jury failed to indict officer Darren Wilson on any criminal charges in the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in August. While Brown's family pled for peaceful protests, that was not what several black militia groups, such as the RgB Black Rebels, had in mind. Police in riot gear failed to control protestors, according to AOL, who went from throwing rocks to torching several of their own local businesses in just a few hours last night, Nov. 24.Prosecuting attorney Bob McCulloch said the jury met on 25 separate days over the course of three months, hearing more than 70 hours of testimony from about 60 witnesses, including three medical examiners and experts on blood, toxicology and firearms. In the end, they ultimately believed Wilson's account of what had occurred between him and Brown. It is also important to note that the physical evidence also guided the jurors in making their final decision.Many seemed to feel that McCulloch completely dropped the ball in his defiant delivery of the grand jury's decision. He was in a position to attempt to unite both sides by his tone and empathy for the loss of Brown's life and how it has crushed the teen's family. Instead, McCulloch seemed to inflame protestors even more and the end result was disastrous, according to Yahoo!

  • Reporters Like Don Lemon, Matt Lauer Are Fighting for First Exclusive Interview with Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson

    Since shooting Michael Brown Aug. 9, Ferguson, Missouri, Police Officer Darren Wilson has managed to disappear completely off the grid as he waits to find out whether or not an indictment and formal charges will be coming. His is a case that has led to rioting in the St. Louis suburb, and what started as a violent altercation between Wilson and Brown has morphed into a full civil-rights debate. An interview with Wilson would no doubt equal blockbuster ratings, and we are hearing that he has quietly met with a few possible contenders.According to The Huffington Post, several journalists — including Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon and Matt Lauer — have talked to Wilson off the record. These meetings are standard procedure because they help the subject — in this case Wilson — figure out who they feel the most comfortable with. Cooper has already confirmed that Wilson has declined his request for an actual on-camera interview. Lemon confirmed that there was a meeting, but has said little else.
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