Daily Dose
Daily Dose: 12/14/17
Omarosa has officially left the building
5:15 PMWhat’s up, gang? I’m still in Bristol, Connecticut, where it snowed, so that was fun. It’s also another TV day, so be sure to tune in to Around the Horn at 5 p.m. EST on ESPN.
https://twitter.com/PrimeUzi/status/940628125221867521
The White House has officially gotten Omarosa Manigault Newman out of the paint. The onetime reality TV star, who then was given a job at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. that nobody could ever really define, was apparently escorted out of the building in D.C. recently, which is about as awkward an exit as you can muster. They say they just deactivated her pass, which is another hilarious move in the world of passive-aggressive power plays. But she’s got a story to tell, and it’s most likely going to be a fun one. Not shedding many tears.
Welp, say goodbye to net neutrality. The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to strip what are commonly known as net neutrality rules, meaning that depending on what an internet service provider wants to do, it can speed or slow your service, or really do anything it wants based on content. This matters because it allows the providers to become de facto content regulators, which is a dangerous precedent, many believe. If you’re wondering, yes, the politics within the FCC definitely matter in this scenario.
There are parts of the world where Santa Claus is not a white guy. Don’t ask Megyn Kelly about that, but I digress. For example, I remember when I grew up, Prince George’s (County) Plaza in Maryland was the place where you knew Black Santa was a thing. Parents from all around the region would bring their children to give them a positive experience of what Christmas is. But what is it really like being a black Santa Claus? Is Kris Kringle racism really something that has to be dealt with? Well, now you’ve got answers.
Scottie Pippen is tremendous. Am I saying that partially because I got to meet him this week at ESPN? Yes. Am I saying that because he still throws shade at Michael Jordan every now and again? Yes. Am I saying that because he was involved in a completely stupid feud with Future and came out looking like a classy person? Absolutely. He was on First Take on Thursday and basically said that LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan statistically. First off, we all knew that. But there’s something particularly terrific about Scottie saying it.
Free Food
Coffee Break: When it comes to journalism movies, I don’t play. As someone who’s worked in quite a few newsrooms over the years, getting that dynamic down is not an easy task, but it’s an important one. The fact that this list of great journalism movies doesn’t include The Paper is an outright travesty. Seriously, how?
Snack Time: Tavis Smiley is the latest powerful on-air news personality to have his reputation and career brought down by allegations of sexual misconduct. Alas.
Dessert: If you care about the media business, this is a huge deal.
Daily Dose
Daily Dose: 12/11/17
NYC avoids terrorist attack
2:26 PMWhat’s up, kiddos? Hope your weekend went well. I’m coming to you live from Florida, where I’m at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings. It’s quite the experience, to say the least. We’ll see if any real news happens.
I may be as old as Cicely Tyson’s Easter Sunday wig, but I’ll be damned if you catch me slipping. 😭😂 pic.twitter.com/H7WXu8WgSi
— April will be at #WICOMICON (@ReignOfApril) December 11, 2017
New York is again under attack. Happening at an-ever alarming clip, another attempted terrorist incident hit the city on Monday, this time near Times Square. Someone tried to detonate an explosive device inside the subway, which instantly caused a massive panic, understandably. The thing about New York is that ever since 9/11 you’ve sort of always got to assume you could potentially be in a dangerous situation. But then again, you’ve also got to live your life, so it is what it is. Thankfully, only a few people were hurt.
Hannibal Buress is a very funny dude. He’s also good because his regular-guy appeal is something that draws a whole lot of fans. When he first broke Bill Cosby off about his rapey ways, it resonated with a lot of people because of Buress’ casual delivery. So when I heard that he was arrested in Miami during Art Basel, I assumed it would be a case of mistaken identity. Instead, it was just a case of police being jerks because a famous person was drunk and doing too much.
The president’s job is a pretty intense one. He’s responsible for public policy for one of the most powerful nations in the world and therefore must always be on point to handle pressing issues. Meetings with important advisers, large decision-making sessions, etc. Surely he’s constantly studying documents and statistics, doing what he can to make the world a better place. Right? Nope, homey is basically sitting around watching television and drinking Diet Cokes nonstop. His eating habits are legit gross for someone who has a choice in the matter.
Speaking of baseball, being here in Orlando has been an experience. All sorts of characters are milling around, trying to get closer to players, execs or whoever wants to act like they’ve got some inside skinny on baseball news. It’s quite a scene. A perfect example of this kind of thing just happened Sunday. Someone paid over $100K for the original scouting report of Derek Jeter. Why on earth anyone would want that to begin with, never mind pay a healthy yearly salary for it, is beyond me.
Free Food
Coffee Break: I’ve been hesitant to write about the story of Daniel Shaver because it’s so scary. You’ve seen it by now. A man begging for his life in front of an officer who is literally toying with a person suspected of carrying a gun. In the end, he kills him. He also ends up walking free. The whole thing is truly despicable.
Snack Time: J Dilla never has and probably never will get enough credit for his work in hip-hop. Dude is a legend whom we lost way too early. Check out this mini-doc about him and his MPC.
Dessert: The Pentagon ain’t playing. Even if the president is talking trash.
Daily Dose
Daily Dose: 12/8/17
John Lewis will not attend civil rights museum opening
3:01 PMWhat’s up, gang? The week’s finally coming to an end, and it’s been a doozy on the news front. This is going to be a serious weekend of self-care for quite a few of us. Also, it’s snowing across a lot of America, so that’s fun too.
#thetrumpdunk #stayinyolane @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/MEjGptbiuS
— Lavar Ball (@Lavarbigballer) December 7, 2017
I used to work in local news. It’s a cutthroat business that involves sometimes covering the most mundane of topics that just might interest a small pocket of people. But there are some staples in the industry that never change. Car accidents, store openings and, of course, house fires. That’s where we catch up with Rhoda Young. She’s apparently a citizen reporter in Norfolk, Virginia. And when she came upon one such blaze, she covered it the way she knows how. This is genuinely the best fire coverage you’re going to see all year.
So, not only is Roy Moore allegedly a sexual miscreant, he’s also apparently a racist. The guy running for Senate in Alabama has had numerous women go public with the fact that he tried to or did date them when he was an adult and they were in high school. He was banned from a local shopping mall back in the day for this. His campaign has been a pretty slimy one, and now it’s come to light that he’s got some pretty wild views on slavery. Views like, America was better when we had it.
John Lewis is not here for the nonsense. The civil rights icon and Georgia congressman is not planning on attending the opening of a civil rights museum in Jackson, Mississippi, because President Donald Trump will be there. I can’t imagine how Lewis feels about this in his heart of hearts. He worked his whole life to make sure that black folks have had the same rights as the rest of America, and here comes this guy trying to swoop in late — in Jackson, of all places. That’s got to hurt.
Shohei Ohtani is yet to set foot in a big-league batter’s box, but his presence is already making waves around the majors. If you don’t know who he is, he’s a two-way guy who some scouts think could both pitch and play the field if any franchise would let him. That’s unlikely, as the novelty of said deal would probably not be worth the risk from an injury/wear-and-tear standpoint, but it still could prove to be an interesting situation. Anyway, the negotiations for his bidding have been hotly intense, and MLB is definitely watching closely.
Free Food
Coffee Break: I’ve never been to Boston. Not because I’ve avoided it for any particular reason, but I’m also in no rush to go. Haven’t ever really heard anything good about it, whatsoever, particularly when it comes to black folks. Now, the Boston Globe is taking a look at racism in the city.
Snack Time: If you ever find yourself in a situation with an armed robber and you could keep your composure the way this dude working at Walgreens did, then more power to you. Icy.
Dessert: Need new music? Big Sean and Metro Boomin got you covered.