It’s time to Break It Down! 

Greene offered no apologies, and Crockett has no regrets. Considering the current hyper-partisan political divide, their exchange sounds like one that could happen on any day in the U.S. House of Representatives. On last Thursday, the possible became the “that just happened.” During a hearing, ostensibly to facilitate Republicans finding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt, the proceedings ran off the rails.

Congress is one of those institutions that has a host of quaint, and seldom (in other places) used rules. One of those rules is no personal attacks on other members during debate. So, when Rep. Greene attacked Rep. Crockett, with a fake eyelashes comment…it was on.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) said Sunday that she does not regret insulting Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) after the two lawmakers clashed during a House committee hearing last week.

“I don’t, because here’s the thing. I signed up to be a member of Congress. That didn’t mean that I was supposed to walk into a position where I’m going to walk in and be disrespected,” she told co-host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked if she regrets her comments during the House hearing.

Crockett also argued, to some skepticism from Tapper, that she had not directly insulted Greene with a remark about a “bleach blonde bad built butch body” because she was asking a question about the rules and did not mention the Georgian lawmaker. 

Crockett and Greene were caught in a heated exchange Thursday night after Greene asked Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee whether any of them are employing the daughter of the judge overseeing former President Trump’s hush money case.

“Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland,” Crockett responded at the time, referring to the U.S. attorney general. “Do you know what we’re here for?”

“I don’t think you know what you’re here for,” Greene responded. “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”

Crockett later asked if a hypothetical comment would violate congressional protocol after there was a debate over whether to strike Greene’s words.

“I’m just curious, just to better understand your ruling,” Crockett said about Chair James Comer’s (R-Ky.) ruling on the comments. “If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blonde bad built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?”

Crockett on Sunday explained that she was asking for a “clarification on the ruling.” She also defended herself for now selling merchandise about her comments to Greene.

She wrote on the social platform X that she will be launching a “Crockett Clapback Collection.” She also posted a photo of a T-shirt that reads, “Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Body,” which she said will be available first.

I have repeatedly advised, speaking to no one in particular, that folks need to stop coming for Black women. It’ bad juju. Moreover, it almost never ends well. Greene may have burnished her rep as a bully. But, as the above narrative suggests, Jasmine Crockett is bullyproof.  She’s not only fearless, but she’s smart.

In a fair world, Committee Chair James Comer would have found that Greene broke protocol and tossed her from the meeting. However, given the GOP’s sparse majority, both in the House, and on the committee, odds are Comer opted not to dismiss Greene, because he might have lost the GOP majority, and therefore been unable to proceed with the Committee’s business. Crockett then responded by obliquely posing a query to the chair, that quickly became a viral clapback, but at the same time, avoided directly addressing Greene. And the beat goes on. “Jasmine Crockett Vs. Marjorie Taylor Greene: Last Week’s Political Cage Match!”

I’m done; holla back.

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below:

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4672873-crockett-says-she-doesnt-regret-comments-hitting-back-at-greene/

It’s time to Break It Down!

Donald Trump spent four years in the Oval Office. While there, folks charged with the awesome responsibility of tracking his veracity determined that he made over 30K misleading, false, or untrue statements. In the final year, politeness was frequently abandoned, and the term increasingly used to describe his utterances was lie. 

Michael Cohen spent several years as Donald Trump’s lawyer. His title was eventually elevated to the self-proclaimed term, fixer. Trump gotta problem? Call Mikey! And we all know, because Trump told us repeatedly, he only hired the best people. Am I right?

Now that Trump’s, take your pick, hush money/falsification of records trial is underway, we are frequently reminded that Cohen is a liar; even did time for it. I get it. Cohen is a guy whom a lot of people deem despicable. He bullied, intimidated, and yes, lied his way, as he endeavored to be all things to “Mr. Trump.” He even said, on occasion, he’d take a bullet for The Boss.

Cohen never had to step up and take that hot steel for Trump. But his perspective changed when, among other things, he would up doing a bid in prison for felony charges tied to hush money deals, lying to Congress, and tax evasion. When pressed this week, Cohen admitted, he lied, but insisted he did so to protect Mr. Trump. Naturally, The Boss has said he’s innocent, and has done nothing wrong. 

Cohen is considered the pivotal witness for the prosecution, which rested its case yesterday, and indicated Cohen was its last witness. The defense began its cross-examination at the end of the day, and will resume on Thursday, after Wednesday’s regularly scheduled off-day. The defense aggressively attacked Cohen’s character, and his propensity to take to Tik Tok to assail Trump. Mostly, the defense emphasized Cohen’s pattern and frequency of lying. Admittedly, our system of jurisprudence is predicated on the notion that an individual is innocent until proven guilty, Moreover, Trump, as the defendant, doesn’t have to take the stand. That is his right. Meanwhile, just between us, it has been firmly established Cohen is no paragon of virtue…but then, neither is Trump. “The Art of the Lie: Cohen vs. Trump!”

I’m done; holla back.

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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It’s time to Break It Down!

SCOTUS has placed the absolute immunity case on lock, likely until it wraps up its current Session in June.

Prosecutorial faux pas have waylaid the election racketeering case.

Judge Cannon, whom Trump appointed, has delayed indefinitely the classified documents case.

The hush money case, while underway, is presumed to be the weakest of the four cases…and while the motion was denied (for now), Trump’s team has already sought a mistrial, and may do so again. Moreover, at this rate, it’s unlikely any of the other three cases will be heard prior to the election…if at all.

For an alleged liberal conspiracy led by the “Biden justice system,” in relentless, partisan pursuit of persecuting “Victim #1,” things sure seem to be unfolding with a clear and present Trump bent. How ironic. And that, gentle readers, is the current state of play of “Tales of the Trump Trials!”

I’m done; holla back.

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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It’s time to Break It Down!

Just so we’re clear, that was a rhetorical question. Of course it is. Why would I say that you may ask?

Well, for starters, if you are a student of current events, you have indisputable and perpetually recurring evidence that speech is only free to those who agree with that particular speech. 

The underlying premise of free speech, as it appears to be viewed by the leading lights and opinion makers of the day is, “If I agree with it, it’s all good. If it discomforts me, it’s racist, or discriminatory, or defamatory, or hate speech, or antisemitic, or…you fill in the blank.

Campuses across America today are roiled, in part because Jews, and supporters of Jews believe and argue they are being persecuted, while Palestinians, and supporters of Palestinians believe the Israeli Prime Minister is fostering a proxy war aimed at annihilating Palestinians in the region. 

In the Middle East, far more than rhetoric has infected the discourse, and threatens the co-existence of two peoples, locked in a finite, and incredibly small land area. In the United States, the discord is still largely an increasing explosion of rhetoric; speech that both sides find unacceptable to their ears, when emanating from the other side. In their respective opinions, the speech of the other side should not be free…because ostensibly, the speech is a precursor to indecent acts, such as the October 7^th attack, murder, and hostage-taking on Israelis by Hamas, or the subsequent slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians, a majority of whom have been women and children, carried out by Israelis, intent upon decimating and extinguishing Hamas. 

There are inherent festering problems of both sides of the equation. Palestinians and Israelis each hold a litany of grievances against each other. The conflict is as old as Israel itself. The nation we call Israel is relatively new, having been created in 1948. For years before that, Britain maintained a colonial mandate for Palestine. Furthermore, while peace in the Middle East has been a fleeting concept, since the very inception of Israel, the region has experienced sustained volitivity, dating back to Biblical times. In fact, that factoid has led some to opine, what would make anyone think a region that has a history of thousands of years of sporadic warfare is ever going to just recalibrate, and opt to live in peace? 

I certainly am not here to submit a prescription to end the war. Rather, I am positing, upon intensive examination, there is no such thing as free speech. Never doubt, “Freedom of Speech is Merely a Figure of Speech!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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It’s time to Break It Down!

Let me begin by stipulating, this will be as short as it is unpopular among persons who generally oppose Donald Trump. As I’ve noted previously, many of my close friends and family members are underwhelmed when I write about politics, and not surprisingly, they are maximally underwhelmed when I write about Donald Trump. For those folks, consider this. In 2024, the following have passed:

1.New Year’s Day

2. Imani (the last day of Kwanzaa

3. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

4. Black History Month

5. Groundhog Day

6. Super Bowl

7. Lincoln’s Birthday

8. Ash Wednesday

9. Valentine’s Day

10. Washington’s Birthday

11. Presidents Day 

12. Women’s History Month

13. Daylight Saving Time

14. NCAA Basketball Tournament(s)

15. Ramadan

16. St. Patrick’s Day

17. Spring

18. Palm Sunday

19. Good Friday

20. Easter 

21. Tax Freedom Day (North Carolina)

22. Tax Day

23. Boston Marathon

24. First Day of Passover

25. Earth Day

In other words, here we are at the 115^th day of the year, more that two dozen notable yearly events have occurred, and I have not written a story singularly focused on Donald Trump. Well, I’m here to tell you, that changes today.

The first of four Trump trials, “Falsifying Records, aka Hush Money, commenced with jury selection last week. It resumed Monday, kicking off with testimony from David Pecker, CEO of American Publishing until August 2020. He was the publisher of several magazines, most notably, for the purposes of this post, National Enquirer, where he was alleged to have executed a strategy known as Catch and Kill, to prevent negative stories from being published about Trump. The basic concept entailed buying exclusive rights to stories (negative to Trump) and not publishing them; simultaneously ensuring no other outlet could publish the stories. There are plenty of sordid details…and you can read all about them elsewhere. I do not have a lot to say about Mr. Trump. In fact, the Title says it all. “Spoiler Alert: He Ain’t Goin’ to Jail!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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It’s time to Break It Down!

In January 2023, after an historic 15 ballots, Kevin McCarthy ascended to the Speakership of the United States House of Representatives. For the duration of McCarthy’s 9-month long tenure, the third shortest ever, he and the Biden Administration were at loggerheads. For the GOP’s part, the standoff culminated with McCarthy negotiating a Debt-ceiling deal with the Biden administration.

One of the key provisions of the deal that allowed McCarthy to become Speaker was agreeing that a single GOP House member could call for the speakership to be vacated. The GOP started with a razor-thin majority that has only gotten progressively smaller. By Friday of this week, the Republican Conference will have devolved to a one-member majority. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back.

After reaching the Debt-ceiling agreement in September 2023, The GOP Caucus led by a host of ultra-right-wing conservatives, including Jim Jordan, called for vacating the Speaker’s position. The vote passed, and the Party required several votes, before finally landing on the little-known Mike Johnson as McCarthy’s successor in October.

October was also the month Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing over 1,200, and taking more than 200 hostages. Since that time, Biden and the Democrats have been attempting to secure funding for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. GOP House members have been reticent to agree, especially if Ukraine is included. Also, Democrats in conjunction with GOP Senator James Langford negotiated an agreement on policy to address the Southern Border. However, Donald Trump advised Republicans not to accept the agreement, because he wanted to run on the migrant issue. Subsequently, the House refused to consider the matter.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, a self-proclaimed Trump protégé, is now engaged in a pressure campaign to remove Johnson from the Speaker’s post. She was animated by Johnson opting to work with Democrats to pass significant pieces of appropriations bills opposed by conservative members of the Republican conference. Despite her biting rhetoric, including, basically calling Johnson a Democrat, she has yet to bring a motion to vacate. Greene, from Georgia, has succeeded in enlisting the support of another member, Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie. In announcing his support for Greene, Massie predicted Johnson would lose by more votes than McCarthy.

That brings me back to the House GOP working margin; soon to be down to one vote. It’s clear, ennui has set in among members of the House GOP Conference. Several have gone on record suggesting it would be a bad idea to revisit vacating the Chair. A few have expressed doubts that the matter will come to a vote. Given the razor thin GOP majority, Democrats may have an outsized roll in any such effort. In fact, as the conversation has unfolded, at least a couple of Democrats have indicated they would consider voting to retain Johnson. That may or may not come to pass. But what we know at the moment is, we are staring down the barrel of “Déjà Vu All Over Again: The Mike Johnson Edition!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/16/politics/mike-johnson-revolt-house-gop-leadership/index.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

Exhale! The past three weeks, culminating with the Women’s and Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship Games, on Sunday afternoon, and Monday evening, respectively, were a whirlwind of mostly exciting, frequently surprising outcomes, that at the end of the day wound up with the chalkiest of conclusions. The top two number one seeds faced each other in the Finals of both the Men’s and Women’s Tournaments, with the overall number seed prevailing by double digits in their respective Tournament. South Carolina beat Iowa 87-75, and Connecticut, which won all six of its Tournament Games by double digits, eclipsed (see what I did there…the Solar Eclipse was earlier Monday)…Purdue 75-60.

Throughout the course of the Tournament, I heard and saw much more chatter and coverage of the Women’s Tournament than in previous years. Much if not most of the feedback emanating about the Women’s Tournament dealt, directly or indirectly, with Caitlin Clark.

For a segment of the viewing public, this was problematic. For many, it took on an almost sinister nature. It seemed that quite a few people, a lot, but not all of them, genuine sports fans, believed there was a media conspiracy to hype Ms. Clark, to the detriment of Black women athletes. And to be clear, while this was principally a Black thing, it was (and still is, I’m sure), not relegated to women. Part of this may be due to the fact that for years, sports were deemed to be the sole province of men. First of all, if that were ever the case, it is not that way today. In fact, there have been female athletes for eons, so, while the breakdown may be more balanced today, men have never ‘owned’ sports.

In the minds of a lot of Black folks, Basketball belongs to “us;” it’s ‘our’ game. It’s not, of course. Even though we account for a majority of players in the NBA, and on a good many college basketball teams, the game has always been comprised of players of other persuasions. For heaven’s sake, the NBA logo captures the likeness of Jerry West (that may change one day). Along with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird was one of the players instrumental in saving the NBA from a spiraling decline in the 70’s and early 80’s. When Magic Johnson won the MVP of the 1980 NBA Finals, the League was so unpopular that the NBA Finals were not shown on live television. The games were shown as tape-delayed telecasts. A year earlier, Johnson and his Michigan State team had met, and defeated Larry Bird and his up to that point undefeated Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA Title Game. Afterward, Johnson was drafted by the Lakers, and Bird was drafted by the Celtics. The rest is history.

I say all that to say, there really is no mystery, or conspiracy tied to why Caitlin Clark gets the treatment from the media. There is little more mystery tied to why even some White (Black ones too, I’m sure) WNBA are taking exception to her. Caitlin has an element of style and flair that draws attention to herself. That can easily be off-putting to players and fans alike. More often than not, however, she backs it up…on the court, where it matters most. Some WNBA players, like a number of their NBA counterparts, have enmity toward the new players who come in with all manner of hype, and who will earn more than them.

As a sports fan, and avid observer of sports, especially basketball, what I see, when I watch CC, is the player whom the WNBA, and its television partners envision as the next Box Office mega-star. Is it possible they could be wrong? Of course it is. The NBA, which has considerably more experience and cachet than the W, they’ve had several Number 1 Draft Picks who were flat-out busts, including Pervis Ellison, Kwame Brown, Greg Oden, and Anthony Bennett. So, yes, it could happen. But I don’t expect it to.

Clark is projected to be the WNBA’s Number 1 Draft Pick. If she can avoid injury, she’s likely to live up to the hype. She’s known for her prolific shooting. This year, according to the NCAA, more than 60 of her 3-point shots made were taken from beyond 26 feet. Just to be clear, the NBA 3-point Line is 23.75 feet, at its farthest. She pulls up from distance with impunity and made 38.5. of her 3-point attempts this year as a senior. But she’s not just a gunner. She has stout handles and passes willingly. She holds the NCAA D-1 Tournament all-time women’s records for points, assists, and 3-pointers.

The fascination with Caitlin, by the NCAA, by the media, and by the fans (those who like her, and those who don’t), is tied to the fact that she shows up. Her Iowa team lost in the Title Game to a dominant, undefeated Dawn Staley coached South Carolina team. After giving up 18 first quarter points to Clark, South Carolina made adjustments, and she scored only 12 points the rest of the game. Still, that’s 30 for the game. Two of her most notable adversaries, Angel Reese, a player from LSU, and Coach Staley, complimented her for helping lift the profile of Women’s basketball. The Title game on Sunday was viewed by an average 18.9 million people, and by as many as 24 million, making it the most watched college basketball game. Ever. On to the next level, the Indiana Fever are expected to use the Number 1 Pick to draft Clark. In anticipation, the Las Vegas Aces, who play in an arena that seats 12,000, have secured a venue that accommodates 20,000 fans for the game against Indiana (and phenom Clark).

At the end of the day, that translates into green. That is the color that motivates the NCAA, its media partners, and product sponsors, as well as the WNBA. “Don’t Get It Twisted: It’s Just Business!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

Usually, I provide my take on the issues of the day, while penning a post. But occasionally, I run across a story that I don’t deign to reframe. I like it just the way it is. Such is the case today, with a story by, CNN’sGeorge Ramsay, Jill Martin, David Close, and Wayne Sterling. They wrote about what should have been a depiction of a sporting event, but that instead, devolved into recounting the rough and tumble experiences of a group of athletes who were subjected, firsthand, to an American staple, racism in the first degree. Don’t tell Nikki.

Without further ado, check it out.

Reporting by CNN’s George Ramsey and Jill Martin, with contributions from David Close and Wayne Sterling.

The Utah women’s basketball team had to switch hotels after experiencing what head coach Lynne Roberts called “racial hate crimes” ahead of its first NCAA tournament game.

According to Roberts, the team was staying at a hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, last week when the incidents occurred. This was before a first-round game against South Dakota State in Spokane, Washington, about 30 miles away.

“We had several instances of some kind of racial hate crimes towards our program, and (it was) incredibly upsetting for all of us,” Roberts told reporters on Monday.

She added: “There is so much diversity on a college campus and so you’re just not exposed to that very often … Racism is real. It happens. It’s awful. So, for our players, whether they are White, Black, green, whatever, no one knew how to handle it. It was really upsetting.”

Utah defeated South Dakota State on Saturday before losing 77-66 against Gonzaga in the tournament’s second round on Monday. CNN has contacted Utah and Gonzaga for further comment.

The details of the alleged racist incidents are unclear, but Gonzaga said it may have been disparaging comments.

Following them, Roberts said the Utes switched hotels after just one night before their games in Spokane.

“For our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment, it’s messed up, and so we moved hotels,” she explained.

“The NCAA and ([host university) Gonzaga worked to get us in a new hotel and we appreciate that. That’s what happened. It was a distraction and upsetting and unfortunate.

“This should be a positive for everybody involved. This should be a joyous time for our program. To have kind of a black eye on this experience is unfortunate.”

Spokane was also a predetermined site for the first two rounds of the men’s tournament. With the Utah, UC Irvine, and South Dakota State women’s teams all staying in the area, hotel space was limited.

After the elimination of some men’s teams, the NCAA and Gonzaga offered Utah and UC Irvine the chance to move to the vacated hotel rooms in Spokane, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.

The source added that, because Utah and UC Irvine had been based in Idaho, Gonzaga had arranged for police escorts to ensure the drive time to the venue did not exceed approximately 30 minutes, which is a condition of being able to host after earning a top-16 seed.

After those two teams were moved into Spokane hotels, police escorts continued to be provided for them, according to the source.

Gonzaga said that it is aware of “racially disparaging comments” to visiting players, adding: “Hate speech in any form is repugnant, shameful and must never be tolerated.

“We worked hard to secure the opportunity to serve as the host institution, and our first priority is and must be the safety and welfare of all student-athletes, coaches, families and supporting staff.”

The NCAA said Tuesday it worked with Gonzaga and Utah to provide increased security for the Utes until new accommodations were arranged in Spokane.

“The NCAA condemns racism and hatred in any form and is committed to providing a world-class athletics and academic experience for student-athletes that fosters lifelong well-being,” it said in a statement. “NCAA championship events represent the pinnacle of a student-athlete’s collegiate career. We are devastated about the Utah team’s experience while traveling to compete on what should have been a weekend competing on the brightest stage and creating some of the fondest memories of their lives.”

The organization thanked local law enforcement for its quick response and “efforts to keep student-athletes safe.”

Idaho’s Republican Gov. Brad Little gave no details but called the incidents the “hateful, unacceptable actions of a few” that Idahoans cannot let “tarnish our state.”

“Idaho leaders and community members at all levels have been consistent and clear about our values – we fully reject racism in all its forms,” he said in a statement. “We condemn bullies who seek to harass and silence others. I will continue the tradition of past Idaho governors in supporting our local leaders in their efforts to eradicate hate and bigotry from our communities.”

“This Ish is Someone’s Idea of the American Dream: Let That Sink In!” I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/26/sport/utah-basketball-racism-ncaa-tournament-spt-intl/index.html