Weekly Update
Quote of the day
“It’s been real.”
-- Jordyn Woods, best friend to the Kardashian-Jenner family, after cozying up to Khloe Kardashian’s partner Tristan Thompson
Jordyn Woods Breaks Her Silence…
After riding waves of speculation surrounding rumors that she was romantically involved with Tristan Thompson, Jordyn Woods, the close childhood friend and business partner of Kylie Jenner, is reportedly “devastated.” Although none of the parties involved have officially confirmed or denied the gossip, the Kardashian sisters have all unfollowed Woods on social media, and Woods moved out of Kylie’s home. At the launch party for her false eyelash range with Eylure, her first public appearance since the scandal surfaced, Jordyn addressed cheating rumors in her speech, stating that "through everything that's been going on, you know it's been real, and Eylure has been super real." It must be difficult to find the words to do her feelings justice, but that was definitely a blatant understatement.
We welcome Bernie Sanders to the group of politicians who have already announced they’re running in the 2020 election…
Make sure your laces are tied tight, Bernie, because this one’s looking like a marathon.
Fourteen contenders have already announced that they are gearing up for the race, including
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Friend of Oprah Winfrey and motivational speaker Marianne Williamson, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, California Senator Kamala Harris, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, West Virginia State Senator Richard Ojeda, Entrepreneur Andrew Yang, Former Maryland Representative John Delaney, and President Donald Trump. Only time will tell who will cross the finish line.
Keep Your Eye On The Jussie Smollett Scandal…
On Thursday, Jussie Smollett, who stars in hit television series “Empire,” went to court for his bail hearing. After claiming he was the victim of a hate crime last month, the actor was interviewed by police. During this interrogation, Smollett alleged that two people physically beat him, tied a rope around his neck, and ran away yelling racist, homophobic slurs. This report led to sympathy from celebrities, politicians, and the general public, but everything changed when police said that he orchestrated the attack. It is speculated that Smollett was unhappy with his salary and wanted to further his career, so he paid two Nigerian brothers $3,500 to carry out the staged scene. Quickly after turning himself in and submitting to his arrest, Smollett got out of jail on a $100,000 bond. However, he could be spending a lot more time behind bars if he is convicted of filing a false police report. The outpour of tweets, encouraging words, and even prayers for Smollett have ceased, as many of his former supporters now shift their focus to what this could do to the credibility of hate crimes in the future. Despite all of this controversy, Smollett has consistently maintained that he is innocent, an odd claim after turning yourself in. Regardless of his allegations, Smollett has been cut from the last two episodes of this season of “Empire,” according to the show’s executive producers.
Question: Should Trump Administration Allow Alabama Woman Who Joined ISIS to Return to the U.S.?
Answer: Her father thinks so.
Background: At age 19, Hoda Muthana, an Alabama native, moved to Syria to join ISIS. Five years and one-eighteen-month old son later, Muthana escaped ISIS territory and is in a refugee camp in Syria. Despite urging attacks on America and working closely with ISIS, Muthana “deeply regrets” joining the Islamic State and wants to come home. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claims that this can not happen, as Muthana does not qualify for citizenship and has no legal basis to return to America, given that she has “no valid U.S. passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States.” Muthana, however, states that she applied for and obtained a United States passport prior to leaving for Turkey. Additionally, she was born in America. Typically, this would grant her automatic citizenship, but her father was a Yemeni diplomat, and children born in the U.S. to active diplomats do not gain birthright citizenship. Charlie Swift, Muthana’s lawyer, states that this law does not apply in this situation, as Hoda was born one month after her father was discharged from his position as a diplomat for the United Nations. The intricacies of the law are definitely being taken into consideration in this unique situation, and many politicians and lawyers are divided over the matter. Looking for more details? Read this.
On Friday:
R. Kelly was charged with ten counts of aggravated sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois. Having allegedly assaulted four women, three of whom were minors, the singer is now in jail with a $1 million bond after turning himself in on February 22. In January, Lifetime put out the six part documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly,” which details sexual abuse allegations against R. Kelly, which he has denied. After the series aired, R. Kelly split from RCA records after much public disapproval that the label was involved with him. Despite possible video evidence of these assaults, the artist pleaded not guilty to all charges penned against him. For more, click here.