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“A growing number of establishment party officials are reportedly considering Sherrod Brown as a late entry ‘white knight’ with Michelle Obama as a running mate. Other potential candidates … include Kamala Harris … as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to the New York Times’ interview with 93 party officials.” The 93 party officials were super-delegates.

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has apologized after a fashion show held by graduating students featured accessories meant to depict exaggerated facial features that at least one model said were racist. Critics including one model at the show, Amy Lefévre, said that accessories handed out to models at the school's Feb. 7 show mimicked historically offensive caricatures of black people, and should not have been handed out to models, some of whom wore the accessories onstage. “I stood there almost ready to break down, telling the staff that I felt incredibly uncomfortable with having to wear these pieces and...

Bernie Sanders is throwing his weight behind Kim Foxx, the Cook County state’s attorney who is facing several primary challengers after a first term that has been simultaneously celebrated by progressives and come under fire nationally for her handling of actor Jussie Smollett’s case. Sanders’ campaign told POLITICO he is also endorsing Kane County, Ill. state’s attorney candidate Junaid Afeef, Travis County, Texas, district attorney candidate Jose Garza, and Harris County, Texas, district attorney candidate Audia Jones. The endorsements are in keeping with the Vermont senator’s attempts to position himself as the most progressive presidential candidate on criminal justice policy,...

Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) released a slew of endorsements for state attorneys on Thursday, including one for Kim Foxx, the Cook County state’s attorney who was investigated for her decision to drop charges against former Empire actor Jussie Smollett. “I am honored today to have the endorsement of Senator Sanders,” Foxx told Politico. “When I first ran four years ago on a platform that included a holistic approach to criminal justice reform, it was different than what previous prosecutors had ever attempted. Since in office, we’ve implemented bond and cannabis reform, we’re leading the country in vacating wrongful convictions...

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx is on the defense after former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett was indicted Tuesday on charges related to filing a false police report about the alleged Trump-inspired hate crime he reported in 2019. Foxx recused herself from the subsequent investigation after Chicago police interviewed two brothers who said Smollett paid them to stage the attack, where he claimed two men in "Make America Great Again" hats assaulted him and called him homophobic and racial slurs, but her office continued the inquiry. The State's Attorney office then dropped all criminal charges against Smollett in exchange for...

Flashback to Chicago Police Reaction!

Michelle Obama was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey who was on her “Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus.” tour that she is doing with Weight Watchers Reimagined. In the interview, Michelle Obama laments that society does not see black women as beautiful. That is rich, considering she was on umpteen magazine covers. Should we conclude that America is racist against Slovenian-Americans? Because Melania Trump has graced ZERO magazine covers since becoming First Lady. And she was literally a fashion model. A quick Google search shows Michelle has been on the cover of: •Time •InStyle •Vogue •Ebony •Radar •Parade •Good...

KONKOL COMMENTARY: The Sun-Times didn't just endorse Kim Foxx's reelection bid. Its owners donated $750,000 to her campaign since September. The investigation into whether any individuals within the Cook County State's Attorney's Kim Foxx's office engaged in any wrongdoing in connection with the Smollett investigation continues, according to special prosecutor Dan Webb. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford File) CHICAGO — It seemed strange enough the Sun-Times editorial board on Monday "strongly" endorsed Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx for a second term, telling voters to spare her the "injustice" of letting a "single high-profile mistake ... overshadow her accomplishments." Foxx's "single" flub,...

It's been nearly a month since we found out the Netflix documentary "produced" by Barack and Michelle Obama, American Factory, was nominated for an Oscar for best documentary. American Factory debuted on Netflix in August and was the Obamas' first project under Higher Ground Productions. American Factory follows the story of a closed GM plant that was bought and re-opened by a Chinese billionaire. It wasn't shocking at all to find out the Obama-linked project was nominated for an Oscar. Had the Obamas been linked to Howard The Duck it would have been nominated for an Oscar. It was also...

'It taught me that I was responsible for my own happiness. I didn't marry Barack for him to make me happy. No one can make me happy. . . . 'I was one of those wives who thought, "I'm taking you to marriage counseling so you can be fixed, Barack Obama." Because I was like, "I'm perfect." I was like, "Dr. X, please fix him"', she said, prompting the audience to laugh.

NEW YORK (AP) — Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey headlined Brooklyn’s Barclays Center like an A-list duo Saturday, getting a rock-star like applause from a feverish audience of fans on a stage typically reserved for pop, rap and basketball stars. It was the fifth tour stop of “Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus,” Winfrey’s full-day wellness event with WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined) that had the New York venue usually holding concerts at night buzzing with bright-eyed attendees lined up as early as 8 a.m. It marked Obama’s return to Barclays just 14 months after appearing at the arena for...

Earlier this month, the Netflix documentary produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, "American Factory," was predictably nominated for an Oscar for best documentary. In response to that news, I expressed my belief that the documentary was nominated simply because of the Obama connection, and I stand by it. I said at the time that "it's a bit hard to believe that this documentary would have earned this nomination had they not been linked to the project."And I also made the following observation and prediction: Barack Obama has already won two Grammy awards for Best Spoken Word Album, and Michelle...

The Trump administration on Friday announced plans to roll back school lunch standards originally promoted by former first lady Michelle Obama. The new standards will allow schools more flexibility "because they know their children best," the Agriculture Department said in press release. “Schools and school districts continue to tell us that there is still too much food waste and that more common-sense flexibility is needed to provide students nutritious and appetizing meals. We listened and now we’re getting to work,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said. The proposed new rules build on previous steps taken by the Trump administration to roll...

A hearing officer (Barbara Goodman) has recommended Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Clerk of the Circuit Court hopeful Michael Cabonargi appear on the March primary ballot despite challenges to their nominating petitions. Goodman also recommended Cabonargi appear on the March ballot. Cabonargi, who serves on the county’s Board of Review, is running for clerk of the circuit court. Foxx had 3,362 signatures more than the required minimum (7,279) to appear on the ballot after a petition challenge filed by former 2nd Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti’s campaign. Fioretti’s team alleged Foxx’s petition sheets showed a pattern of fraud.

As is now demonstrably clear, 2020 countywide Democratic candidates Kim Foxx and Mike Cabonargi are not feeling blessed. In fact, they are probably feeling angry, paranoid and downright disgusted. Both were the slated candidates for the state's attorney and Clerk of Circuit Court, respectively. Both were on the same nominating petition. Each gave the Democratic Party $40,000 to get the necessary minimum of 7,279 signatures, as well as to be on the party sample ballot and have a countywide mailer. And both are now in serious jeopardy of being knocked off the March 17 primary ballot due to an insufficient...

Why risk provoking the Carol Moseley Braun defense? You know, when pointing out obvious deficiencies of public officials who are black is portrayed as a form of bigotry. Thus, if I observe, that Foxx wasn't ready for the job her main qualifications being a law degree and a cozy spot under the wing of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who elevated her for reasons mysterious then suddenly I'm Bull Connor tightening my grip around an axe handle. When in reality, the defense itself is racist: the racism of low expectations, the unsupportable notion that certain public figures are exempt...

Although Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx submitted nearly three times the number of signatures needed to be placed on the ballot, challengers argued on Monday that more than half of her nominating petitions were improperly completed and she should be disqualified from seeking reelection. “We have a clear fraud,” said Jeffrey Greenspan, adding that because Foxx is the county’s highest-ranking law enforcement official, she has a special obligation to get it right.” Foxx’s attorneys said that there is no evidence to support such bold claims and that Foxx collected well above the required number of signatures, anticipating that some...

A Cook County judge has ordered Google to turn over Jussie Smollett’s emails, photos, location data and private messages for an entire year as part of the special prosecutor’s investigation into the purported attack on the actor. Two sweeping search warrants, obtained by the Chicago Tribune, provide the first public glimpse at the direction of the probe by special prosecutor Dan Webb more than four months into the investigation. The warrants, filed last month in Circuit Court, sought a trove of documentation from Smollett and his manager’s Google accounts — not just emails but also drafted and deleted messages; any...

When the drunk-driving Chicago Police Superintendent, Eddie Johnson, announced his decision to boycott the president's speech to the 126th Annual Conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police because of his "personal values," POTUS made the most of it. In his first visit to Chicago since taking office, President Trump did what he does best--he punched back twice as hard. In his speech to the IACP, Trump wasted no time in putting the blame for Chicago's out-of-control killings on Johnson's ignorant, incompetent leadership. "He's not doing his job," said Trump. “Since Eddie Johnson has been police chief more than...

Empire may be getting the band back together for one final encore. Showrunner Brett Mahoney tells TVLine that discussions are underway to possibly have embattled former cast member Jussie Smollett return as Jamal before the show wraps its six-season run this spring. “It would be weird in my mind to end this family show and this family drama of which he was such a significant part of without seeing him,” offers Mahoney, before adding, “It’s fair to say it’s being discussed, but there’s no plan as of yet to bring him back. There’s been no decision made.” The fact that...