NEWS ROUNDUP: Democrats Call For Probe Of Trump Business Deals; Chicago Gun Violence Continues To Rise…AND MORE
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On Monday, Democrats who serve on the House Oversight Committee requested that President-elect Donald Trump’s financial activity be investigated to ensure he hasn’t made any unlawful decisions. The group issued a letter to its chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), asking for a probe into whether his business ventures will have an impact on his presidency. They claim Trump’s global business interests may be a conflict of interest. “Trump can ― and already does ― have obvious conflicts of interest between his widespread global business interests and his Constitutional obligations as president,” reads the letter. “The scope of Mr. Trump’s conflicts of interest around the world is unprecedented. Over the past two weeks, new revelations have raised serious concerns about the intermingling of Mr. Trump’s businesses and his responsibilities as president.” One of the posed conflicts is that his children will oversee the operations of his businesses, however, three of them are involved in his political transition team. Trump also vowed that he would enter a blind trust to sell some of his businesses, but he has not kept that promise. Read more.
Chicago Sees Rise in Gun Violence During Thanksgiving Weekend
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Chicago witnessed a huge spike in gun violence. According to reports, eight people were killed and 62 individuals were wounded. This doesn’t include three individuals who were killed by Chicago police officials during that weekend. The number of shootings has increased since the Thanksgiving holiday weekends in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, five people were killed and 14 were wounded. In 2015, eight individuals were shot and killed and 20 people were wounded. New data shows that nearly 4,000 people have been shot in Chicago this year. That figure has grown by 1,000 since 2015. On Monday, local leaders gathered in Chicago to address how poverty has an impact on gun violence and unveiled a plan designed to make change. “If and when we seriously address the issue of poverty we will see a major reduction in gun violence and homicides in the African-American, black inner-city community,” says Rep. Danny Davis. Read more.
Delta Puts Lifetime Ban on Rowdy Trump Supporter
After receiving tons of backlash for not removing a passenger who went on a pro-Trump rant while on one of their flights, Delta Air Lines has decided to ban that individual for life. Video footage was captured of the passenger making offensive, explicit, and rude remarks on Flight 248 that was headed from Atlanta to Pennsylvania on November 22. Other passengers were visibly uncomfortable. “This individual displayed behavior that was loud, rude and disrespectful to his fellow customers,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian in a statement. “He will never again be allowed on a Delta plane.” The airline has also promised to refund the tickets of those on the flight. Read more.
New BET Series Will Focus on HBCU Experience
A new television series centered on the HBCU experience is coming to BET next year. The show, titled The Quad, will follow the journey of Dr. Eva Fletcher, the president of a fictional HBCU. Fletcher, played by actress Anika Noni Rose, will fight to save the college from financial woes. The show will also chronicle her personal experiences as she deals with a failing marriage. Other actors will include Jasmine Guy, Peyton Alex Smith, and Sean Blakemore. The series was inspired by an idea from Rob Hardy and developed by Charles Holland and Felicia D. Henderson. It’s slated to premiere on BET in January 2017. Read more.
Boycott Trump App Helps Consumers Avoid Businesses Affiliated with Trump
Want to prevent spending your money at businesses that support Donald Trump? There’s an app for that. The Democratic Coalition Against Trump launched a new application called “Boycott Trump,” that provides a list of over 250 companies and people who have ties with the President-elect. “This app is a first step in our larger Boycott Trump campaign, which will feature a unified grassroots movement centered on holding companies and individuals that help Trump in any way accountable,” says DCAT executive director Nate Lerner. “The campaign is all about empowerment. By doing so, we aim to give people a safe and productive way to voice their disapproval of Trump. We’ve accepted Trump won the election, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept everything he stands for.” Among some of the companies listed on the app include PayPal, Amazon, and Gucci. Read more.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
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