Latest news with #WeThePeople
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Obama Trolls Trump in Independence Day Message
Former President Barack Obama threw shade at President Donald Trump after he made America's birthday all about himself. On the eve of Independence Day, a buoyant Trump was giddy with excitement as he worked the crowd at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa. The event was intended to be a bipartisan celebration of America's 250th anniversary. However, it soon devolved into the Trump show. He ranted about hating Democrats, used an anti-Semitic term, and rolled off his recent achievements: 'We've saved our country,' he boasted. 'We got great marks in the first term, and this is going to blow it away.' Trump was buoyant after Congress narrowly passed his 'Big Beautiful Bill.' 'This has been a great two weeks,' he added. 'Has anybody ever had a better two weeks?' Obama was keen to remind people that the USA is not a one-man show. 'Independence Day is a reminder that America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word 'We.' 'We The People.' 'We Shall Overcome.' 'Yes We Can.' America is owned by no one. It belongs to all citizens,' he said. Obama continued: 'And at this moment in history—when core democratic principles seem to be continuously under attack, when too many people around the world have become cynical and disengaged—now is precisely the time to ask ourselves tough questions about how we can build our democracies and make them work in meaningful and practical ways for ordinary people." The White House has been contacted for comment. Obama's post comes after Obama and former President George W. Bush joined forces to shoot down Trump's 'colossal mistake' to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In a video message to staffers on Monday, the day before USAID was folded into the State Department, the two former presidents decried Trump's dismantling of the agency. 'Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it's a tragedy,' Obama said. Bush was even more pointed, slamming cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which USAID is tasked with implementing. 'Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is, and so do you,' Bush said.
Axios
24-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Stella's Grocery is opening in the Museum District. Basically.
Stella's Grocery has taken over the cafe inside the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, the museum announced Monday. Why it matters: The collaboration brings many of the offerings from the beloved neighborhood market to the Museum District, and just a block outside of the Fan. State of play: The Commonwealth Cafe, as it's dubbed, is now open inside the VMHC and serving up Stella's Grocery staples (hello, Greek salads and hummus), alongside a coffee bar. Plus, inside the cafe, there's a "tribute to the late Stella Dikos," the foodie matriarch of the Giavos family's restaurants, which include Sidewalk Cafe, Kuba Kuba, The Continental and, of course, Stella's. The tribute includes some of Stella's "cherished objects, including her handwritten recipe card and her mortar and pestle," Constantine Giavos, her grandson and the family business' creative director, wrote on Instagram. On the menu: Grab-and-go prepared food, including salads, sandwiches, soup and dessert, wine and beer, plus Baltik's Bagels, Flour Garden Bakery items and Nightingale ice cream sandwiches. The cafe is open daily, 10am-5pm. What's next: Stella's story, her journey from a young bride in Greece to becoming the matriarch of Richmond restaurant royalty, will be included in VMHC's next big exhibition in honor of America's 250th anniversary, "We The People."
Scotsman
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
US comic and writer Sam Jay to make Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut
Emmy nominated writer and comedian Sam Jay (HBO's Pause with Sam Jay, Sam Jay: Salute Me or Shoot Me, Sam Jay: 3 In The Morning), is all set to cross the pond and make her Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut this year. She will be performing her new show, 'We The People', for the full festival run. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sam has built a name for herself and her signature style of refreshing takes blended with provocative boldness, making her one of America's hottest comedy names. 'We The People' is a new hour that Sam has been working up and will explore America's relationships with the world as well as with herself through the eyes of a black woman in America. With everything that is happening in the world of politics, international relationships and America being at the heart of it, how does Sam Jay feel about the certain demise of a country she's never truly felt a part of? Sam Jay is a regular face on TV and is well known for her highly praised specials, 'Sam Jay: 3 In The Morning' (Netflix) and 'Sam Jay: Salute Me or Shoot Me' (HBO). Her television credits also include her own weekly late-night series 'Pause With Sam Jay' (HBO) which she also executive produced, Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC), You People (Netflix) which is directed by Kenya Barris and also stars Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The Comedy Lineup (Netflix), Netflix's Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration (Netflix) which saw her perform alongside Margaret Cho and Billy Eichner, The Roast of Tom Brady (Netflix), The Eric Andre Show (HBO), SafeWord (MTV), and many more. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sam is internationally known and has performed all over the globe. She has previously performed at festivals including the Netflix is a Joke festival, the New York Comedy Festival, the Vodafone Dublin Comedy Festival, Boston's Women in Comedy Festival and more. As well as her work as a live comic, Sam is also highly praised for her work as a writer and received a Writer's Guild of America nomination and Emmy nominations for her work on Saturday Night Live. In 2023, Sam was named a BET Her Awards Pride Honoree and was featured as the 'Voice of God' at the 74th Prime Time Emmy Awards (2022). She is a critically acclaimed comic and has been previously picked as one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch for 2018. Sam Jay, We The People EDINBURGH FRINGE LISTINGS INFORMATION: Sam Jay: We The People Venue: Pleasance Courtyard, Upstairs Date & Time: 30th July – 24th August, 7pm Duration: 60 mins Instagram: @samjaycomic Twitter: @SamJayComic
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nigerian leader's pardon of executed Ogoni activists draws criticisms
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has posthumously pardoned nine environmental activists executed 30 years ago by the then-ruling military junta, drawing sharp criticism and anger from activists who argued on Friday that the individuals committed no crime. During an event Thursday to mark the 26th anniversary of Nigeria's return to democracy, Tinubu pardoned the 'Ogoni Nine,' including celebrated writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, and described them as 'national heroes.' The men were convicted of murdering four local chiefs and were hanged in 1995 by the then-military regime led by Gen. Sani Abacha. They were part of the Ogoni ethnic group in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, and had protested environmental pollution in the region by multinational oil companies, particularly Shell. Their trial and murder sparked international outrage at the time, with rights groups calling it unjust and lacking credible evidence. Local rights and civil society groups described Tinubu's pardon as misleading and 'insulting.' 'A pardon is given to people who have been convicted of wrongdoing," said Ken Henshaw, executive director of local rights group We The People. Henshaw said the process leading to their execution did not prove that they were guilty of the allegations against them. 'For him (Tinubu) to say he wants to pardon them is a misnomer,' he added. The Nigerian government must also recognize formally that the murdered activists are 'innocent of any crime and fully exonerate them,' said Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria's director. 'Full justice for the Ogoni Nine is only a first step," said Sanusi. 'Much more needs to be done to get justice for communities in the Niger Delta, including holding Shell and other oil companies to account for the damage they have done and continue to do.' ____ Follow AP's Africa coverage at:
San Francisco Chronicle
13-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Nigerian leader's pardon of executed Ogoni activists draws criticisms
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has posthumously pardoned nine environmental activists executed 30 years ago by the then-ruling military junta, drawing sharp criticism and anger from activists who argued on Friday that the individuals committed no crime. During an event Thursday to mark the 26th anniversary of Nigeria's return to democracy, Tinubu pardoned the 'Ogoni Nine,' including celebrated writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, and described them as 'national heroes.' The men were convicted of murdering four local chiefs and were hanged in 1995 by the then-military regime led by Gen. Sani Abacha. They were part of the Ogoni ethnic group in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, and had protested environmental pollution in the region by multinational oil companies, particularly Shell. Their trial and murder sparked international outrage at the time, with rights groups calling it unjust and lacking credible evidence. Local rights and civil society groups described Tinubu's pardon as misleading and 'insulting.' 'A pardon is given to people who have been convicted of wrongdoing," said Ken Henshaw, executive director of local rights group We The People. Henshaw said the process leading to their execution did not prove that they were guilty of the allegations against them. 'For him (Tinubu) to say he wants to pardon them is a misnomer,' he added. The Nigerian government must also recognize formally that the murdered activists are 'innocent of any crime and fully exonerate them,' said Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria's director. 'Full justice for the Ogoni Nine is only a first step," said Sanusi. 'Much more needs to be done to get justice for communities in the Niger Delta, including holding Shell and other oil companies to account for the damage they have done and continue to do.' ____
