Quick announcement before we launch into the news for today, we are OFFICIALLY broadcasting in NINE different countries now! People are listening to this podcast in:
- Germany
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- And of course, the vast majority of our listeners are in the United States. We are SO thrilled to have people coming from around the world to hear our news. I know you guys hear it a lot, but it would really mean so much to me and help our podcast in a BI uggest this podcast to new people. Ya know? So every rating really means so much to us and helps us to keep more of the world INFORMED. So without further delay, let’s hear about today’s news.
- Guys – we’re going back to sportsland! I actually have some more sports related news to report. SHOUT OUT to followers TJ Givens for suggesting this story.
OK SO – The Washington Redskins football team is officially changing their team name. A little background – the name “Washington Redskins” is based off the term “redskins” which is an historical racial slur used against the Indigenous people of the United States by white settlers. To make matters worse, there was always a tendency by fans to culturally appropriate.
For those who might not be familiar with this term, “cultural appropriation” is defined as QUOTE “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.” This has happened throughout history but is especially offensive when white culture appropriates cultures it has actively tried to destroy, throughout history.
In the instance of the Washington Redskins, every game, you saw white fans wearing feather headdresses, carrying tomahawks, and painting their faces red. This is textbook cultural appropriation, if not outright racism, and the name really enables it to happen. So FedEx, the biggest corporate sponsor and owner of the team’s stadium naming rights asked them PUBLICLY to change their name.
It’s been DECADES of Indigenous people asking for this change, writing letters, and protesting at games. Charlene Teters of the Spokane Indian Nation told the Philadelphia Daily News in 1992 QUOTE “I’ve had some tell me the team is honoring the Indian people by using that name. I said there are better ways to honor the Indian people. They could start by listening to what the Indian people have to say. We don’t want to be portrayed as mascots and cartoon characters.” END QUOTE
But it’s also important to note that over time, there have been Native American supporters of the team name. For example, the team’s emblem, was actually designed by Walter “Blackie” Wetzel who was the chairman of the Blackfeet nation and president of the National Congress of American Indians in 1971. It was his idea to replace the crimson “R” on the helmets with the face we see today. He actually approached THEM about the change and based the image on an actual photo of a Blackfoot Chief.
That said, few people really appreciate seeing their culture boiled down and summarized into a characakture by someone of a different origin. Owner of the team, Dan Snyder, stated that he is going to conduct a QUOTE “thorough review of the team name” END QUOTE according to NBC sports. In 2003, Dan Snyder had actually said he would QUOTE “never” change the team name. So we will see what happens there & as always, will keep you posted.
2. Kanye West
Kanye, freakin’ West. We were going to report on this anyways cuz WHOA but thank you to April, one of our listeners, for writing that she’d like to hear about it!
Kanye West is a very talented American rapper. Who might be MORE famous for being married to Kim Kardashain. Kanye and Kim have four kids together: North, Chicago, Psalm, and Saint.
Kanye Tweeted on his Twitter account “ye” QUOTE “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for President of the United States. #2020VISION” END QUOTE. His wife, Kim Kardashian, re-tweeted his tweet with just an American flag emoji as her caption.
So you’re probably going – isn’t it too late for him to run now? For the 2020 race?
So while his announcement might have exploded Twitter and the internet in general, the actual, logistical prospect of him being an official candidate for 2020 is highly unlikely. He has already missed the deadline to file in Indiana, Maine, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. Voters can always “write in” a name of someone they want to be president instead of the proposed candidates… But being part of a party packs much more of a punch, politically. Whether it’s raising funds, delivering a message, qualifying for the debates, and so on – he is WAY be behind his two major competitors and would have to get a lot of signatures done in a short period of time in order for his name to appear on any ballots in November.
Kanye West has teased a presidential run for YEARS….. So why now?
Him being cozy with Trump…. Is this an effort to help Trump?
Many in Washington are hypothesizing that this last minute bid has much less to do with actually ending up in the White House come January and more to do with supporting President Trump. Not too long ago, Kanye and Kim visited the White
What are your thoughts? Will you be writing in Kanye’s name come November? Let us know on social media!
3. Japanese Flood
OK SO massive flooding and landslides have hit the Japanese island of Kyushu. The Los Angeles Times reported at least 34 dead and dozens of people missing. Fortunately, thousands of people have evacuated the area and there have been troops deployed to help rescue those who are stranded by the disaster. If you look up pictures and especially videos of the floods, you can see why they’re also calling them landslides…. The water is so thick with mud and dirt that you can’t see through it at ALL. It’s more like the color of a latte – a thick creamy light beige color.
The mudslides/ floods basically happened due to very heavy rainfall – the rain was coming down at a 4 inch PER HOUR rate. All residents were urged to evacuate last Friday but most did not listen. Flooding has also cut off the power and communication lines, making rescue efforts all the more difficult.
And that’s the news du jour!
I want to leave you with the quote:
“The good man is the friend of all living things.”