The Ripcurrent: Vote by Mail, Steve Bannon Arrested, Chadwick Boseman Dies
Voting By Mail
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are planning to vote by mail; however, the USPS is down on funding, which could result in many ballots not being mailed. The Postal Service warned that deadlines for mail in ballots may not be met, leading to uproar among voters worried that their votes will not be counted. To address this, states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan have extended their deadlines to accommodate for ballots that may arrive late. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy voiced that he was not concerned about the matter, explaining to the House of Representatives that his budget cuts would have no effect on voter mail delivery time. He advised that voters request ballots early as well as get them mailed back in early to avoid late arrival.
The House of Representatives passed the “Delivering for America Act,” a 25 billion dollar bill that made Voting Mail priority mail. It will reverse any already made changes that prevent mail delivery. The majority voting in support were Democrats, but 26 Republicans voted alongside them. With this bill it will be easier for people to vote by mail, leaving them mostly stress free as their votes will be counted in the upcoming election.
Source Source Source -Abbie Blake
Steve Bannon Arrested in LI Sound
Last week, President Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon was arrested in the Long Island Sound, off the Connecticut coast. The powerful campaign strategist was detained on a yacht belonging to a Chinese fugitive and charged with wire fraud for using money raised from GoFundMe to cover his personal expenses, which included travel, hotels, consumer goods, and personal credit card debts. The GoFundMe page was set up to support “We Build The Wall,” a program looking to privately fund a U.S. - Mexico border wall through personal donations; it had collected over $20 million. Bannon perpetrated the scheme with three others, notably army veteran Brian Kolfage who had pledged he “would not take a penny in salary or compensation”. According to the U.S. District Court’s indictment, Kolfage was found to have used “more than $350,000 in funds” for “personal use”, while Bannon, who also promised that the operation was completely dedicated to building the wall, “received over $1,000,000. Bannon was released after paying $5 million in bail. The president tried to distance himself from his former campaign strategist, telling reporters that he never wanted an “inferior wall” and that he thought the fundraiser was being done for “showboating reasons”; his son, Trump Jr. had touted the program as “capitalism at its finest”. Bannon is the 7th Trump associate to be indicted.
Source -Viviane Kim
In Memoriam of Chadwick Boseman
On Friday, August 28th, 43-year-old actor Chadwick Boseman passed away after a four-year-long battle with colon cancer. He was well known for his roles in movies such as Get On Up, where he portrayed James Brown, an American Musician, and 42, where he played baseball legend Jackie Robinson. His most notable role was in Marvel’s Black Panther as T'Challa. Disney Co. Chairman Bob Iger stated, ”We are all heartbroken by the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman—an extraordinary talent, and one of the most gentle and giving souls I have ever met. He brought enormous strength, dignity and depth to his groundbreaking role of Black Panther; shattering myths and stereotypes, becoming a long-awaited hero to millions around the world, and inspiring us all to dream bigger and demand more than the status quo. We mourn all that he was, as well as everything he was destined to become. For his friends and millions of fans, his absence from the screen is only eclipsed by his absence from our lives. All of us at Disney send our prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family.”
Boseman never spoke publicly about his illness; as a result, many fans were unaware of Boseman's ongoing battle with colon cancer. He was diagnosed with stage three cancer in 2016, and then it progressed to stage four. Although he was dealing with so much, he still filmed numerous successful films during his treatment. Boseman's death happened to have fallen on the same day as Jackie Robinson Day, the very baseball star Boseman portrayed in 42.
Friends, family and fans of Chadwick Boseman are all paying their respects to the legendary actor, who will not only be remembered as an icon of the ages, but also as an incredibly kind, talented and caring human being—a true hero, both on and off the screen.