May 24 top stories
Hello, it is May 24. Here are today’s top stories.
Trump holds South Bronx campaign rally to court Black, Latinx voters
Former President Donald Trump drew one of the most diverse rally crowds of his political career on Thursday when he made a pilgrimage to Crotona Park in the South Bronx, a public green space in a neighborhood that is among New York City’s most diverse and its most impoverished. A change from the majority-white areas where he holds most of his rallies.
The crowd in Crotona Park included large numbers of Black and Hispanic voters – Spanish was heard throughout the crowd.
Trump, in his speech, cast himself as a better president for Black and Hispanic voters than President Biden as he railed against Biden on immigration. He insisted the biggest negative impact of the influx of migrants in New York is against our Black population and our Hispanic population who are losing their jobs, losing their housing, losing everything they can lose.
Some in the crowd responded by chanting, “Build the wall.”
He told the crowd: “It doesn’t matter whether you’re Black or Brown or White or whatever the h-- color you are, it doesn’t matter. We are all Americans and we’re going to pull together as Americans.”
Florida priest accused of biting woman’s arm during Mass
According to local news, a priest – identified as Father Fidel – was arrested with battery after allegedly biting a woman during communion at a central Florida church.
The incident happened around 1:15 pm Sunday. Police said that the woman had attended Mass to participate in her niece’s communion, but when she had gone up to receive bread, the priest allegedly refused to give it to her claiming that she hadn’t completed the necessary steps to get it.
However, the woman told the priest that she had done so and was now accepted by God, and the priest became upset and tried to stuff the bread in her mouth. The woman then tried to grab another piece in his hand, when he allegedly grabbed her and bit her arm.
One witness told police: “He tried to forcefully shove it in her mouth, she backed up. She said no don’t do that and she tried to get it and that is when he went crazy.”
In police body-cam footage obtained by the news outlets, Fidel told police: “I bit her and I am not denying that. I was defending myself and the sacrament.”
White House hosts state dinner for Kenya with Obama in attendance
President Joe Biden hosted one of the biggest-ever lavish state dinners for Kenya’s President William Ruto. It is the sixth and largest of the state dinners his administration has hosted. This comes as Biden has hailed cooperation with Africa and is seeking to build relationships with key leaders in the region as a counter to Russia and China’s inroads on the continent.
A state visit is among the highest diplomatic tools the White House can employ to honor a top ally, with the meticulously planned event aimed at intertwining and highlighting American and Kenyan cultures.
Former President Barack Obama and other distinguished guests made appearances at a state dinner honoring Ruto on Thursday.
This visit marks the first time an American president has hosted an African leader since 2008 when President George W. Bush hosted the president of Ghana.
Biden failed to keep a promise to visit Africa last year, but this week he said he plans to visit in February after he is reelected – a show of optimism about his prospects in November’s election.
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California man shocked as live rattlesnake mailed to him twice
A California man said he thinks someone is trying to kill him after a live rattlesnake was shipped to him in the mail twice.
Elijah Bowles, 60, picked up a package at a post office in San Bernardino county. His friend opened the box as he drove away, and that’s when they found a live rattlesnake inside the package.
Bowles said when she opened the box, she threw it at him almost. And she said there's a snake in there. He pulled over, put the box on the ground and used a stick to open it. Then he called 911 and animal control.
Bowles told a news outlet that the box was stuffed with cotton balls to muffle the sound of the 2-foot-long snake’s rattle and so the postal workers wouldn’t hear it. That’s attempted murder if you ask me.
Bowles said a nearly identical package was sent to his home in Florida and that he has told his family members to take it to police without opening it. Bowles wondered why someone sent him a deadly snake. He said he is not a gangster – he is a truck driver.
See Alex’s update on the NCAA’s $2.8 billion settlement.
NCAA, leagues back $2.8 billion settlement
Thanks, Callie.
AP News reported that the NCAA announced it has agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle antitrust claims and that this may lead to a new revenue-sharing model that could start steering millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester.
The NCAA president, along with the top officials of the nation’s five biggest conferences, said they agreed with the settlement terms.
AP said the settlement signaled the end of the NCAA’s amateurism model that dates to its founding in 1906. This has already started about three years ago when athletes were allowed to make NIL (name, image and likeness) deals.
But this settlement would make it possible for college athletes to be compensated more like professional athletes and allow schools to compete for talent using direct payments.
That means a top athlete could earn NIL deals and have huge payments from the college/conference.
Thanks for the update. That’s all the top stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light!
Trump holds South Bronx campaign rally to court Black, Latinx voters
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-vows-save-deep-blue-new-york-city-masive-historic-bronx-rally
https://bronx.news12.com/a-look-inside-crotona-park-ahead-of-donald-trumps-rally
Florida priest accused of biting woman’s arm during Mass
White House hosts state dinner for Kenya with Obama in attendance
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-to-expect-from-bidens-state-dinner-honoring-kenya
California man shocked as live rattlesnake mailed to him twice
NCAA, leagues back $2.8 billion settlement
https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-settlement-b6ff58d62f93359789dde1626f827bf1