NFL icon Herschel Walker says Black people are not oppressed, slams celebs who say otherwise

Herschel Walker also encouraged people to vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election

NFL legend Herschel Walker isn’t shy about expressing his views and is now criticizing other celebrities who claim Black people are oppressed.

Walker took to social media on Monday to refute the narrative that the United States was no place for Black people, much less that they were “oppressed” in a video uploaded to Twitter. He tagged President Donald Trump, civil rights attorney Leo Terrell, Fox News, ESPN, and others.

Read More: New book reveals Malcolm X secretly met the KKK to discuss setting up a ‘separate state’ for Black Americans

We’re not oppressed we’re BLESSED in the USA!! The American Dream is the envy of all other countries …vote to keep our Freedom🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸⁦@POTUS⁩ ⁦@FoxNews⁩ ⁦@CNN⁩ ⁦@USABS⁩ @espn ⁦@TheLeoTerrell⁩ ⁦⁩ @DonaldJTrumpJr⁩ ⁦@Outkick⁩ pic.twitter.com/BVLA0kG03x

— Herschel Walker (@HerschelWalker) October 12, 2020

“We’re not oppressed we’re BLESSED in the USA!! The American Dream is the envy of all other countries …vote to keep our Freedom,” the former NFL running back and Heisman Trophy winner captioned the video.

Walker, 58, cited his experience competing in the Olympics as a member of the US bobsleigh team in 1992. He ultimately finished in seventh place in the Games but called his participation an honor.

“I started thinking this poor Black kid from South Georgia got a chance to represent the United States of America,” he said.

“I’ve been hearing from a lot of people saying, ‘we’re oppressed.’ Well I’m here to tell you, you’re not.”

Walker, a prominent Black Republican, took offense to celebrities who believe the color of their skin has held them back.

“So, all the entertainers, all the athletes out there that are telling these people we African Americans are oppressed, well, we’re not. We can do whatever we want to do,” he said.

“Being at the Olympics, I saw so many other countries had envy of the United States of America.”

Walker also used the video to encourage his followers to vote for Trump in the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 3.

Read More: Yandy Smith-Harris discusses activism, the election and her career

US President Donald Trump (Center-R), Herschel Walker (Center-L), Mariano Rivera (R), and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, walk as they watch young participants during the White House Sports and Fitness Day on the South Lawn on May 30, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images)

‘We’re the greatest country in the world so remember when you go to that voting booth, remember the American way. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, so many freedoms that we have,” the Hall of Famer said.

“So, vote for Donald Trump. Vote for a Republican. Because I’m telling you, let’s not throw our country away. Let’s vote for those freedoms we have in the United States of America.”

This is not the first time that Walker has spoken on behalf of Trump whom he’s known since 1984. In August, he appeared at the Republican National Convention and spoke on the opening night. Walker declared it “hurt his soul” to hear others depict Trump as a racist.

“I take that as a personal insult, that people would think I’ve had a 37-year friendship with a racist,” he said in his three-minute speech. “People don’t know what they’re talking about. Growing up in the deep South, I’ve seen racism up close. I know what it is. And it isn’t Donald Trump,” Walker said.

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Kanye West releases campaign ad calling for write-in on presidential ballot

Rapper Kanye West revealed a new political ad encouraging citizens to write him in on ballots when voting in the 2020 presidential election.

In continued efforts to solidify a presidential campaign, Kanye West released a brand-new campaign video calling for write-in votes.

Read More: Kim Kardashian opens up about Kanye West’s COVID-19 battle

As his first official political ad since he announced his quest for the oval office, Yeezy called on faith-based decision making to sway undecided voters his way.

“What is best for our nation, our people? What is just, true justice? We have to think about all of these things, together as a people, to contemplate our future,” he said in the video. “Through prayer, faith can be restored. We as people, are called to a greater purpose than ourselves. We are not only a beacon to the world but we should be servants to each other.”

“By turning to faith, we will be the kind of nation, the kind of people, God intends us to be,” West proclaimed to close out his political message.

The Through The Wire rapper vocalized his viewpoints featured in front of a waving American flag, in black-and-white tones. Imagery of family, nature, and labor also appeared in the 1 minute and 20-second clip shared on Twitter.

https://t.co/ZURvTEW9ee we stepping out on faith pic.twitter.com/ypQfooB35w

— ye (@kanyewest) October 12, 2020

Read More: Charlamagne claims Kanye West owes Big Sean $3M from ‘terrible contract’

The 43-year-old fashion and music professional used Twitter to share an example of a ballot with his name written in before the debut of the campaign video.

Friends writing me in 🕊 pic.twitter.com/bC4NvFBWB5

— ye (@kanyewest) October 9, 2020

theGrio first reported West’s desire to run for president in July when he tweeted out “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 Flag of United States! #2020VISION.”

Last month, West did not meet deadline qualifications for the Wisconsin ballot according to theGrio. A commission staff member claimed the Chicago-bred artist’s team of representatives did not file the nomination papers on the counter until 5:01 p.m. and by the time the papers officially accepted, it was several minutes past the 5 p.m. deadline.

According to his official campaign website, the Yeezus rapper’s number one listed platform goal is to “restore faith and revive our constitutional commitment to freedom of religion and the free exercise of one’s faith demonstrated by restoring prayer in the classroom including spiritual foundations,” underscored by the scripture found in the Bible at Psalm 78:4.

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer signs bill expunging certain marijuana convictions

Gov. Whitmer signed the ‘Clean Slate’ reform crime bill which will be a ‘game-changer’ for those seeking opportunities in housing and employment

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill today clearing certain marijuana offences from the records of hundreds.

According to WWMT, the bill has been dubbed The “Clean Slate” Criminal Reform Bill. Reps from Whitmer’s office say those who have committed “one or more marijuana offenses” could be cleared if it would have not been a crime after Dec. 6, 2018, when using marijuana recreationally would have been a crime.

Read More: Men accused in plot on Michigan governor attended protests

“These bipartisan bills are a game-changer for people who are seeking opportunities for employment, housing, and more, and they will help ensure a clean slate for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders. This is also an opportunity to grow our workforce and expand access to job training and education for so many people. I am proud to sign these bills today alongside Lt. Gov. Gilchrist and many of the bipartisan leaders who worked on them,” Whitmer said about the bill.

Garlin Gilchrist, the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, said criminal reform has been a focus of their administration since the first day they started.

“While these clean slate bills, they do benefit all of us here in the state of Michigan. We know that people of color are over represented in our jail and prison populations. We know that generations of disparities have continued to have an impact on the lives of people of color across the state and across the country. While we can’t cure systemic problems overnight, this legislation is one step in the direction that we are choosing to address them head-on,” he said.

Read More: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer blames kidnap plot on Trump’s rhetoric

A study by the University of Michigan law school says folks who receive cases like these removed from their record will see their yearly income increase by 23% according to WWMT.

The bill is also expected to help with the following:

• Expanding the number and revises the types of felonies and misdemeanors eligible to be set aside by application.
• Revising the waiting periods before being eligible to apply.
• Treating multiple felonies or misdemeanor offenses arising from the same transaction as a single felony or misdemeanor conviction, provided the offenses happened within 24 hours of one another and are not assaultive crimes, or involves possession or use of a dangerous weapon, or is a crime that carries penalty of 10 or more years in prison.
• Expanding expungement eligibility to various traffic offenses.
• Allowing a person to petition to set aside one or more marijuana offenses if the offense would not have been a crime if committed after the use of recreational marijuana by adults became legal in the state.

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WH chief of staff Mark Meadows refused to address reporters over mask

Mark Meadows has repeatedly chosen not to wear masks despite the risk of COVID-19

Reporters were literally taken back when White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows took off his mask at a recent press conference.

Reporters were on Capitol Hill on Monday when Meadows took off his mask as he started to address the crowd per a video caught by White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor. Before he removed his mask, he was seen pulling away from the group and saying, “I’m at least 10 feet away.” A reporter is heard gasping and saying, “oh,” as he removed the face mask.

Video of Capitol Hill reporters insisting WH Chief of Staff Mark Meadows wear a mask while talking with them and Meadows deciding he won’t talk to reporters if he has to wear a mask. pic.twitter.com/kDX10BLDnk

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) October 12, 2020

Read More: Candace Owens team paid for attendees to travel to White House event

He grew frustrated, placed his mask back on and said “I’m not going to talk through a mask,” and walked away. But Meadows is known for not wearing a mask despite the threat of COVID-19 which is an easily transmittable disease. At his daughter’s May wedding in Atlanta, the chief of staff and most of the guests at the affair were seen without a mask, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Read More: Pelosi dismisses latest White House stimulus offer as ‘one step forward, two steps back’

The event, which featured almost 70 guests wearing tuxedos and ball gowns but no masks, was held at Atlanta’s Biltmore Ballrooms and defied coronavirus restrictions. The New York Times reviewed photos of the event. One photo showed Meadows giving a speech with no mask on as the onlookers stared, also without masks. Photos also showed him dancing with his daughter and shaking hands with guests.

In early October, critics voiced their opinion when Meadows briefed another group of reporters with no mask. While on CNN after the briefing, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said Meadows’ behavior was “disturbing.”

“It was disturbing to see Mark Meadows doing that briefing, having been in close contact with the President, and not wearing a mask. He says he had tested negative, but often, those positive results don’t show up for several days,” Murphy said.

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California officials say GOP illegally installed ballot drop-off boxes

The GOP wants people to vote by any means necessary

The GOP is willing to do almost anything to ensure people vote.

The party has been placing metal boxes around California with signs saying “official ballot drop-off box” in order to encourage voters to put their ballots in early.

The only problem is that the boxes are illegal, says The Washington Post.

The GOP insists All Lives Matter, then they refuse to wear masks to protect everyone.

The GOP claims there will be voter fraud, then they install illegal ballot drop boxes in CA.

The GOP says no new justices during an election year, then they push one through.

See the pattern?

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 12, 2020

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla told The Washington Post in an email, “Operating unofficial ballot drop boxes — especially those misrepresented as official drop boxes — is not just misleading to voters, it’s a violation of state law, my office is coordinating with local officials to address the multiple reports of unauthorized ballot drop boxes. Californians should only use official ballot drop boxes that have been deployed and secured by their county elections office.”

Read More: California governor signs first-ever law requiring diversity on corporate boards

There are official ballot drop off locations listed on the  secretary of state’s website, but promoting unofficial drop off locations could be a felony and land anyone who does two to four years in prison.

Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The GOP claims it was using a practice called ballot harvesting. In 2016, a law was passed in certain states and says campaign volunteers can go door to door collecting ballots and submit them on behalf of voters.

The law is ideal for voters with disabilities or who may have difficulty getting to the polls.

It is legal for volunteers to collect votes in California, but the GOP’s ballot boxes weren’t being manned by people. The 2016 law says the ballot must be left with a designated  “person,” not at a random box in front of a gun range or church.

Read More: California to develop plan for reparations for Black Americans

Padilla offered this advice for Californians when it comes to submitting your vote and ensuring it counts:

“Voters are in control of how to return their ballot, and they have multiple safe and secure options for doing so, ballots can be returned by mail, to any in-person voting location, or to an official secure drop box. Never hand your ballot over to someone you don’t trust.”

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California officials say GOP illegally installed ballot drop-off boxes

The GOP wants people to vote by any means necessary

The GOP is willing to do almost anything to ensure people vote.

The party has been placing metal boxes around California with signs saying “official ballot drop-off box” in order to encourage voters to put their ballots in early.

The only problem is that the boxes are illegal, says The Washington Post.

The GOP insists All Lives Matter, then they refuse to wear masks to protect everyone.

The GOP claims there will be voter fraud, then they install illegal ballot drop boxes in CA.

The GOP says no new justices during an election year, then they push one through.

See the pattern?

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 12, 2020

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla told The Washington Post in an email, “Operating unofficial ballot drop boxes — especially those misrepresented as official drop boxes — is not just misleading to voters, it’s a violation of state law, my office is coordinating with local officials to address the multiple reports of unauthorized ballot drop boxes. Californians should only use official ballot drop boxes that have been deployed and secured by their county elections office.”

Read More: California governor signs first-ever law requiring diversity on corporate boards

There are official ballot drop off locations listed on the  secretary of state’s website, but promoting unofficial drop off locations could be a felony and land anyone who does two to four years in prison.

Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The GOP claims it was using a practice called ballot harvesting. In 2016, a law was passed in certain states and says campaign volunteers can go door to door collecting ballots and submit them on behalf of voters.

The law is ideal for voters with disabilities or who may have difficulty getting to the polls.

It is legal for volunteers to collect votes in California, but the GOP’s ballot boxes weren’t being manned by people. The 2016 law says the ballot must be left with a designated  “person,” not at a random box in front of a gun range or church.

Read More: California to develop plan for reparations for Black Americans

Padilla offered this advice for Californians when it comes to submitting your vote and ensuring it counts:

“Voters are in control of how to return their ballot, and they have multiple safe and secure options for doing so, ballots can be returned by mail, to any in-person voting location, or to an official secure drop box. Never hand your ballot over to someone you don’t trust.”

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

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Dr. Fauci says his inclusion in Trump COVID-19 ad was misleading

In over four decades of service, Fauci told CNN, he has ‘never publicly endorsed any political candidate.’

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH, testifies on Capitol Hill. (Photo by Graeme Jennings- Pool/Getty Images)

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is blasting the campaign to reelect President Donald Trump for taking his words out of context for a new commercial. 

“In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials,” Fauci said exclusively in a statement to CNN when asked if he agreed to be featured in the commercial.

Read More: COVID-19 coverage safety net has plenty of holes in US

In the ad, titled “Carefully,” Fauci is seen saying, “I can’t imagine that … anybody could be doing more.” The clip, which appears to endorse the president’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, was taken from an interview with Fox News in March. 

A voiceover says “President Trump is recovering from the coronavirus, and so is America.”

“Together, we rose to meet the challenge, protecting our seniors, getting them life-saving drugs in record time, sparing no expense,” it contends.

Read More: Biden harnesses history to describe urgency of 2020 campaign

In the original Fox News interview, Fauci was discussing how hard he and the federal COVID-19 task force were working to levy a response to the virus.

“Since the beginning, that we even recognized what this was, I have been devoting almost full time on this,” Fauci said at the time. “I’m down at the White House virtually every day with the task force. It’s every single day. So, I can’t imagine that under any circumstances that anybody could be doing more.”

Read More: Doctor says Trump no longer a transmission risk to others

Dr. Fauci is not the first to claim that misrepresentation in Trump campaign materials. 

Four tenants were interviewed about their experiences with the New York City Housing Authority, and their video was featured during the Republican National Convention with the purpose of bashing NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio. 

The women later said they are not Trump supporters, and they were never told that the video would be used in the convention. 

Read More: Families of Jackie Robinson, MLK blast Trump for using their images in ad

Just last week, the families of civil rights icons Jackie Robinson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also criticized the campaign for using the images of their loved ones to further his message. 

“The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in,” Robinson’s daughter, Sharon Robinson, tweeted Thursday. “We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed!”

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Dwight Howard records emotional video after winning first NBA championship

Howard cursed a couple times through tears of joy and closed telling fans, ‘You’re already a champion.’

Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers expresses his joy in a hug with teammate LeBron James after their squad wins the 2020 NBA Championship in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

NBA veteran Dwight Howard recorded a video expressing teary-eyed joy after winning his first championship ring Sunday night. 

Howard has played center in the league since being the top pick in the 2004 draft. This year marked his 16th season of professional sports. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Howard had made it to the finals with the Orlando Magic in 2009, but his team never secured the crown. 

SOUND ON. CONGRATS, @DwightHoward. pic.twitter.com/jmjZLyhpQb

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 12, 2020

In his video, he told viewers to “don’t ever give up on your dreams … Just keep fighting, I swear to God, don’t ever give up on yourself. Look at this s–t. I’m sorry for cursing to all the kids out there. Bro, listen, don’t ever give up on yourself, no matter how hard it gets.” 

As he spoke, Howard was clutching the Larry O’Brien trophy. He closed the clip by saying, “You’re already a champion.” 

Critics often blasted Howard for a lack of hardware, especially as it seemed that he would near the end of a long career without winning a championship. In 2012, he joined the Lakers in an effort to go for the gold, that prospect was once again thwarted. 

Read More: Lakers win first NBA championship in 10 years over Miami Heat

After that season loss, he tweeted that he hoped that he would get the chance to “make it up” to Los Angeles, and this season — four teams later — he did. 

The Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th NBA title this season while playing in unprecedented times. The season took place inside the “bubble” set up in Orlando, Florida, where players, officials and team staff were isolated in a small complex to protect them from the coronavirus pandemic. 

Read More: Killer Mike recounts meeting with GA governor on ‘Kimmel’ Show

Team president Jeannie Buss said the tumultuous season, which even saw a delay in play amid the pandemic and police shootings, brought her team together. 

“That is what families do for each other,” Buss said. “Lift each other up when they feel like they can’t go on.”

Read More: Marvin Sapp on new album, moving to Texas and dealing with pandemic at church

Before presenting the championship trophy to the Lakers, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talked about the challenging season. 

“We found a way to play through a pandemic, keep everyone safe and put a spotlight on these critically important [social justice] issues,” Silver said. “For that, every team deserves to be celebrated.”

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Lakers win first NBA championship in 10 years over Miami Heat

The Los Angeles Lakers win their first trophy since Kobe Bryant’s fifth and final season

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The ultimate anguish. The ultimate joy.

This season, for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, had it all. And it ended in the only fashion that they deemed would be acceptable, with them back atop the basketball world.

For the first time since Kobe Bryant‘s fifth and final title a decade ago, the Lakers are NBA champions. James had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Lakers beat the Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday night to win the NBA Finals in six games.

Anthony Davis had 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who dealt with the enormous anguish that followed the death of the iconic Bryant in January and all the challenges that came with leaving home for three months to play at Walt Disney World in a bubble designed to keep inhabitants safe from the coronavirus.

Read More: Lakers to wear ‘Black Mamba’ uniforms to honor Kobe Bryant at NBA finals

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers react after winning the 2020 NBA Championship in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

It would be, James predicted, the toughest title to ever win.

They made the clincher look easy. James won his fourth title, doing it with a third different franchise — and against the Heat franchise that showed him to to become a champion.

Bam Adebayo had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which got 12 points from Jimmy Butler — the player who, in his first Heat season, got the team back to title contention. Rajon Rondo scored 19 points for the Lakers.

With that, the league’s bubble chapter, put together after a 4 1/2-month suspension of play that started March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic, is over. So, too, is a season that saw the league and China get into political sparring, the death on Jan. 1 of commissioner emeritus David Stern — the man who did so much to make the league what it is — and then the shock on Jan. 26 that came with the news that Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other died in a helicopter crash.

The Lakers said they were playing the rest of the season in his memory.

They delivered what Bryant did five times for L.A. — a ring, and the clincher was emphatic.

Read More: Trump slams LeBron James as a ‘hater’ after being an outspoken critic

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after winning the 2020 NBA Championship over the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Game 6 was over by halftime, the Lakers taking a 64-36 lead into the break. The Heat never led and couldn’t shoot from anywhere: 35% from 2-point range in the half, 33% from 3-point range and even an uncharacteristic 42% from the line, not like any of it really mattered. The Lakers were getting everything they wanted and then some, outscoring Miami 36-16 in the second quarter and doing all that with James making just one shot in the period.

Rajon Rondo, now a two-time champion and the first to win rings as a player in both Boston and Los Angeles — the franchises now tied with 17 titles apiece — was 6 for 6 in the half, the first time he’d done that since November 2007. The Lakers’ lead was 46-32 with 5:00 left in the half, and they outscored Miami 18-4 from there until intermission.

Ball game. The 28-point halftime lead was the second-biggest in NBA Finals history, topped only by the Celtics leading the Lakers 79-49 on May 27, 1985.

True to form, the Heat — a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference that finished with a losing record last season, a team that embraced the challenge of the bubble like none other — didn’t stop playing, not even when the deficit got to 36 in the third quarter.

A 23-8 run by Miami got the Heat to 90-69 with 8:37 left. But the outcome was never in doubt, and before long confetti was blasted into the air as the Lakers’ celebration formally and officially began.

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As #EndSars trends online, Nigerian police squad disbanded

Amnesty International listed an alleged 82 cases of torture and execution carried out by SARS

Following days of widespread protests against police brutality, Nigeria’s police chief has announced the dissolution of a notorious anti-robbery unit.

As previously reported in theGrio, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has long been accused of harassing and extorting young people and targeting those who have dreads, are dressed in nice clothing, or driving nice cars.

Read More: Nigerians rally against police brutality with #EndSARS campaign

Along with unlawful arrests, SARS has also been accused of being responsible for kidnappings, inflicting torture, and even murdering innocent people.

While #EndSars trended online in Nigeria for several days, thousands of people marched across Nigerian and in multiple cities across the world this week to demand the unit be disbanded.

Hello @PoliceNG. You have told US that SARS has been dismantled. But have you told THEM??

— Anto Lecky (@AntoLecky) October 11, 2020

In a statement on Sunday, Muhammed Adamu, inspector general of police, said the unit had been abolished “with immediate effect,” a move that was “in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people.”

However, according to Adamu, the unit would be redeployed to other police commands, formations and units, which sparked outrage and condemnation by some activists online who vowed to keep up their campaign, demanding accountability and justice for the victims of police brutality.

The “disbanding” of SARS is step 1. This has happened before. We have to build a form of community safety that actually makes Nigerians feel safe. Let this be a battle that’s part of a larger movement against corruption to demand a government that truly serves us 🇳🇬#EndSARS

— Jidenna (@Jidenna) October 11, 2020

Adamu added that the Nigerian police force intended to investigate cases of alleged human rights violations by working with civil society organizations and human rights groups.

In a Twitter post, the Nigerian presidency promised that the police unit, which was founded in 1992 in an attempt to combat robbery, would be disbanded immediately.

Read More: South Africa ruling opens way for apartheid-era prosecutions of police who tortured and killed activists

In June, a report by Amnesty International listed an alleged 82 cases of torture and execution carried out by SARS under the supervision of high-ranking officers. The report accused the squad of “systematic use of torture” and alleged the existence of torture chambers within the Nigerian Police Force.

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UK woos Biden camp, drops support for Trump

Johnson’s relationship with Biden has been frosty

Sensing that Donald Trump may lose the 2020 presidential election, U.K. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson‘s government has told ministers to cozy up to the Biden campaign, according to the Sunday Times UK.

“They’re writing off Trump in No. 10 (the prime minister’s official residency) now,” a senior Conservative Party aide told the newspaper.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a meeting with President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to sign a strategic partnership deal with the president in the face of Russia’s ‘destabilising behaviour’ towards the country, at Downing Street on October 8, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The paper said that Johnson and his team came to that conclusion after realizing that Biden is developing a commanding lead over Trump in the polls.

Read More: Joe Biden leading President Trump in swing state polls

PM Johnson has been warned by staffers of the “triple whammy” of the House, Senate, and the White House all gaining Democratic control after the Nov. 3 U.S. elections. Last month, British data modelers had reportedly given Biden a 70% chance of winning, but now their data suggests an 85% chance.

Although Johnson clashed with Trump on several issues, the two leaders are friendly and considered close allies.

Johnson’s relationship with Biden, however, has been frosty, and Biden has indicated that if he wins the presidency, he may prioritize a trade deal with the EU, rather than one between the U.K. and U.S.

Ex UK ambassador to US Lord Darroch tells me on @Channel4News a #Biden win could cause difficulties for @BorisJohnson – with many Democrats distinctly unimpressed with him and #Brexit

— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) October 6, 2020

Biden has also taken issue with Johnson over his characterization of former President Barack Obama, accusing the part-Kenyan president of having “an ancestral dislike of the British Empire.”

U.K. officials have been dispatched to Washington to meet with Biden advisers and foreign policy officials, the Times reported.

Read More: Joe Biden leading polls, thanks to Black women who went to an HBCU

The fear is that a Biden administration will seek more globalist trade policies than the bilateral agreements the Trump administration sought. Brexit has put Great Britain somewhat on the outs with the more Biden-friendly European Union.

A recent YouGov poll found that 61% of Britons said they supported a Democratic win in the Nov. 3 election, while only 13% said they were backing Trump.

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Americans might soon be able to travel to the United Kingdom

International travelers are required to be tested before and after their flights

Flights between New York City and London may be possible during the holiday season.

U.S. officials are interested in reopening international travel between the two popular destinations.

President Donald Trump‘s administration is looking into a way to deliver passengers safety due to the availability of widespread coronavirus testing, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Read More: American Airlines will drop flights to 15 cities in October

“The growing availability of Covid-19 tests in the U.S. has prompted officials at the Transportation Department, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to revive efforts to establish safe travel corridors between the U.S. and international destinations,” the Journal reported its sources said.

International travelers are required to be tested before and after their flights.

A Boeing 737 MAX airplane piloted by FAA Chief Steve Dickson lands Boeing Field to conclude a test flight, on September 30, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

However, the increase in infection rates in America presents an issue.

“Limited availability of testing in the U.S. earlier this year and long wait times for test results stalled previous efforts to open international travel,” the Journal reported.

“U.S. government and aviation-industry officials involved in the planning talks cited one big obstacle in negotiations with foreign leaders over easing travel restrictions, even with testing: America’s persistently high Covid-19 infection rates. The U.S. and the U.K. have both experienced recent upticks in infections, and the U.S. had more than 56,000 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday.”

Read More: Single plane passenger gave COVID-19 to 15 others: CDC

United States travelers are prohibited from entering the European Union (EU), and if they do, they are instructed to be quarantined for about 2 weeks, The New York Post reported.

Permanent residents and U.S. citizens quarantined in the EU are allowed to returned to the states.

If the initiative were to happen in the winter, there is no telling how many people are at risk of getting infected.

As the Transportation Department told the Journal, the agency is prepared to support the initiative moving forward.

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Immigrant family deceived by ICE, father facing deportation

Mayor de Blasio demanded an end to ICE agents posing as NYPD officers

In uptown Manhattan, an immigrant family man was apprehended by ICE agents who was pretending to be NYPD officers.

Fernando Santos-Rodriguez is a 48-year-old undocumented immigrant who spent 30 years of his life in New York. His wife said she was tricked into helping ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents.

Read More: Boston officials seek answers after Black jogger stopped by ICE

ICE agents went to the Santos-Rodriguez residence and initially, Maria, Fernando’s wife, refused to let the agents in.

The agents found an alternative entrance through the building’s superintendent.

The agents showed Maria a picture of a man who was not Santos-Rodriguez but went by the same name.

Thinking it was an innocent mix up, Maria gave the agents her husband’s contact information after the agents requested to see her husband’s ID.

BREAKING: Video shows law enforcement agent in Brooklyn wearing NYPD jacket, however NYPD says they weren’t there.

The man who wears an NYPD jacket, identifies himself as ICE.

This is at least the second time in a week ICE agents reportedly id themselves as NYPD. @PIX11News pic.twitter.com/l4YoySgnc1

— Cristian Benavides (@cbenavidesTV) October 11, 2020

The ICE agents tracked Santos-Rodriguez to his workplace and arrested him.

Santos-Rodriguez, a married man with four kids, is currently in ICE custody at the Hudson County Jail in Kearny, N.J., facing the possibility of a deportation hearing, The New York Daily News reported.

“He is a good man. He is not a criminal,” his wife of 25 years said. Maria, alongside other family members, have declined to give their full names.

Last Saturday, his family spoke out against the operation, saying they got duped into assisting the ICE agent arresting him, the head of their household, the Daily News reported.

The incident sparked outrage from New York City’s democratic politicians, who were already fighting with President Donald Trump and his administration’s covert ICE operations.

“This is a violation of our law,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, an ex-city police officer who running for NYC mayor in 2021, said. 

“You cannot state that you are a municipal police official. You cannot violate the law to carry out the law,” the mayoral candidate continued.

City Council member Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) was told by the 34th Precinct head that none of its officers were involved, nor did anyone approved the ICE agents to pose as city cops.

Council member Carlos Menchaca (D-Brooklyn), who is head of the immigration committee, reported an increase in ICE activity around the city during the last few months of Trump’s four-year term, The Daily News reported.

Read More: ICE guards sexually assaulted immigrants, complaints claims

“We are seeing them escalate their terror in our communities,” said Menchaca said. “This thing that Trump wants in the days before this election is real. He wants to make us afraid.”

In response to “numerous reports” covert sting operations, Mayor Bill de Blasio sent a letter to ICE officials, demanding an end to agents posing as NYPD officers.

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Candace Owens team paid for attendees to travel to White House event

Mask wearing was not requirement for entrance to the event

Black conservative activist Candace Owens led a group of visitors to a Trump event at the White House. ABC News is now reporting that Owens’s group “BLEXIT” paid for the travel and lodging of some visitors.

Activist Candace Owens speaks to guests during the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum at the 148th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits on April 26, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

BLEXIT, a moniker of Black Exit refers to Black people leaving the Democratic Party to become Republicans.

Saturday’s White House event featured President Donald Trump who was recently diagnosed with COVID-19, and did not enforce social distancing.

Read More: Trump makes 1st public appearance since his hospital stay

“EVERYONE MUST BRING A MASK TO BE ALLOWED ENTRY ONTO THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS,” Owen’s campaign’s statement in a private email obtained by ABC News. “Absolutely no exceptions.”

Mask wearing was not requirement for entrance, though. The attendees had to submit to a COVID-19 screening the morning of the event, which consisted of a temperature check and a brief questionnaire, according to ABC News.

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a rally in support of law and order on the South Lawn of the White House on October 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Supporters attended a prescheduled BLEXIT event called the “BLEXIT Back the Blue” to support police officers. After that event, the group headed to Trump’s “HUGE outdoor rally.”

The BLEXIT campaign reportedly used its funds to pay for guests to show up to the event. Some on social media speculate that Owens and her supporters are used as puppets to help Trump’s image with Black people.

“We are not interested in participating in your obvious media angle here to slander/attack the President regarding Covid-19,” Owens said in response to ABC News’ request for comment. “[The BLEXIT Back the Blue event] is about supporting law enforcement in minority communities.

It is unknown how much money was used.

Read More: Trump vows not to participate in virtual debate with Biden

White House spokesman Judd Deere told ABC News the administration had no involvement in accommodating anyone.

Trump is currently struggling with support among Black voters as Joe Biden led him 88% to 9% among Black registered voters, according to a Sept. 26 ABC/Washington Post poll.

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Trayvon Martin to have street named after him

Trayvon Martin Avenue will replace a section of Northeast 16th Avenue

This week, Miami-Dade commissioners approved a request from Trayvon Martin’s high school to rename and dedicate a street to him.

Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High will rename part of Northeast 16th Avenue, between Ives Dairy Road and Northeast 209th Street, after Martin.

Miami-Dade County designates Trayvon Martin Avenue: pic.twitter.com/WH77OZ4BS0

— Maeve McGoran (@McGMaeve) October 10, 2020

The new street name will be Trayvon Martin Avenue.

Read More: Trayvon Martin’s mom, Sybrina Fulton, lost her political bid

“Trayvon Martin was a typical teenager who enjoyed playing video games, listening to music, watching movies, and talking and texting on the phone,” read the resolution, whose primary sponsor was Commissioner Barbara Jordan, the outgoing District 1 commissioner, the Miami Herold reported. 

Martin “was also developing advanced mechanical skills and, among other things, was known to be able to build and fix dirt bikes… Martin intended to stay close to home and attend college at either the University of Miami or Florida A&M University.”

People along with New York City Council members attend a press conference to call for justice in the February 26 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, on the steps of City Hall March 28, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

In 2012, Martin, 17, was attending his junior year at the school when he was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.

The high schooler was visiting his father in Sanford, Orlando and was walking back from a convenience store with Skittles in his hands.

Martin was unarmed when Zimmerman, who was 28 at the time, began following the boy. Eventually, Martin was shot and died.

The teen’s death would kick off a nationwide movement for racial justice.

Read More: Naomi Osaka: Trolls who said ‘keep politics out of sports’ inspired me to win

Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother, campaigned with Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election.

As theGrio previously reported, Fulton launched her own political campaign, although she lost the race by fewer than 350 votes to Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert for the District 1 seat on the County Commission.

Martin has become a symbol of the fight against racial profiling of Black young men and racial injustice after Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter, after a jury determined Zimmerman was acting in self-defense.

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Brooklyn teen opens beauty supply store amid pandemic to ‘inspire others’

‘I had the knowledge and I had the funds to do it.’

A Brooklyn teenager credits her mother for inspiring her entrepreneurial spirit to open a beauty supply store amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Paris McKenzie, a 16-year-old senior at the High School for Human Services and Health Professions, is making national headlines after launching the Paris Beauty Supplyz on Church Avenue in Flatbush last month, Fox Business reports. 

“My mom really inspired me to open up the store,” McKenzie said on Making Money with Charles Payne. “She’s my biggest inspiration.”

McKenzie admits she was a little apprehensive to launch her own business at such a young age. “But, I knew I had the knowledge and I had the funds to do it so I said if this can inspire others, then it is something I should do,” she shared.

Read More: Roc Nation partners with Brooklyn’s LIU to launch new school

McKenzie said the response on social media has been “amazing,” and the support helped push her business to the next level. 

“Business has been really well ever since I posted a store on social media. People have been very supportive,” she said. “It is amazing to see how much people I have inspired and how much people have learned or have gained coverage to start their own business just from my post.”

Read More: Brooklyn woman killed after asking neighbors to stop shooting fireworks near kids

McKenzie, a first-generation Jamaican American, grew up watching her mom, Senica Thompson, run salon businesses in Brooklyn. 

“I grew up very independent, you can say. My mother, she’s an entrepreneur as well. She opened her first business a few months after I was born. I grew up watching her handle businesses and finances, so I pretty much knew what I was getting myself into,” she said in an interview with BEAUTY IRL.  

“And since she was at work so often — seven days a week, took one day off a year — I pretty much had to grow up a little bit faster and it made me able to run a business at this age,” McKenzie continued. “Some people might say, “Oh, she’s so young. She’s not fully developed.” But growing up the way I have, I’ve been mature enough to do this from probably 14, 15.”

“I just want us to feel comfortable in a space where we spend the most money, and not like we're being followed, watched, or accused of stealing.”

Photos of 16-year-old beauty supply owner Paris McKenzie by Sophia Wilson in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. https://t.co/L26nI2iCrc pic.twitter.com/nK8XQmqHYt

— darian symoné harvin (@dariansymone) October 8, 2020

McKenzie’s beauty supply store is safe space for Black people to shop and support Black entrepreneurs through the various products.

“My vision was to have a place that was very accessible, affordable, and comfortable for anyone who walks in,” said McKenzie. “If you’re Black, you’re white, you’re Asian, whoever walks in, I wanted them to feel comfortable no matter what. And especially because I’m Black, I wanted to push more on the Black products and making Black people feel comfortable in an area that we very much frequent, so that’s something I really wanted to do,” she explained. 

“That was a huge part of my vision. I just want us to feel comfortable in a space where we spend the most money, and not like we’re being followed, watched, or accused of stealing.”

McKenzie went on to admit that one of her “life goals” is to become an orthopediatric surgeon.

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Tory Lanez says ‘truth will come to light’ in Megan Thee Stallion shooting

If convicted on all felony charges, the rapper faces a maximum sentence of 23 years.

Rapper Tory Lanez hit up social media on Friday to respond to the felony charges he’s facing over the shooting incident with Megan Thee Stallion. 

Lanez, 28, is accused of firing at Megan’s feet several times after the two had an argument in the Hollywood Hills on July 12. The “WAP” rapper reportedly had to have bullets/fragments removed from her feet at the hospital. 

Lanez faces two felony charges of assault with a firearm. On Friday, the Canadian-born artist took to Twitter to speak out about the case.

Read More: Tory Lanez charged with felony assault in Megan Thee stallion shooting

“the truth will come to the light,” he wrote. “I have all faith in God to show that … love to all my fans and people that have stayed true to me & know my heart … a charge is not a conviction . If you have supported me or meg thru this , I genuinely appreciate u.”

⏰ will 🗣 … and the truth will come to the light … I have all faith in God to show that … love to all my fans and people that have stayed true to me & know my heart … a charge is not a conviction . If you have supported me or meg thru this , I genuinely appreciate u .

— Tory Lanez (@torylanez) October 9, 2020

As theGrio reported, Lanez was arrested outside of a house party immediately following the shooting. Witnesses claimed people had been arguing inside an SUV before shots were fired.

Megan named Lanez as her shooter in August. He has denied the accusation.

“Yes, this ni— Tory shot me,” she said during an Instagram Live session, noting that Lanez “got his publicist and your people going to these blogs lying” about what really went down that night.

“I tried to keep the situation off the Internet. But you dragging it,” she added.

Megan also denied that she physically assaulted Lanez in the altercation.

Read More: Daniel Cameron blasts Megan Thee Stallion as ‘disgusting’ for calling him out during ‘SNL’ performance

“I’m in the front seat, this ni— in the back seat (there were two other people in the car, her “homegirl” and Lanez’s bodyguard). “I’m done arguing,” she continued. “I don’t want to argue no more. I get out. I’m walking away, this ni—, from out the backseat of the car, start shooting me. You shot me!”

The L.A. County D.A.’s office announced on Thursday that Lanez has been hit with one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm – personal use of a firearm – and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He is also alleged to have personally inflicted great bodily injury using a gun.

Tory Lanez is scheduled for arraignment on Oct. 1 in Los Angeles. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 23 years.

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2nd presidential debate is officially canceled

Trump balked at holding the debate with a virtual format

The second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden is officially off.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed Friday that the Oct. 15 faceoff would be scrapped. The decision was made a day after the commission announced the debate would take place “virtually” because Trump had contracted the coronavirus. 

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and former Vice President Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate at the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University on September 29, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. This is the first of three planned debates between the two candidates in the lead up to the election on November 3. (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump balked at holding the debate in that format, and Biden scheduled a town hall with ABC News for that night once Trump said he would not participate.

Trump’s team later countered with a call to hold the debates as scheduled once the president’s doctor said he would be cleared to hold public events beginning on Saturday.

Read More: Biden to participate in ABC town hall after urging reschedule of second debate

But the commission said it would not reverse its decision not to have the candidates on stage together, citing an abundance of caution with health concerns — particularly for the town-hall-style debate that was set to feature questions from average voters.

The third debate, scheduled for Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee, is still on.

Thank you @SenatorDole. So true! https://t.co/U9fOCSJP35

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2020

On Saturday, President Donald Trump is planning to hold his first in-person event since testing positive for the coronavirus.

Two weeks after the Rose Garden event that is now considered a “superspreader,” Trump is planning to convene another large crowd outside the White House for an event on “law and order.” That’s despite the ongoing White House COVID-19 outbreak.

An official says Trump will address the group from a White House balcony. The official declined to say how many people had been invited.

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Boston officials seek answers after Black jogger stopped by ICE

ICE thought he was a suspect they were looking for

A Black man was jogging on Tuesday when he was stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Bena Apreala was jogging along VFW Parkway in West Roxbury, Boston when ICE stopped him. Apreala quickly pulled out his phone to record the ordeal, according to NBC Boston.

Read More: Man and woman found dead in SUV in Boston Harbor

He said the officer did not identify himself and asked if he had a tattoo on his right or left arm.

“The police officer started walking towards me, and he said, ‘Hey, stop,'” said Apreala. “He started asking me for identification.”

Bena Apreala Image: CBS Boston

Apreala asked the officers, “Am I free to go? Do I have to show you? If I’m free to go, then I’m not showing you anything, thank you. Have a great day, guys.”

Apreala, 29, is a father and real estate agent. “They never introduced themselves, they never identified themselves, they never said I was being detained because of an immigration violation,” he complained.

When the young man asked why he was being stoped the agents said it was because he fit the description of a suspect they were looking for.

The video of the incident was posted online. His mother, Patricia Apreala said once she saw the video she was afraid her son had been arrested.

“As I was watching this thing, I wasn’t sure until I got to call him if he had been arrested. I have too many videos running in my head about young Black males with law enforcement, and it was not a pretty sight, I can tell you.”

Boston officials said the agents’ behavior will not be tolerated. “This was an extremely disturbing video to watch. It was unacceptable in so many ways: violating someone’s rights just because of the color of their skin, is always unacceptable. Also unacceptable is the fact that ICE hasn’t confirmed or denied that these were their agents, “said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Twitter on Wednesday.

Let me be clear: racial profiling and stops like these are wrong, unjustified, and will not be tolerated.

Earlier this morning I spoke to Bena Apreala. https://t.co/KTkkh7AwLC

— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) October 7, 2020

Read More: Officer fired over fatal shooting of Jonathan Price: ‘Egregious violation’

ICE eventually said it was in fact their agents who stopped Apreala. A spokesperson told NBC News, “ICE officers were conducting surveillance as part of a targeted enforcement action Wednesday in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, looking for a previously deported Haitian national with multiple criminal convictions and pending cocaine and fentanyl trafficking charges that may have been residing in the area.” 

On Wednesday, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass took to Twitter to comment and call for a full investigation.

“For too long, ICE and CBP have acted with impunity—emboldened by a xenophobic Administration and the Occupant of this White House. We will not stand by and watch them intimidate, harass and racially profile our Black and Brown communities in Boston or anywhere in the country.”

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Tennessee Titans COVID outbreak threatens game vs. Bills and maybe the NFL season

The Titans have recorded 23 positive tests so far

The Tennessee Titans COVID-19 outbreak has shut down the team’s activities for the moment and that includes potentially their scheduled meeting with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. But as the outbreak expands, and with the recent positive tests for New England star players Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore, it begs the question – should the NFL even continue to play?

Joshua Kalu #46 of the Tennessee Titans and his teammates take the field before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

The Titans outbreak, which began with positive tests that were revealed on Sept. 29, is now at 23, including players and staff. The team has closed their facility and the rescheduled, so far, their Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But now with the Bills on the schedule for Sunday, postponing that game creates a domino effect as the Bills are also set for the Thursday night name next week, the official NFL website reports. The Titans didn’t play last Sunday because the game was postponed due to COVID.

From @GMFB: The #Titans-Bills game being played on Sunday is in doubt, as another TEN player tested positive, while the #Patriots are all clear so far. pic.twitter.com/c68nYtMiWg

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 8, 2020

The team is also being investigated for breaching NFL COVID protocols because several players participated in an unsanctioned workout once their facility was closed. According to CNN, NFL investigators were sent to Tennesse after it was discovered that a group of players worked out at Montgomery Bell Academy as they’ve done in the past, the academy’s headmaster Brad Giola confirmed.

The Titans, who were one playoff victory from the Super Bowl last season, were 3-0 before the outbreak.

But now they are facing a season on the brink as everything from severe penalties for not following COVID guidelines to a possible forfeit of the upcoming game is on the table. At issue is that the workout, among other possible breaches, could not have been possible without someone in the team’s leadership knowing about it and that, according to The Athletic, the Titans were lax about enforcing rules, putting the season in jeopardy.

“Somewhere, there has to be some captains of the team who meet with the head coach and say they are thinking about doing this, and the coach says not to do it, that getting together in a big group probably is not a good idea,” an unnamed NFL executive told The Athletic.

The NFL believed that a bubble, which worked for the NBA, was impractical given that NFL teams have 55-man player rosters, not including coaches and other team personnel that would have to live in isolation of some kind for up to six months. Instead, daily COVID testing has been the rule, but given the realities of having to monitor the daily activities of thousands of people involved in some way with 32 NFL teams, it seems miraculous that it worked as well as it has though Week 5. Players have, with their salaries and careers on the line, either opted out of the season or opted in with the restrictions in mind.

Head coach Tennessee Titans Mike Vrabel speaks to his team on the sidelines during the second quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

“It’s not going to be easy, man, it will take all of us,” Eagles corner Darius Slay told The Philadelphia Inquirer recently. “My true opinion, I felt like we shouldn’t have had [a season] just because of what was going on. It’s a difficult time, but like I said, we’re all making sacrifices and we made them.”

Still, the Titans outbreak illustrates not just the ongoing difficulty but the ripples of a COVID outbreak through a league already losing money with limited or zero fans in the stands. Even head coaches had to be reprimanded about mask-wearing, leading to fines for the coaches and their teams last month.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and Broncos coach Vic Fangio were personally fined $100K apiece and each team was fined 250K. Several Las Vegas Raiders players, including starting quarterback Derek Carr, and others attended teammate Darren Waller’s charity event in Las Vegas and were disciplined internally for being photographed without protective masks. The players apologized for their oversight.

But it’s easy to let your guard down. The league’s Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes isolated himself from his pregnant fianceé after exchanging a friendly post-game hug Monday night with Gilmore, who tested positive for COVID-19 days later.

If the Titans are found to have flouted protocol, NFL insiders expect their punishment to be harsh. The NFL is a billion-dollar industry with multiple money-making tentacles including TV broadcasts of games, TV and radio sports talk shows, fantasy football apps and leagues and legal gambling, among others, that would be cataclysmically impacted by a cancelled season. That includes, of course, player salaries, bonuses and endorsement opportunities.

“You start with the idea that the NFL is not going to jeopardize the season and they are willing to extremely punish one team as a deterrent for everybody else to recognize there will be severe consequences, including in your won-loss column, if you do not follow the protocols, because the one thing they need is to have all or nearly all the games played,” an NFL executive who spoke under the condition of anonymity told The Athletic.

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