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Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Shields Robinson, has sadly passed away.

The news was first shared via a family statement shared with NBC News on 31 May. She passed peacefully this morning, and right now, none of us are quite sure how exactly well move on without her, the statement read.

The news was later shared via the official social media channels of Michelle and Barack Obama where, in a collab post between the two accounts, Michelle wrote a touching note and provided a link to a full obituary written by the family.

"My mom Marian Robinson was my rock, always there for whatever I needed. She was the same steady backstop for our entire family, and we are heartbroken to share she passed away today," Michelle wrote.

The wider statement was written by Michelle and Barack Obama, Craig and Kelly Robinson (Michelle's brother and sister-in-law), and their children.

This heartfelt tribute reflects on Marian's life, her upbringing in Chicago and dedication to family and education, as well as the years she spent helping Michelle and Barack Obama raise their children during their time in the White House.

"With a healthy nudge, she agreed to move to the White House with Michelle and Barack," the letter reads. "We needed her. The girls needed her. And she ended up being our rock through it all."

After posting on social media, the condolences poured in from across the Obama family's network.

This includes Alicia Keys ("Sending so much love!!"), Jennifer Lewis ("My sincere condolences to you and your family. "), Nicole Scherzinger ("") and Vanessa Williams ("Deepest sympathies to you Michelle and the family"), who all shared touching comments on the announcement post.

Our thoughts are with the Obama and Robinson families and their loved ones during this difficult time.

Megan Wallace (they/them) is Cosmopolitan UKs Former Sex and Relationships Editor covering sexual pleasure, sex toys, LGBTQIA+ identity, dating and romance. They have covered sexuality and relationships for over five years and in their spare time, they can be found exploring the London kink scene and planning dates on Feeld.

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Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson has passed away at 86 - Cosmopolitan UK

The Big Picture

The biopic genre has been a popular one in the film industry for decades, particularly when the central figure is relevant to current events. The Presidency of Barack Obama certainly had a seismic impact on the entertainment world, so it should not come as a surprise that a biopic about the 44th American President was released right before he left office. Vikram Gandhis biopic Barry featured a breakout performance by Devon Terrell as a young Obama during his years studying at Columbia University. While Terrells performance certainly captured the tenacity and charisma of the future world leader, Barry also featured an early performance by Anya Taylor-Joy as Obamas love interest, Charlotte Baughman.

Taylor-Joy is now one of the most widely recognized stars in the world, as the unexpected success of The Queens Gambit on Netflix turned her into a household name. She is currently headlining George Miller's action-packed sequel, Furiosa, which is in theaters now. Yet, Barry was released when Taylor-Joy was still relatively new to the industry, as Barry came just one year after her breakout role in the A24 horror movie, The Witch. Appearing in a film about such an important political and cultural figure comes with a lot of responsibility. Taylor-Joy rose to the challenge, giving a mature and affecting performance that made Barry a stronger film.

A film that focuses on the early life of Barack Obama, depicting his experiences as a college student in New York City. The story highlights his journey of self-discovery as he grapples with issues of race, identity, and purpose. Through various relationships and encounters, the film provides insight into the challenges and influences that helped shape the man who would become the 44th President of the United States.

Filmmakers have spent decades trying to tell stories about real American Presidents, and often fail to condense the totality of their achievements into a singular narrative. Thankfully, Gandhi didnt intend to make a film about Obamas entire life, as there are relatively few mentions of his politics. Barry is a coming-of-age story about Obama coming to grips with his identity and future as he realizes that the country is not set up for African Americans to succeed. As Obama begins his studies at Columbia University, he begins to develop the code of ethics that would later come to define his Presidency. While Barry certainly hints at the growth of Obamas ideologies in a way that foreshadows his future achievements, its far more focused on his personal growth.

While Terrell manages to capture the charisma and intelligence essential to playing Obama, Taylor-Joy gives a necessary perspective to the film as the future Presidents first girlfriend. While the character herself is fictional, she was modeled after various young women that Obama dated while in school. Merging multiple sources of inspiration could have led to an unbalanced performance, but Taylor-Joy gives a specificity to Charlottes ambitions that makes the character come alive as her own person. Its evident through the way that she discusses social activism that helping others is her primary motivation for studying law; this shared empathy for people of different backgrounds initially makes Obama and Charlotte such a compelling couple. Their mutual interest in civic responsibility and the growth of legacy speaks to the idealism that comes with being a college student who is starting to make their way in the world.

Its easy to get lost in Barry as a coming-of-age drama, but Terrell and Taylor-Joy are able to portray a couple that clearly doesnt end up together. Both Terrell and Taylor-Joy are able to indicate in their performances that while Obama and Charlotte teach each other important lessons, theyre ultimately on different paths. Barry then works as a sort of prequel to Southside With You, released the same year, which chronicles Obamas romance with the future First Lady Michelle Obama. Barry ends with the couple breaking up, but they don't hold any animosity towards each other; Terrell and Charlotte are able to make this mature narrative beat effective by showing how both characters have grown and diverged onto different journeys.

Although the romance between Obama and Charlotte is the films primary focus, Barry analyzes how social and class differences are relevant to the central relationship. Charlotte is more than happy to introduce Obama to her family, as she takes pride in coming from a lineage of active educational enthusiasts. Comparatively, Obamas family life was far more complicated, making him more hesitant to discuss his complex relationship with his father. This provides an interesting point of friction within their relationship; despite her inherently empathetic qualities, Charlotte can never fully relate to Obamas experience. Taylor-Joy shows how Charlotte is inherently privileged, even if shes unaware of it.

Barry tackles the challenges that a mixed-race couple faces in the 1980s, with a particular amount of attention paid to the perception of their classmates at Columbia University. Despite claiming to be a forward-thinking institution, Columbia is built on a white, idealized version of the American experience that puts several barriers on Obamas path. While Terrell does a great job of showing the latent struggles that Obama goes through, Taylor-Joy is also strong at showing Charlottes fight to prove that her love is sincere. Despite the initial support she receives from her family and friends, Charlottes relationship with Obama is never treated as entirely legitimate by a community expecting her to move on.

Although her physical limits were stretched in films like Furiosa and The New Mutants, Barry gave Taylor-Joy one of the most challenging roles of her career. Charlotte could've easily come off as an ideological mouthpiece who serves no purpose but to advance Obamas character arc, but Taylor-Joy is able to make Charlottes passions and motivations feel legitimate, even though they dont directly parallel true events. Barry is one of the more underrated original dramas released by Netflix, as it was distributed in an era where the streaming service rarely put out their new releases in theaters. While it may be destined to be lost in Netflixs vast library forever, Barry is a worthwhile watch for fans of Taylor-Joys interested in seeing one of her most unique and understated performances.

Barry is streaming on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch on Netflix

The rest is here:
Anya Taylor-Joy Played Young Barack Obama's Girlfriend in This Netflix Drama - Collider

No matter what you think about host and author Charlamagne tha God, theres no denying his influence. With over 2 million followers on X, 4.5 million followers on Instagram and over 4 million radio listeners in over 40 cities who tune in daily to The Breakfast Club, he has a captive audience and a massive platform. So its no wonder politicians see his show as a mandatory stop on the campaign trail to get their message to young voters of color. Its also why The View hosts Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg pressed him on endorsing President Joe Biden in the 2024 Presidential election when he appeared on their show on May 22.

Here are some of the politicians and political commentators who have sat down with Charlamagne tha God to make their case over the years.

In 2020, then-presidential hopeful Joe Biden sat down with Charlamagne to drum up support for his campaign. The two covered a wide-ranging set of issues, including his cognitive health, how then-President Trump was handling the COVID-19 pandemic and Bidens decision to choose a Black woman as his running mate.

But while he was tooting his own horn, Biden made a statement that raised plenty of eyebrows, telling Charlamagne, If you have a problem figuring out whether youre for me or Trump, then you aint Black. Biden faced criticism from both sides of the aisle for his comments and eventually apologized, saying he shouldnt have been such a wise guy during the interview.

In a 2021 interview with Charlamagne on Comedy Centrals Tha Gods Honest Truth, Vice President Kamala Harris took time to lay out what has kept her busy since taking office, including advocating for Black maternal health, student loan forgiveness and securing more capital for minority-owned businesses.

But the conversation took a turn when the two got into an animated exchange when Charlamagne asked the Vice President who the real President of the United States is, seeming to imply that other people may be pulling the strings behind the scenes.

I want to know who the real president of this country is is it Joe Biden, or Joe Manchin? Charlamagne asked.

Its Joe Biden. And dont start talking like a Republican about asking whether or not hes president, Harris responded.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders appeared on The Breakfast Club in 2019 to talk about his 2020 Presidential campaign and how his agenda would benefit the Black community, including advocating for tuition-free colleges, prison reform, affordable healthcare and reparations.

In 2022, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared on The Breakfast Club to talk about the Biden administrations accomplishments since the bipartisan infrastructure bill was signed into law in 2021. He also answered the hosts questions on what still needs to be done to deliver on promises made to the Black community that have not been fulfilled.

In 2021, former President Barack Obama sat down with The Breakfast Club hosts to talk about his book, A Promised Land. He also reflected on his eight years in the White House and answered the hosts questions on what he did for the Black community.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) appeared on The Breakfast Club in 2019 to make the case for her 2020 campaign for President. She criticized Donald Trumps racist and sexist playbook and laid out her plans if elected particularly those that help close the racial wealth gap, including universal childcare, higher salaries for teachers, canceling student loan debt and investments in HBCUs.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke out on everything from the migrant crisis to the implementation of congestion pricing in the city during a March 29 appearance on The Breakfast Club. But he was put in the hot seat when challenged by lawyer and political activist Olayemi Olurin, who forced him to defend his decision to deploy additional police in the subway system, accusing him of being a fearmonger on the issue of crime in the city.

Former Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy stepped into the hot seat in 2023 when he appeared on The Breakfast Club to make a case for why he should be elected to the highest office in the land. But the hosts pressed him on his lack of political experience, accusing him of trying to go from preschool to President of the United States.

You want people to believe in country and you want people to have civic engagement. I just find it very telling that you havent had any civic engagement at all, said former Front-Page News coordinator Tezlyn Figaro.

In a March 2024 interview on The Breakfast Club, conservative political commentator Candace Owens covered lots of topics, including why she thinks Donald Trump is a better option for President than his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden. Along with being better for the economy, Owens said she appreciates Trump for being a straight shooter.

Do you want to be politely lied to or have somebody thats at least telling you what they think about you in no uncertain terms? she said.

Right wing conservative radio host, author and former 2024 Presidential candidate Larry Elder appeared on The Breakfast Club to sell himself to the shows audience. During the interview, Elder called systemic racism a myth and argued that fatherlessness is a bigger issue in the Black community.

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Originally posted here:
From Obama to Vivek Ramaswamy, Politicians Who Made Their Case to Charlamagne Tha God - Yahoo! Voices

Former President Barack Obama called NBA legend Bill Walton a champion at every level in one of many tributes to the sports commentator, who died Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 71.

Bill Walton was one of the greatest basketball players of all time a champion at every level and the embodiment of unselfish team play, Obama wrote on social media. He was also a wonderful spirit full of curiosity, humor and kindness. We are poorer for his passing.

Walton, a two-time NCAA champion, two-time NBA champion and the leagues MVP during the 1977-78 season, spent 10 years at the professional level despite a career plagued by chronic injuries. But his renaissance as a commentator brought new accolades, including an Emmy Award and a designation as one of the greatest sports broadcasters of all time.

NBA legends shared tributes to Walton on Monday night as the news spread.

From shooting jump shots to making incredible passes, he was one of the smartest basketball players to ever live, Magic Johnson wrote on X. Bill was a great ambassador for college basketball and the NBA, and he will be sorely missed.

My very close friend, fellow Bruin and NBA rival Bill Walton died today, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote Monday. And the world feels so much heavier now. On the court, Bill was a fierce player, but off the court he wasnt happy unless he did everything he could to make everyone around him happy.

He was the best of us.

RIP to a legend on and off the court, Steph Curry wrote on Instagram. You might hear it all the time, but he Always brought the BEST energy and humanity to every room he walked in to.

Walton was a major acolyte of the Grateful Dead, attending upwards of 850 shows and at times announcing nationally televised games in tie-dye.

For me, the Grateful Dead, there are so many different reasons why I love it so much, but they give me strength, they give me confidence, they give me hope, and they make me believe that tomorrow is like, going to be even better, he said in a 2016 interview. And at the end of the day, when they run off the stage and get out of there, Im out in that pit just saying, Yeahhh, Im with those guys.

He grew close with the band, which paid tribute to him on Monday, calling him an irreplaceable force and spirit in our family.

Walton was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1993 after his time playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Clippers and the Boston Celtics. After his professional run ended, he overcame a stutter to begin his broadcasting career.

I lived most of my life by myself. But as soon as I got on the court I was fine, Walton told The Oregonian in 2017. But in life, being so self conscious, red hair, big nose, freckles and goofy, nerdy looking face and cant talk at all. I was incredibly shy and never said a word.

Then, when I was 28 I learned how to speak, he added. Its become my greatest accomplishment of my life and everybody elses biggest nightmare.

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Obama Calls Bill Walton One Of The Greats Of All Time As Tributes Pour In For NBA Legend - Yahoo Singapore News

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, America First Legal (AFL) released a never-before-seen secretive memo established by the Obama Administration and used through the Trump and Biden Administrations confirming the government may have already had originals of the alleged classified documents involved in Special Counsel Jack Smiths sham prosecution against President Trump through the Presidential Information Technology Committee (PITC). AFL obtained these documents through litigation against the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

In October 2014, Russian hackers breached the Executive Office of the President (EOP)s network. In response, President Obama created, via executive action, PITC. PITC includes representatives of the DOD and Homeland Security, among others. PITC effectively establishes that the President controls all the information he receives through the PITC network.

On April 4, 2024, AFL sued the DOD to compel the immediate release of documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regarding the secretive Presidential Information Technology Committee (PITC) created by former President Barack Obama.

The PITC executive order was public, but it doesnt tell the whole story. Today, AFL releases a never-before-public memo from the White House confirming the DOD has been operating and maintaining the information resources and information systems provided to the President, Vice President, and Executive Office of the President (EOP). This memo reveals that the White House secretly created and apparently maintains an information technology community that enforced Obamas executive order to ensure that presidents could store their records on DOD servers without losing control.

What it means is that the federal government has preserved and retained all EOP records on its servers, and therefore, consistent with Obamas order, it likely possesses a substantial amount, if not all, of President Trumps classified documents.

Under section 2.01 of the memo, the White House Communications Agency provides core services related to unclassified records. Under section 2.06 of the memo, the National Security Council provides classified services.

Section 2.04 of the memo concedes that all records created, stored, used, or transmitted by, on, or through the information resources and information systems provided to the President were stored at DOD. Thus, the White House Communications Agency and NSC at the White House simply provide services regarding records housed at DOD.

Any Congressional committee with subpoena power can now seek to determine whether the documents that Special Counsel Jack Smith obtained and claimed Trump unlawfully retained after his presidency are actually in Bidens active possession through PITC.

This revelation cuts a knife through the entire indictment as it proves that many, if not all, of the documents President Trump is accused of unlawfully retaining were and are currently still retained by the Executive Branch and stored on DOD servers.

Further, because of the PITC memos aggressive posture that all records the President receives are subject to his control, President Trump had a clear basis for believing he had the authority to possess copies of records stored at the DOD. It would, therefore, be impossible for Trump to have retained records without authorization and willfully and knowingly, as the Jack Smith indictment suggests.

This, of course, sets aside the point that the President of the United States has absolute discretion under the Presidential Records Act to determine which records are his.

Lastly, the secret document uncovered by AFL raises the question of why armed agents ever raided President Trumps personal residence. The Special Counsel should have first determined what relevant records existed on the DOD systems. The failure to do so, as the Biden administration clearly knew and enforced PITC, smacks of politicization and dangerous government overreach.

These explosive findings demand immediate action.

Statement from America First Legal Vice President Dan Epstein:

What America First Legal has uncovered after months of investigative work paints an unfortunate picture of the rule of law in Washington. A former President of the United States the most democratically accountable officer under our Constitution was subject to a politicized referral concocted by the Biden White House that led to an armed FBI raid of his home where his wife and youngest child live and is now subject to prosecution. And to now realize that the Biden Administration could have avoided an illegal referral process to recover records the government already possessed, that it could have used normal means to ensure that records the former president believed should be housed in his presidential library (not yet built because of the hordes of investigations aimed at silencing him) were subject to a temporary hold for purposes of Archives review yet didnt speaks loudly to America: the law protects only those who follow the norms of one party, said Dan Epstein.

Read the memo here.

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EXPLOSIVE Secret Department of Defense Memo Reveals the Biden Administration May Have Already Had Original ... - America First Legal