US Rapper Kanye West Makes Surprise Visit to Haiti
WASHINGTON - American rap star and third-party U.S. presidential candidate Kanye West visited Haiti on Friday, Haitian President Jovenel Moise announced on Twitter.
“I'm with famous American rapper Kanye West who just arrived in the country to visit Labadee and l'Ile de la Tortue. I wish him a great visit," Moise tweeted.
The post, which included four photos, show both the president and West wearing face masks.
The purpose of West's visit to the Caribbean nation remains unclear. He has not posted anything about it on his official Twitter account, @kanyewest. President Moise’s tweet provided no further details.
According to local media, the rap star, 43, landed Friday morning at the Cape Haitien international airport and was met there by the president. Official Haitian greeters, fans, airport workers and members of the press crowded into the small airport’s diplomatic lounge to catch a glimpse of West, who was wearing a lilac hoodie, dark pants and his signature sneakers. President Moise accompanied him on a visit to two picturesque islands.
Labadee island, located off the coast of Cape Haitien in Haiti's north, is a resort predominantly frequented by foreign tourists. The island is leased by Royal Caribbean cruise lines and features turquoise waters, sandy beaches and an assortment of water rides.
Ile de la Tortue (Tortuga island) is also a popular tourist destination off Haiti's northwestern coast.
Cape Haitien, where West landed, is Haiti's second-largest city. It is home to the renowned historical site, Citadelle Laferriere, a 19th century fortress that was instrumental in the slave revolution to gain independence from France in 1804.
This is the rap star’s second jaunt to the Caribbean in a week. The Miami Herald reported that West made a visit last week to Jamaica, where he was accused of breaking COVID-19 protocols after photos surfaced of him without a face mask with reggae music star Buju Banton.
West announced his candidacy for U.S. president on July 4, 2020, and is officially on the ballot for the November election in 11 states.
Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court justice
(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Saturday said he is nominating Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative federal appeals court judge, to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the US Supreme Court, setting off a fierce partisan battle in the waning days of a hotly contested presidential election.
Calling it a "very proud moment indeed," Trump called Barrett a woman of "towering intellect" and "unyielding loyalty to the Constitution" who would rule "based solely on the fair reading of the law."
In a flag-bedecked Rose Garden designed to mimic Ginsburg's own nomination ceremony in 1993, Trump recounted Barrett's educational and professional background, noted her seven children and hailed her ties to another late Supreme Court justice, Antonin Scalia, for whom she clerked.
"I looked and I studied and you are very eminently qualified for this job," Trump told his nominee. "You are going to be fantastic."
Barrett, Trump declared before an audience that included Scalia's widow, Republican senators and several figures from the conservative media, is "one of our nation's most brilliant and gifted legal minds."
In her own remarks, Barrett offered only a glimpse of what type of justice she would be and did not delve into specifics.
"A judge must apply the law as written," she said. "Judges are not policy makers."
Instead she sought to cast herself as a public servant -- one who, at 48, could potentially serve on the court for decades.
"If confirmed, I would not assume that role for the sake of those in my own circle, and certainly not for my own sake, I would assume this role to serve you," she said.
The nomination comes at a critical time in history, as the President openly questions the integrity of the upcoming election and has not committed to a peaceful transfer of power in the event he loses. He's repeatedly said that the Supreme Court needed to have all nine seats filled ahead of Election Day, in case the court needed to weigh in on the legality of mail-in ballots being sent to Americans across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. And several weighty cases loom on the immediate horizon, should she be confirmed as swiftly as Republicans hope, including one that could determine the fate of the Affordable Care Act.
Trump seemed to momentarily shrug off the looming battle, even if Barrett herself said Saturday she was under no illusions about how difficult her confirmation might be.
"This should be a straightforward and prompt confirmation," Trump said. "I'm sure it will be extremely non-controversial. We said that last time, didn't we?"
But Democrats were already writing off her nomination, which had been widely expected.
"By nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, President Trump has once again put Americans' healthcare in the crosshairs," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a statement, adding a vote for Barrett amounted to "a vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act."
KAREN JEAN PIERRE IN FLORIDA
South Florida Caribbean news
On Wednesday, Biden for President Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to Senator Kamala Harris Karine Jean-Pierre participated in several interviews with prominent Haitian radio programs in Miami-Dade, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Broward counties.
Jean-Pierre, the campaign’s highest ranking Haitian-American staffer, addressed key issues to the Haitian community, including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ COVID-19 recovery plans, legislative immigration reform, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and family reunification.
Karine Jean-Pierre spoke with the hosts about different issues impacting the Haitian community in South Florida:
· On building a diverse coalition:
“We understand, they understand that we can’t take any vote for granted and that in order to win Florida, we have to build a diverse coalition of voters, right, and it’s across the state, including Haitian-Americans. There is so much at stake in the election and every vote makes a difference, and we have to make sure that we fight for the interest of the Caribbean community, that we fight for the interests of the Haitian community – especially as we look at COVID-19 and how it has devastated communities across the spectrum.”
· On rebuilding our economy:
“We have to rebuild the economy, because tens of millions of people have lost their jobs because of mismanagement of COVID-19, and we have to pass immigration reform legislation that protects the Haitian community and that protects our communities as a whole.”
· On Trump’s cruel immigration policies:
“On day one, on day one, the moment that he takes the oath and becomes president of the United States in January, he’s going to take urgent action to end Trump’s cruel and inhumane border policies that rip children from their mothers arms; protect DREAMers and their families recognizing them as Americans that they are; reverse Trump’s public charge rule, which is critical and important; send real legislative immigration reform to Congress as I just mentioned with a roadmap to citizenship for the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants who already make our communities strong as we all know…”
· On Biden’s support for TPS:
“Joe Biden has committed to protecting TPS and Deferred Enforcement Departure holders from being returned to countries that are unsafe…As he has said over and over again and will continue to say as president of the United States, he stands with the families in this country who have been impacted by Trump’s cruel immigration policies.”
· On the importance of the Haitian vote:
“It’s so important to use our power, right, the power we have as voters, the power that we have as a community. The Haitian community is such a strong, powerful block and unit and we just have to continue like we have done for decades upon decades, continue to use the power that we have and voting is one of them. As a proud Haitian-American, I know we cannot take any vote for granted here in South Florida, and that is something the campaign understands, that is why I’m proud to work for Joe Biden…I’ve known Joe Biden for over a decade and I believe, and so many believe that he will be a champion for our community and he’s giving us a reason to vote…”
“I think he’s giving the community a reason to vote, a reason to organize our community and that’s what the Haitian community has to continue to do… If we are able to vote as a block in South Florida, and Haitians come out in a big way like we know that they will, it gives you a seat at the table, it gives the community a seat at the table. Bring the policies, bring the plans, bring the ideas, because you will have a seat at the table and that is the way we make change.”
· On Biden and Harris’ record with communities of color
“What Donald Trump has done has been devastating to our country and to our community, devastating. He has a complete disregard for the Haitian community, a complete disregard for the Black community at large, for the brown community at large. He does not care, and I think Joe Biden and Senator Harris have a proven record, and just see what they have done and look at what their plans are… They will do the work on day one, but we have to get them there. We have to come out and vote, and we have to get them to the White House and that means all of us getting to the polls, voting early, voting by mail, and making sure that we make sure our community comes out and votes, our households get out and vote in order to have real power.”
· On foreign relations:
“Biden respects and supports Democracy and he supports free and fair elections and that is based on his track record, that is based on relationships that he’s had with foreign governments across the globe – that was a big role that he played in the Obama-Biden administration and so if you look at his track record you will see a partnership.”
Dear FANM members and friends,
It's National Voter Registration Day!
The 2020 General Election is on November 3, 2020. It is the most important election of our lifetime.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is on the ballot box. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is on the ballot box. Supreme Court justice appointments, climate change initiatives, immigration reform, healthcare reform, and the COVID-19 response are also on the ballot box. No one can afford to sit this one out. No one should take voting for granted.
In every state, but most especially in Florida, every vote counts.
Every. Vote. Matters.
FANM strongly urges all citizens to register to vote by the October 5th deadline. To register, please click on this link.
After you register, please consider requesting a vote-by-mail ballot.Voters must request a vote-by-mail ballot by October 24th.
Voting by mail is beneficial for many reasons. It's convenient for those who do not have accessible modes of transportation and who are wary of possible COVID health risks. A mail-in ballot also gives voters the opportunity to vote at their convenience in the weeks leading up to Election Day. This saves many busy voters time while protecting their health. Voters are also more informed citizens if they receive a mail-in ballot as it gives them the opportunity to review and research all candidates. Additionally, voters can check the status of their ballot online after they send it back! It's easy!
If you request a vote-by-mail ballot and later choose to vote in person, you can drop off your vote-by-mail ballot at secure drop boxes at any early voting location! You can also bring your vote-by-mail ballot with you on Election Day or choose to vote with a provisional ballot.
FANM encourages voters to vote before Election Day! All voters can give themselves ample time and vote early! Early voting in Miami-Dade begins on October 19th and ends on November 1st. To look up an early polling location in Miami- Dade, please click on this link. For Broward County,please click on this link. For the rest of Florida, please click on this link.
FANM staff and volunteers have been actively calling and registering voters and we need motivated volunteers who are passionate about voter outreach to join our efforts! If we all band together and do our part, we can accomplish miracles! Please call us at (305) 756-8050 to join our team!
There’s too much at stake in 2020 for members of our community to sit quietly on the sidelines. By registering to vote, we can actively achieve change and ensure our voices are heard.
Our community is on the ballot box. Our votes matter. We matter.
Remember,
1)Register to Vote
2)Request your ballot to vote by mail
3)VOTE on November 3rd
Our democracy depends on you!
In Unity,
Marleine Bastien, MSW, LCSW
Executive Director
Family Action Network Movement (FANM)