News — Joe Biden

Seasoned rapper and actor Ice Cube has revealed he is set to meet President Joe Biden to discuss his Contract with Black America (CWBA) plan after his administration reached out to him. The 51-year-old made the revelation during an interview on the Ryan Cameron: Uncensored radio show, saying Biden and his team got in touch with him on Tuesday, February 2, Revolt reported.

“They reached out; we gotta set the meeting,” he said, adding that they’re still planning on what the meeting is going to entail and how they’re going to have it – whether it’s going to be face to face or by zoom. Though the date for the meeting is yet to be set, he said it’s possible they could have it this month.

“I would love to bring some people in; I work with some great experts who know the root of the problem much better than me,” he said. “I would love to bring in the specialists I have and the experts I have to see what we can do to start moving the ball down the field.”

He added: “I’m available… Whenever they’re ready; I’m there. I’m hoping everything will be positive.”

The CWBA was set up by the Straight Outta Compton rapper in August with the aim of “striking at the heart of racism and [presenting] a blueprint to achieve racial economic justice,” according to Independent.

Per the project’s website, the CWBA will “provide conceptual approaches in several areas” including representation, lending, judicial and prison reform, police reform act, among others.

Also in the interview, the Friday actor, born O’Shea Jackson, spoke about the new administration’s endeavors towards helping minorities, saying they are “really into”, adding, “Black people in this country are in a unique position,” The Hill reported.

“There needs to be things as far as specialty programs. You know me, I’m all about reparations. It seems like a bad word to this administration but we gotta change that. We gotta have them speaking about reparations and add some fairness to this system,” he said.

He, however, said the reparations “can come in different forms” such as “programs, grants,” and “tax relief.” “We can figure it out,” he added. “It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We’ll take something. But you’ve gotta do something.”

In October, Face2Face Africa reported Ice Cube got people on social media – including his fans – disappointed after the Donald Trump’s campaign adviser, Katrina Pierson, revealed the California native was helping them develop their Black Economic Empowerment “Platinum Plan”. He claimed both parties got in touch with him to about his CWBA plan, but the Biden and his team told him they’ll “address” the plan after the election.

Responding to that incident and the criticism that ensued, Cube said: “At the end of the day, whether a Democrat or a Republican is in the White House, they’re still not looking at our agenda in the right way.”

“We still gotta get them to acknowledge and remedy the situation. So, right now, they like to acknowledge but nobody wants to do what it takes to remedy the situation,” he added. “Everybody want to point out, that, ‘Yeah, you guys should be upset about your treatment in America.’”

“But nobody wants to do what it takes to fix it. So, that’s the part that we need to get on these politicians about, and they have the power to. They just won’t do it.”

He also spoke about the historic high Black voter turnout in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections, saying, “I think it’s great. We always show up.” He, however, said more needed to be done to empower Black people in the country.

“We show up for one party right now mainly and so do they show up for us as a whole? You know, not just appointing Black people to positions, but actually giving them the power and incentive to do something for all of us?” he said. “You know, right now, I feel like there’s a lot of symbolism going around, but it’s not a lot of tangibles going around.”

Former first lady Michelle Obama has expressed her disappointment with an opinion piece about incoming first lady Jill Biden that was published Friday by The Wall Street Journal. The op-ed written by Joseph Epstein argued that Jill should drop “Dr.” from her name when she enters the White House with President-elect Joe Biden.

Jill, who studied at Brandywine Junior College in Pennsylvania, earned a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees before she got her doctorate in education from the University of Delaware in 2007. Epstein’s op-ed suggests that the future first lady should drop the “Dr.” title she uses because her doctorate is not in the field of medicine.

“‘Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic,” Epstein wrote. “Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title ‘Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs.’

“A wise man once said that no one should call himself ‘Dr.’ unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc,” wrote Epstein, who began the piece by addressing Jill as “Madame First Lady — Mrs. Biden — Jill — kiddo.”

Epstein’s op-ed about the longtime educator has been criticized by many including women in academia as sexist and disdainful. Michelle couldn’t agree more. In an Instagram post on Monday, Michelle praised Jill for successfully being able to manage more than one responsibility at a time, from her teaching duties to her White House obligations to her roles as a mother and wife during the Obama administration.

“And right now, we’re all seeing what also happens to so many professional women, whether their titles are Dr., Ms., Mrs., or even First Lady: All too often, our accomplishments are met with skepticism, even derision. We’re doubted by those who choose the weakness of ridicule over the strength of respect. And yet somehow, their words can stick—after decades of work, we’re forced to prove ourselves all over again,” the “Becoming” author wrote.

“Is this really the example we want to set for the next generation?” the former first lady asked, adding that Jill will be a “terrific role model not just for young girls but for all of us.”

69-year-old Jill, who hinted recently of plans to continue teaching as a college professor while serving as the first lady, is yet to officially respond to the “misogynistic” op-ed. On Sunday, she however appeared to have commented on it in a tweet. “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished,” her tweet read.

Women have also taken to Twitter to urge others with degrees to add them to their name. “Are you a woman with a doctorate? No matter your discipline, drop a picture here to show that we are here, we exist, and we won’t drop our title for any mediocre man’s comfort,” Dr. Claudia Antolini, a U.K.-based astronomer with a Ph.D. in cosmology, wrote in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Jill’s husband Biden was on Monday formally elected as president by the Electoral College, which gave him a majority of 306 electoral votes to Donald Trump’s 232.

President-elect Joe Biden‘s first Secretary of Defense will most likely be an extremely private veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who has ties to the private sector, including as a military contractor for Raytheon Technologies as well as a director for the multinational health services provider, Tenet Healthcare.

But retired General Lloyd James Austin III will also be the first African-American to be installed in that position. If he passes legislature vetting, Austin will be responsible for the world’s most expensive and expansive defense capacities and network.

Such is the history that beckons that Austin’s nomination has been met with primarily, graciousness. Many have welcomed the incoming administration’s openness to retaining racial diversity in top federal jobs.

For Austin, Biden himself scripted a testimonial that was published in The Atlantic. A paragraph read:

“In his more than 40 years in the United States Army, Austin met every challenge with extraordinary skill and profound personal decency. He is a true and tested soldier and leader. I’ve spent countless hours with him, in the field and in the White House Situation Room. I’ve sought his advice, seen his command, and admired his calm and his character. He is the definition of a patriot.”

Careful reading reveals what Biden would want us to realize. The president-elect calls the general Austin – not General Austin – giving away a sense of amity the pair would have established over the “countless hours” they have spent in each other’s company. The general is also praised for his character and called “a patriot”, a necessary byline in marketing your pick to the American public.

But the four-star general who has been described as “intensely private and razor-sharp” may not need more than the former vice-president’s adulation in order to get into the job. Having left military service only four years ago, Austin requires a special waiver from the House and the Senate to enable him to become the next Defense chief.

The law for which he needs the waiver prevents former soldiers from becoming Defense secretary within the first seven years of retiring from military service. The last man to need the waiver was Jim Mattis, Donald Trump‘s first Secretary of Defense who dramatically fell out with the outgoing president.

But political watchers are confident this will be no stiff hurdle for Austin. He is also generally respected across partisan divides. A lot of the conversations about his nomination have suggested that Austin may need to convince a few on the Capitol with particular regard to the global war on terrorism as well as his private sector dealings.

Austin was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1953 but he was raised in Thomasville, Georgia along with five siblings. He joined the army in 1975 growing in stature over the course of forty years.

Between 2008 and 2009, he was the Commander of Multinational Corps in Iraq. In 2010, former President Barack Obama appointed Austin as the Commanding General of all U.S. Forces in Iraq.

Austin has been called a “devout Catholic” and conservative man who would often speak of himself in the third person.

President-elect Joe Biden's incoming economic team unveiled Tuesday pledged to take urgent action as soon as they are sworn in to correct an economy struggling from the global coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking in Wilmington alongside Biden, Treasury Secretary Nominee Janet Yellen described the economic crisis brought on by the COVID pandemic as an "American tragedy" and warned that without quick action to address it, the damage will get worse.

Yellen spoke about the "historic crises" of the pandemic and the economic fallout resulting from it, as well as the "disproportionate impact" it's had on "the most vulnerable among us."

Talking about the pandemic that has cost 268,000 American lives, Yellen referenced the "lost lives, lost jobs" and struggles Americans face "to put food on the table and pay bills and rent."

She went on to say that "it's essential that we move with urgency" because "inaction will produce a self-reinforcing downturn causing yet more devastation." She pledged to Americans that the Treasury would be "an institution that wakes up every morning thinking about you."

In Biden’s team is Nigerian-born Adewale Adeyemo, who would serve as the new Deputy Treasury Secretary. Adeyemo will work with Janet Yellen, the nominee for Treasury Secretary. He'd be the first Black person to serve in the role.

"The challenges before us today are unlike anything we have ever faced", Adewale, better known as Wally Adeyemo told the audience.

"... I know that what the President-elect so often reminds us of is true. The American people can do anything when given a chance. And I'm honored to be a part of this talented team and to work with them and all the American people to build an economy that gives everyone that chance and turns our nation once again from crisis to hope. " he added.

Moments after, Biden's choice to run the White House budget office said social programs helped her family when she was a young girl being raised by a single mother in a Boston suburb and she pledged to promote those same programs when she's in office.

Neera Tanden said her mother faced hard choices after divorce left her to raise two young children. She said her family survived on food stamps and federal housing vouchers until her mother got a job and eventually bought a house.

Tanden said she wants to give people the same chance at a fair shot.

Tanden would help prepare Biden's federal budgets as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Word of her expected nomination has encountered early disapproval from some Republican senators who will vote on whether she becomes the first woman of Indian descent to lead the office.

The new administration would be sworn in on 20 January 2021.

The size of the American economy, the dominance of US companies and the power of the dollar mean the results of the US election race are set to reverberate throughout the world. But what does a Biden win mean for Africa?

The result of the vote could have a profound impact on US foreign policy in Africa, the EU’s Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) says.

During his tenure Trump has proposed a large-scale pull-back of US forces abroad, including in West Africa, marking a strategic shift from the ‘war on terror’ to countering China’s growing influence in Africa through other means, says Giovanni Faleg, a senior analyst at the Paris-based EU agency.   

“As competition mainly revolves around the predatory economic practices (of China) the first pillar of Trump’s strategy is advancing US trade and commercial ties with the region,” Faleg says.

This included the Trump administration’s ‘Prosper Africa’ initiative whose objective is to streamline bureaucracy, expand the role of the private sector and remove logistical trade barriers.  

“Trump has never personally considered Africa a priority region or travelled to sub-Saharan countries,” Faleg says, while “his rhetoric towards Africa in public speeches could not be more controversial.” 

During his tenure Trump has only received the presidents of Kenya and Nigeria, while he imposed visa bans on Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania in January.

While Trump has pushed for significant cuts to foreign aid into the continent, these have been largely vetoed by Congress, meaning the US remained a leading donor in Africa, Faleg says.

In recent months, since the onset of Covid-19, Trump has communicated more with African leaders as China ramped up its pandemic support on the continent.   

“In late April Trump proactively phoned the leaders of Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa and his administration stepped up assistance and donations to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in the continent, after passively watching China take the lead in international support,” Faleg notes. 

Virág Fórizs, Africa Economist at Capital Economics, says the outcome of the US elections is unlikely to be a game-changer for Africa. 

“A return to multilateralism under a Biden presidency could translate into stronger US-backing for the African Continental Free Trade Area, rather than the Trump administration’s approach of pursuing bilateral deals (with Kenya for example).”

President Biden would also be more likely to support the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beyond 2025, Forizs says.

Data from the 2019 International Trade Administration showed that US companies have invested over $50bn in Africa since Trump took office in 2017. 

While Trump’s record suggests he may be a boon for US business on the continent, a Trump win could mean further volatility for the South African rand, says Greg Cline, head of corporate accounts at Investec.

“If you look back at rand volatility there’s always been a suggestion that it’s been a consequence of the US-China trade wars. We’ve seen up to $250bn in tariffs that have been imposed on China by the Trump administration,” he told South Africa’s CapeTalk radio on Monday.

Biden’s election may lead to a partial cooling of trade tensions with China, which could have a positive impact on African markets which trade extensively with Beijing. 

A model for democracy?

Africans took to Twitter to denounce Trump’s response to the election results, saying he is undermining America’s role as a paragon of western democracy.

As Biden edges closer to victory, President Donald Trump has filed lawsuits for a recount in Wisconsin, and separate suits to stop vote counting in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

 “The US election will surely open up a floodgate of election manipulation across emerging democracies (most especially) in West Africa. The excuse will be simple; “even in the US, it isn’t a perfect process”, said Nigerian Egbe Omorodion.

Joe Biden has urged Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian military to “cease the violent crackdown on protesters” in the country amid weeks of peaceful nationwide protests against police brutality.

The Democratic presidential nominee called on the U.S. to stand with Nigerians who have for the past two weeks led peaceful demonstrations to protest against a police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which has long been accused of having a reputation of abuse that includes extortion, rape, torture and extrajudicial killings, according to Amnesty International. 

Recent protests against SARS emerged after a video circulated online earlier this month allegedly showing officers of the unit shooting a man in the country’s southern Delta state, Reuters reported. Police have reportedly denied the shooting. The hashtag #EndSARS began trending internationally on Twitter this week in support of the movement to end police brutality. 

“The United States must stand with Nigerians who are peacefully demonstrating for police reform and seeking an end to corruption in their democracy,” Biden said in his statement. “I encourage the government to engage in a good-faith dialogue with civil society to address these long-standing grievances and work together for a more just and inclusive Nigeria.”

Last week, Buhari announced the government’s decision to disband SARS among other promises of police reforms, in response to widespread protests led by Nigerians in the nation and Nigerian diaspora communities across the world.

The move was met with skepticism, though, since the government has made promises to reform the unit a number of times in previous years to no avail. Furthermore, Nigerian citizens feared that SARS officers would be redeployed to other units.

On Tuesday night, after Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu had imposed a 24-hour curfew which began at 4 p.m. local time, witnesses at a demonstration reported seeing shots fired at the Lekki Toll Gate located in Lagos, Nigeria. Protesters accused soldiers of the Nigerian army of firing into the crowd.