World

Jim Brown, All-Time NFL Great And Social Activist, Dead At 87

Published

1 year ago

2023-05-21

Jim Brown's No. 32 jersey was retired by the Browns in 1971,

Jim Brown was a force on the field, a Hollywood film hero, and a civil rights activist.

Jim Brown, who retired at the pinnacle of his playing career to pursue acting and remained in the public eye as an activist despite off-field misdeeds that included claims of violence against women, has died. He was 87.

Jim Brown died quietly in his Los Angeles home on Thursday night, according to a spokesman for his family, with his wife, Monique, by his side.

“To the rest of the world, he was an activist, actor, and football star,” said Monique Brown in an Instagram post. “He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather to our family.” “Our hearts are shattered.”

Brown was one of the NFL’s earliest superstars, leading the league in rushing for eight of his nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He never missed a game, appearing in 118 straight before retiring unexpectedly in 1965 after being selected Most Valuable Player.

Jim Brown led the Browns to their final championship in 1964 before retiring from football at 30 to pursue a film career. He was in over 30 films, including “Any Given Sunday” and “The Dirty Dozen.”

Jim Brown’s debut as a big runner with speed and stamina boosted the game’s rising popularity on television, and he remained an indomitable figure long after his playing days were through.

Jim Brown was also a champion for African-Americans, using his position and voice to advocate for equality.

Jim Brown organized “The Cleveland Summit,” a gathering of the nation’s top Black sportsmen, including Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor, who eventually became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in June 1967 to support boxer Muhammad Ali’s refusal to serve in Vietnam.

Later in life, he tried to reduce gang violence in Los Angeles, and in 1988, he launched Amer-I-Can, a program to assist poor inner-city kids and ex-convicts.

There was no one on the field like Brown, who would run through tacklers, refusing to let one man take him down before running away from linebackers and defensive backs. He was also known for shedding defenders in the open field with a stiff arm or pushing them away like rag dolls.

Jim Brown died quietly in his Los Angeles home on Thursday night, according to a spokesman for his family, with his wife, Monique, by his side.

Brown would carefully stand and walk back to the huddle after being tackled, then dominate the defense when he got the ball again.

Jim Brown was a complicated figure off the pitch.

While he had a heart for those in need, he was also arrested a half-dozen times, primarily for beating women.

Jim Brown’s wife contacted 911 in June 1999, claiming Brown had damaged her car with a shovel and threatened to murder her. Monique Brown recanted her testimony throughout the trial. Jim Brown was acquitted of domestic threats but found guilty of misdemeanor vandalism. When Brown refused to undergo domestic violence counseling, a Los Angeles judge sentenced him to six months in jail.

Jim Brown left his playing days behind and moved to Hollywood, where he eventually settled. Brown announced his retirement to Cleveland coach Blanton Collier while the club was at training camp, and he was on the set of “The Dirty Dozen” in England.

Jim Brown’s relationship with the Browns has been erratic in recent years. He was appointed to advise the team’s younger players after serving as an adviser to owner Randy Lerner. However, Brown left the team in 2010 after incoming team president Mike Holmgren curtailed his responsibilities. Brown felt betrayed by the apparent demotion, and he did not attend the club’s unveiling of a “Ring of Honour” inside its downtown stadium in protest.

In 2016, the Browns built a statue of Brown outside their stadium.

Jim Brown was a complicated figure off the pitch.

In recent years, Brown has made only a few public appearances. In February, he attended the NFL Honours ceremony, where the league revealed that the league rushing title would be renamed The Jim Brown Award.

Brown was an eight-time All-Pro and appeared in the Pro Bowl every year of his nine-year career. He retired with league records in yards (12,312) and touchdowns (126).

Brown, born on February 17, 1936, in St. Simons Island, Georgia, was a multisport star at Long Island’s Manhasset High School. He averaged 14.9 yards per rush in football and once scored 55 points in a game.

Brown, a two-sport star at Syracuse who some consider the best lacrosse player in NCAA history, experienced several racist slurs while playing at the nearly all-white institution. Nonetheless, he was a two-sport All-American and lettered in basketball.

Brown was selected sixth overall in the 1957 draught, joining a team that frequently competed for the championship. That season, he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Jim Brown’s No. 32 jersey was retired by the Browns in 1971.

Brown broke a league record with 1,527 yards and 17 touchdowns while running behind an offensive line that included Hall of Fame tackles Lou Groza and Mike McCormack on his way to the league’s Most Outstanding Player award — a precursor to the MVP — in 1958. He never ran for under 1,257 yards in the next three seasons, closing with 996 in 1962.

Jim Brown’s No. 32 jersey was retired by the Browns in 1971, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. During the 1970s and 1980s, however, he rarely visited Cleveland. He and Cleveland owner Art Modell clashed over his premature resignation; the two eventually reconciled and remained friends.

In 1995, Brown-backed Modell’s decision to relocate Cleveland’s team to Baltimore. It was both a reflection of his devotion to Modell and evidence of his uncompromising individuality. Brown was one of the few former Browns players who was not upset with Modell’s decision to relocate the franchise.

“And for him to come out on top is something that not many guys can appreciate.”

Brown is survived by his wife, Aris, son, Jim Jr., daughter, Kimberly, son, Kevin, daughter, Shellee, and daughter, Kim. Karen Ward, his daughter, preceded him in death.

SOURCE – (AP)

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World

Trump Appoints Robert F. Kennedy Jr to Head HHS

Published

13 hours ago

2024-11-15

Geoff Thomas

Trump Appoints Robert F. Kennedy Jr to Head HHS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

President-elect Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr) to run the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), sending Democrats and Big Pharma allies into a tailspin.

“I am delighted to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and medicine firms, which have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation regarding public health,” Trump stated in his announcement.

“The safety and health of all Americans is the most important role of any administration, and HHS will play an important role in ensuring that everyone is safe from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to this country’s overwhelming health crisis.

Mr. Kennedy will restore these agencies to gold-standard scientific Research and Transparency traditions, stopping the Chronic Disease Epidemic and making America Great and Healthy Again!” Trump added.

Reactions to RFK Jr HHS Appointment

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversees the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Medicare, Medicaid, and the National Institutes of Health.

Kennedy is a former environmental justice lawyer who has recently started an anti-vaccine nonprofit. He ran for president as an independent candidate in 2024 but dropped out to join Trump’s closest circle.

House Republicans have reacted to Donald Trump’s nomination of former presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary.

Chip Roy, a Texas congressman, calls it “great news”. He tells me, “We need disruption throughout the federal government.” He’ll be fantastic at HHS [the Department of Health and Human Services] to do that.”

Roy adds that he expects Kennedy’s candidacy will clear the Senate.

“There’s been a few Kennedy’s in the Senate in the past so maybe there’ll be some legacy there that they will want to move him through,” he speculates.

South Carolina Congressman Ralph Norman concurs with Roy on Kennedy’s confirmation in the Senate: “I believe he was an excellent choice by the president, as have all of them. Kennedy is interested in, and passionate about, the medical industry. He will do a terrific job with it.”

According to Public Citizen, a progressive nonprofit group focused on consumer protection, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “is a clear and present danger to the nation’s health.”

He should not be allowed to enter the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), let alone be appointed director of the nation’s public health agency.”

“Donald Trump’s mishandling of public health policies during the Covid outbreak resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. “By appointing Kennedy as secretary of HHS, Trump is courting another policy-driven public health disaster,” the organization continued.

Apu Akkad, an infectious disease physician at the University of Southern California, described the statement as a “scary day for public health”.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical stocks such as Pfizer and Moderna plummeted following news of Kennedy’s nomination for HHS Secretary, as investors considered his potential impact on vaccine sales.

Novavax and BioNTech finished down more than 7%, with almost all losses occurring when word of the selection broke—Novavax shares fell to $7.22, and BioNTech shares fell to $103.56.

Moderna’s stock closed 5.6% at $39.77, reaching its lowest point of the year.

Sanofi’s stock fell 3.4% to $47.82, continuing a weeks-long share price decline that began after the company’s latest earnings report last month.

Pfizer lost less than its competitors on Thursday, closing down 2.6% at $26.02, despite having its sharpest drop of the day immediately following the RFK Jr. announcement.

What Marijuana Reclassification Means For The United States

What Marijuana Reclassification Means For The United States

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World

UK Police Visit Journalist Allison Pearson Over Old Tweet

Published

14 hours ago

2024-11-14

Geoff Thomas

On Remembrance Sunday, at 9:40 a.m., two police officers went to Allison Pearson's home.

Police in Essex, England, have been criticized for sending two cops to the home of Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson over an X tweet that was more than a year old.

On Remembrance Sunday, at 9:40 a.m., two police officers went to Allison Pearson’s home to inform her that she was under investigation and asked for a voluntary interview.

She was informed, however, that officers were not permitted to discuss the exact focus of an investigation. They stated that the claimed offense was being investigated as a criminal matter under Section 17 of the Public Order Act of 1986.

Despite Pearson’s claim that she was told it was an alleged non-crime hate incident, the police have emphasized that it is not being examined as such. Since the terrible occurrence, the Essex Police have been under intense global scrutiny for their actions.

Elon Musk and key British lawmakers are leading a rising protest against the police for probing a Telegraph journalist’s social media remark.

Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter/X, spearheaded the reaction, calling it “crazy”.

Crazy https://t.co/sgfqogullh

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 14, 2024

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has also stated that this is Orwellian. I’m disgusted that Allison Pearson and others like her have to live in fear for months without knowing what has been said against them.

The former prime minister, Boris Johnson, tweeted that it was “appalling.”

This is appalling. How can Starmer’s Britain lecture other countries about free speech when an innocent journalist gets a knock on the door – for a tweet? Our police have their hands full of burglaries and violent crime. They are being forced to behave like a woke Securitate -… https://t.co/HaXc1tsokW

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 13, 2024

This is appalling. How can Starmer’s Britain lecture other countries about free speech when an innocent journalist gets a knock on the door – for a tweet? Our police have their hands full of burglaries and violent crime.

They are being forced to behave like a woke Securitate – and it has to stop!

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss described the incident as “yet another affront to free speech,” adding, “We must speak out and fight back against this appalling bullying of Allison Pearson.”

Meanwhile, the Home Office announced that it was evaluating how police record non-crime hate incidents to ensure that they are “proportionate” and preserve free speech, following the controversy surrounding an investigation into a Telegraph journalist.

Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman stated that it is critical that police record non-crime hate events where “proportionate and necessary” to help prevent severe crimes from occurring in the future.

He did, however, disclose that the Home Office was examining current instructions for police officers on recording non-crime hate events to maintain people’s right to free speech while not diverting officers’ attention away from other crimes.

Police Officer Suspended for Joining Pro-Khalistan Protest

Police Officer Suspended for Joining Pro-Khalistan Protest

Geoff Thomas

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World

Archbishop of Canterbury Resigns Over Christian Camp Abuse

Published

3 days ago

2024-11-13

Geoff Thomas

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned “in sorrow” on Tuesday.

Archbishop of Canterbury resigned on Tuesday, claiming he failed to oversee a thorough inquiry into allegations of abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps decades ago.

Justin Welby, the senior bishop of the Church of England and spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, faced calls to quit after a report last week revealed that he had taken insufficient action to stop a man characterized as the Church’s most frequent serial abuser.

“The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England,” Welby said in a news release.

“I hope this decision demonstrates how seriously the Church of England takes the need for reform and our deep commitment to building a safer church. As I step down, I do so with grief for all victims and survivors of abuse.”

Welby’s term spanned a decade of considerable change, during which he had to navigate disagreements over homosexual rights and women clergy between liberal churches, primarily in North America and Britain, and their conservative counterparts, particularly in Africa.

The Anglican churches in African countries such as Uganda and Nigeria will likely celebrate Welby’s resignation, having stated last year that they no longer trusted him. His successor’s key responsibilities will be to unite the more divided global Anglican Church and reverse a fivefold decrease in church attendance in Britain since 2019.

Archbishop resigned after Makin Report.

Welby resigned five days after the independent Makin Report singled him out for criticism of his treatment of abuse complaints dating back to the 1970s. According to the investigation, John Smyth, a British lawyer, subjected over 100 boys and young men to “brutal and horrific” physical and sexual abuse over 40 years.

According to the investigation, Smyth beat some victims with a cane for up to 800 strokes and provided diapers to absorb the bleeding. He would then drape himself over his victims, occasionally kissing them on the neck or back.

Smyth chaired the Iwerne Trust, which financed Christian camps in Dorset, England, and Welby worked as a dormitory officer there before becoming an ordained minister.

According to the study, Smyth moved to Africa in 1984 and continued to torture people until shortly before he died in 2018.

In 2013, the Church of England was fully aware of sexual abuse allegations at the camps. According to the study, Welby became aware of the claims at least in the same year, months after becoming archbishop.

Recommends two candidates

If the claims had been brought to the police in 2013, there may have been a thorough investigation, and Smyth could have faced prosecution before his death, according to the study. The Makin Report was commissioned in 2019.

Welby apologized for “failures and omissions” but stated that he had “no idea or suspicion” of the claims before 2013. The report stated that this was improbable and accused him of failing to uphold his “personal and moral responsibility” to conduct a thorough investigation.

Church protocols for appointing a new archbishop of Canterbury involve a committee of clerics and a chair, selected by the British prime minister, to recommend two candidates to him.

Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, and Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, are expected to follow Welby and become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

Usher supports homosexual rights and has been outspoken on the need to address climate change.

Francis-Dehqani was born in Iran and has spoken about her brother’s assassination following the Iranian Revolution. She would be the first woman to hold the position.