Kenan Thompson Extends Well-Wishes To Fellow 'Mighty Duck' Jussie Smollett

Donald Trump formally kicked off his re-election campaign Tuesday (June 18) with a rally in Orlando, Florida. Standing in front of a packed crowd of MAGA hat-wearing supporters, Trump promised attendees everything but the sun, moon and the stars.

At the Amway Center, Trump said he would cure cancer and vow his administration would work to eradicate HIV and AIDS if re-elected to a second term.

"We will push onward with new medical frontiers," Trump said. "We will come up with the cures to many, many problems, to many, many diseases including cancer and others. And we're getting closer all the time."

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2018 there were 1.7 million new cancer diagnoses in the United States and 609,640 perished.

During the president's State of The Union speech in January, Trump promised he'd get rid of H.I.V and AIDS by 2030. On Tuesday, he doubled-down on his previous statement. "We will eradicate AIDS in America once and for all — and we are really close."

The Center for Disease Control estimates 1.1 million people are living with H.I.V today.

During the rally, Trump reportedly was able to raise $24.8 million in 24 hours. The staggering amount overshadows how much several Democratic nominees have been able to crowd raise.

 

The victory celebrations for his beloved Toronto Raptors have cooled down, and it looks like Drake is ready to get back to work. The 6 God posted a series of photos on his Instagram page confirming that he’s in the process of working on new material. The photos were shot by photographer Jamil GS.

The pics involve Champagne Papi on the phone in his office in front of a painting of Beyonce, as well as in a window-filled room that prominently displays the CN Tower in Toronto. In other shots, Drake is drinking wine in a pool and swimming while on vacation in Turks and Caicos, as well as postin’ up in the parking lot and golfing.

Drake released two new songs after the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals last week against the Golden State Warriors– "Omertà" and "Money in the Grave" featuring Rick Ross. He hinted at dropping new music during his during his Assassination Vacation Tour in April.

“I think what I’m going to do after this, is go home and I’mma make a new album so I can come back to London next year and so we can do this again,” he proclaimed to the crowd.

Check out the photos below.

 

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Album mode. A series of photos shot by @jamilgshere

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Jun 19, 2019 at 10:12am PDT

 

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Album mode. A series of photos shot by @jamilgshere

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Jun 19, 2019 at 10:07am PDT

 

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Album mode. A series of photos shot by @jamilgshere

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Jun 19, 2019 at 10:05am PDT

 

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Album Mode. A series of photos shot by @jamilgshere

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Jun 19, 2019 at 10:03am PDT

 

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Album Mode. A series of photos by @jamilgshere

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Jun 19, 2019 at 10:01am PDT

Reporters asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-KY) about his stance on reparations as the topic has become a hot-button issue during the 2020 presidential news cycle. On Tuesday, (June 18) the 77-year-old said he doesn't think paying the descendants of slaves "is a good idea."

"I don't think reparations for something that happened 150 years ago for whom none us currently living are responsible is a good idea," McConnell responded. "We've tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, bypassing landmark civil rights legislation. We elected an African American president."

The timing of the question came a day before the House Judiciary Committee would have a hearing on the issue, reportedly, for the first time in a decade.

"I think we're always a work in progress in this country, but no one currently alive was responsible for that, and I don't think we should be trying to figure out how to compensate for it. First of all, it would be pretty hard to figure out who to compensate. ... No, I don't think reparations are a good idea," McConnell said.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties held a meeting Wednesday (June 19) "to examine, through open and constructive discourse, the legacy of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, its continuing impact on the community and the path to restorative justice."

Between The World And Me author and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates attended the meeting and responded to McConnel's comments.

"We grant that Mr. McConnell was not alive for Appomattox," Coates said, speaking of the battle that ended the Civil War. "But he was alive for the electrocution of George Stinney. He was alive for the blinding of Isaac Woodard. He was alive to witness kleptocracy in his native Alabama in a regime premised on electoral theft."

Coates rose to literary stardom in 2014 when he laid bare the case for reparation in The Atlantic.

"McConnell cited civil rights legislation yesterday, as well he should because he was alive to witness the harassment, jailing, and betrayal of those responsible for that legislation. I am sure they'd love a word with the majority leader."