Confined for 23 hours a day with only 15 to 20 minutes time out of the cell, Harlem-born hip-hop star and fashion icon A$AP Rocky (born Rakim Mayers), and two companions, have been jailed in Sweden for over two weeks following an altercation in the city of Stockholm. The U.S. Congressman serving Rocky's home district in New York City, Adriano Espaillat, is working to change that.
"Three young men, doing the right thing, successful, we're very proud of them, and they got bamboozled and thrown in jail," Espaillat told Cheddar Thursday. "That's why I'm fighting to get them out of jail."
On the final leg of their European tour, Rakim Mayers, and two other performers, Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers, were arrested and detained "for a suspected attack on an unknown person" on July 3, according to the Associated Press. In a video posted on the rapper's Instagram, two men are shown following the crew for multiple blocks, with one ultimately striking A$AP's security guard with headphones. Rocky can be heard repeatedly telling the two males to back away.
Swedish prisons are reportedly known for being a model for criminal justice, but Rep. Espaillat suggests his constituent's continued detainment and treatment might have more to do with the color of his skin.
"Race is always a factor, and continues to matter across the planet. In this case, it may have had something to do with it," the Congressman said.
"Sweden's gonna come out of this with a black-eye. I think that they really have not measured the kind of harm that it's done to their image," he added. "As a country that has always promoted itself for niceties, and having the haven of democracy there."
On Friday, a State Department official will travel to Stockholm to potentially rectify the situation. Kim Kardashian West announced over Twitter that President Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Jared Kusher, and other members of the White House are working to free the three imprisoned in Stockholm.
At a press conference on Wednesday with the Congressional Black Caucus, Espaillat called on the State Department to do more, going as far as to call out Pompeo to "speak up."
Espaillat's message to a jailed A$AP: "We're fighting for you, stay strong, we'll get you out of there soon enough."
The "Long Live A$AP" rapper is known for his lyrics discussing a range of cultural topics from criminal justice, drugs, and race.
The Cowboy State has become one of the world's top tax havens, according to the Pandora Papers, a trove of more than 11.9 million documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and The Washington Post. The papers reveal, among other things, how ultra-wealthy people from around the world move money into the U.S., invest, and spend it under a shroud of secrecy. Allison Tait, University of Richmond law professor, joined Cheddar to talk about Wyoming's laidback tax laws, their impact on the nation's economy, and provided some details on the financial arrangement known as the "cowboy cocktail."
With the New Year just around the corner, many people will be making new health and fitness goals. However, after the initial January push, it's easy to drop your resolutions and go back to your old habits. Joan Ifland, CEO of Food Addiction Reset, discusses her best tips for following through with New Year's Resolutions.
Despite the pandemic and the home workout revolution, many brick and mortar fitness companies have been able to stay afloat. Some even increased their membership during the pandemic, including Crunch Fitness. The Crunch franchise is celebrating 128% growth from pre-COVID membership levels as its 400th club enters pre-sale. Ben Midgley, CEO of Crunch Franchise, joined Cheddar to discuss how the company has been able to succeed during this time.
The pandemic prompted a shift toward personalized at-home workouts, and made health and wellness even more of a priority. In the early months of the pandemic, sales for fitness equipment, shoes and apparel skyrocketed as people adapted to working out in the solitude of their own homes. Even as gyms have reopened, some of these trends have stuck around. Jillian Michaels, personal trainer and creator of The Fitness App by Jillian Michaels, joined Cheddar to discuss the home workout revolution and give her advice on how to stick to your 2022 fitness goals.
A recent report finds that from March 2020 to September 2021, a total of 10,370 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander persons were reported to 'STOP AAPI HATE,' a non-profit organization that tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against AAPI in the U.S. Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance & co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
When you take a look at American universities, you’ll find one thing most have in common, besides crazy high tuitions. If you look closely, you’ll notice that most of them look quite similar – like they’re straight out of the Middle Ages. Funny thing is, most of these school were established in the 1800s. So if these universities aren't as old...why is their architecture?
Carlo and Baker preview President Biden's address to the nation as Omicron becomes the new dominant Covid strain. Plus, Trump gets booed for getting his booster and the White House gets a new puppy.
Both AMC and Cinemark shares rose Friday after a pandemic-era record number of moviegoers attended the 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' opening night. The movie is expected to pull at least $150 million in box office sales opening weekend. But is this momentum enough for theater chains as the COVID-19 omicron variant poses new threats? Daniel Loria, Editorial Director at Boxoffice PRO, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The billionaire space race took off in 2021, making major strides in space tourism. That growth is only expected to skyrocket in the next year, as the government and private institutions and companies look to shape the final frontier's exploration. Cheddar News dives into the biggest moments of the year in space, and what comes next for space travel and tourism.
