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| You're Not Just Voting For President: Gay Marriage, Abortion, Al Franken Also On The Ballot Posted: 04 Nov 2008 04:00 AM PST Here are some more Election Day issues that could end up shaping national legislation for years to come.
The day has finally arrived. After what's felt like more than two solid years of baby-kissing photo ops, hotly contested primaries and multimillion-dollar controversial attack ads, Americans are once again taking to the polls Tuesday morning (November 4) to cast their votes for our nation's next leader. But though the election has largely revolved around two names, theirs won't be the only ones on this year's ballot. While much of the media's coverage has focused on the presidential race between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, most states will also be hosting important local races, which could end up shaping national legislation for years to come. Democrats are trying to get to 60 members in the U.S. Senate, so they can block Republican filibusters. Voters in a number of states will also be asked to weigh in on some 30-odd ballot measures, including proposals to ban gay marriage, criminalize all abortions and amend affirmative action. In Florida, for instance, residents will be asked to vote on Proposition 2, which is also known as the Florida Marriage Amendment. If passed by a 60 percent margin, this amendment to the state's constitution would "protect marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife," while providing that "no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized." Opponents of the measure think it's nothing more than bait, designed to draw out conservatives for the presidential election. A similar proposal is on the ballot in California. Proposition 8 would change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, if voted into law. The amended section would classify marriage as being "between a man and a woman," with no exceptions. Obama voiced his opposition to the measure over the weekend during an interview with MTV News' Sway. Likewise, in Arizona, there's Proposition 102, also being referred to as "The Marriage Protection Amendment," which is up for consideration by voters. If enacted, it will amend that state's constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman; same-sex marriage is already prohibited in Arizona, but an all-out ban was rejected in 2006. Colorado voters will sound off on two controversial ballot issues: the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative, which would prohibit discrimination or preferential treatment by the state in public employment, public education and public contracting; and the Colorado Equal Rights Amendment, which seeks to "define exactly what a person is under the laws of Colorado." The first ballot measure — which Colorado Governor Bill Ritter opposes, saying it "undercuts Colorado and destroys years of progress in education, in health care, in workforce development" — would essentially eliminate affirmative action in Colorado, putting an end to preferential treatment based on race, sex or ethnicity by public entities. The second would adjust the definition of "person" to include fertilized eggs, even before they are implanted in the uterus. Opponents of the latter fear the language of the amendment would criminalize certain forms of birth control that interfere with the egg's implantation. In South Dakota, voters will weigh in on an initiative that restricts all abortions statewide — except for those performed because of rape, incest or to protects the woman's health — and would penalize doctors who performed abortions with jail time and fines. If an abortion were performed, a doctor could be charged with a felony crime and face up to 10 years behind bars and a fine of $20,000. Meanwhile, in Michigan, voters will decide on a stem-cell initiative that would permit the donation of embryos produced in fertility clinics, which would otherwise be discarded, to research and would further permit researchers to create embryonic stem-cell cultures to study disease. Several key Senate races will be decided Tuesday too, including North Carolina's, which currently appears to be a toss-up. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole could end up losing the seat she won back in 2002 to Democrat Kay Hagan. In Alaska, it's looking like the Dems may pick up another Senate seat, with Democrat Mark Begich taking on Republican incumbent Ted Stevens, who was recently convicted on federal corruption charges but remains on the ballot. Another race that's too close to predict is the one for Republican incumbent Norm Coleman's Senate post. His opponent is former "Saturday Night Live" writer, comedian and radio host Al Franken. Those who have been following this race say it could end up going either way. First-time voters, we want to hear from you! Text VOTE to 66333 with your first name, age, state and a comment about your experience, and your message could appear on the air Tuesday.
Get informed! Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election, including everything from the latest news on the candidates to on-the-ground multimedia reports from our 51 citizen journalists, MTV and MySpace's Presidential Dialogues, and much more. | |
| 50 Cent -- And Bette Midler! -- Dedicate Community Garden In MC's Home Neighborhood Posted: 03 Nov 2008 02:44 AM PST 'I love 50!' Midler shouts at ceremony.
QUEENS, New York — The gangsta gave a garden. 50 Cent gave a little more to his community on Monday morning (November 3): He and actress/singer Bette Midler were in the New York City borough of Queens for the grand opening of the Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson Community Garden on Foch Boulevard.
"I love 50!" exclaimed Midler, whose New York Restoration Project got 50's G-Unity Foundation involved in the project. Midler, who described Curtis Jackson as a "giant" in entertainment, explained how she came to collaborate with 50. "We own 60 of these community gardens," she said. "We took ownership of this one. This one was a very successful one, but they wanted little renovations here and there. We looked all over town for a group that was interested in these sort of things. We found G-Unity, which is Curtis' foundation. They were interested. This garden is mainly for kids, and they do a lot of things with kids." "It's exciting ... and it was an opportunity for me to do something for the actual kids in the community," 50 said. Fif reportedly ponied up more than $200,000. The garden features plenty of flowers, a vegetable garden, a community area where people can have barbecues and movies will be shown — and also a rainwater-collection system. Instead of paying for water to be shipped in, the garden collects water and sends it into a tank underground, from which it can then be pumped. Fittingly, the garden was designed by a man named Professor Walter Hood, a professor of landscape architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. For Fif, it was a chance to give back to the neighborhood he grew up in and to help his youngest fans. A couple dozen 3- and 4-year-old kids from local schools were present Monday morning not only to say thank you to the G-Unit general, but to sing a song ... about plants and vegetables. Hey, maybe Fif will start a G-Unit Jr. division one day. "We're so glad that you're here with us/ How do you do?" the kids sang. "I'm a string bean/ Long and green/ Hanging from the vine ..." 50 addressed the locals who came out for the event from a podium. "This a helluva opportunity, for me to collaborate with Bette," he said, after shouting to some friends from the neighborhood he hadn't seen in a while. "I didn't even know Lefty was out of jail," he said, looking into the crowd. "What's up, baby?" On a more serious note, Fif also said that he expects children to utilize the garden more than adults, and that it was "exciting" to "directly affect their experience." The MC-turned-philanthropist promised more events like this in the future, such as "50's First Annual 40 Day," geared toward the people who live in and around the borough's South Jamaica Houses (a.k.a. "40 Projects"). Also in the planning stages is "Baisley Day" for the neighborhood's Baisley Park, in which 50's community garden is located. "We're gonna make it happen the way we been making it happen, right here," he told the crowd. Related Videos Related Artists | |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2008 05:04 AM PST Plus: Plies reps for pant saggers; Kid Cudi gets a boost from Jim Jones, Kanye West.
Artist and DJ: Rick Ross and DJ Infamous Representing: Maybach Music/ C.C.C. Mixtape: Still the Trillest 411: Masspike Miles, what up? We see you doing your thing with the cameras. Send that music over. Miles' homie/mentor Rick Ross is inspired more than ever. Really. Talking to this guy, it feels likes he's a brand-new artist ready to sink his teeth into the music industry. He doesn't seem to be getting lazy, even with back-to-back #1 albums. The Boss' next album, Deeper Than Rap, comes out next year with a single possibly coming before 2008 is a wrap. "Ross is consistent," Aphilliates member DJ Infamous said. "The material gets better and better. Ross is doing his thing. He's definitely one of the heavy hitters. He's not letting up. This shows you, there's no sleep. He's making these mixtapes while he's working on his album." "I feel that I can do both," Ross explained. "I yell, 'Trilla,' everywhere I go. Mixtapes, I do it for the love. That ain't for the money. We having fun. It's a lot of hot music right now. It's a lot of stuff to hop on right now. I look at it like a sport. I call up Inf, he's playing all the hot records in the background: 'That sounds appropriate for the Boss.' " Just like his LP title says, it's deeper than rap music with Ricky. He's getting his business on and alluded that all his future music is coming out through his own Maybach Music imprint with Def Jam. "I'mma make a big announcement," he said. "We got some negotiations going on. I got love for Slip-n-Slide [Records]. We did a lot of positive things over there. They gave the boy his big break, but I'm bossin' up right now. It's most definitely one of the biggest and bossiest moves. You gotta think big." Joints To Check For » "Swagger Like Ross." "I felt like [the song 'Swagger Like Us'] was reminiscent of 'Luxury Tax' for me," the Boss explained about rapping over T.I. and Jay-Z's beat. "A Down South 'Reservoir Dogs.' The best of the best. That's the record of the year right now. Classic. When I heard it, I said, 'Wow, that's a piece of history. That's a memory.' So I wanted to be a part of it. I got the instrumental and did what I had to do. The streets are feeling it. That's what's important, to say what up to Tip, Jay, Kanye, Weezy." » "Paper Planes" freestyle. "What's funny about that record, I was up one night eating a Hot Pocket," he remembered. "Like 4 in the morning, watching one of them video shows. The [M.I.A.] video came on. This was two or three weeks ago. I had never heard the record. I was like, 'What's this? It's dope, whatever it is.' The next morning — I must have been late — when I got up, it was the phenomenon. I had to boot that up. One of my favorite lines from my freestyle is I when I mention my chick: 'She's around a lot of pot smoke/ Gucci down and not allowed to rock Coach.' Them bags with the C's on it, we'll fix that. Holla at your boy." » "Jockin' Ross." "That beat, that's Jay, the big homie," he said about jacking "Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)." "That's the biggest inspiration in the game for me, for a lot of reasons. Other than him signing me to Def Jam Records, what he's done for being a young, black entrepreneur — it's deeper than rap. If you think that big, it lets you know your potential. Shout-out to Jay-Z and his new label. It's love." Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week » Cashus C.R.E.A.M. - GameTime 'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar » Bishop Lamont - "Missile Testing (Death to Infidels)" The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground Lil Wayne continues to fascinate fans. It's more than his music. Wayne has a baby, you guys write to MTVNews.com to speak on it. He goes to court, you guys write in. He gets a new piercing, everybody talks about. You guys asked us, so we asked him: What is the story behind the lip piercing he debuted at the 2008 Video Music Awards? "No story behind it," he said nonchalantly. "I'm human like you. Average like everybody else. You want it, you get it. I wanted it, I got it. No story behind it. That's what's wrong with the world now. Everything has to mean something. You're doing things for that meaning and not for you. I have no reason to do it. I did it because this is Wayne and this is what I wanted. Now that I got it, you can get it today or tomorrow, and you know who you trying to be like, right?" OK, back to the music. Wayne and DJ Drama are almost done with Dedication 3, and Mr. Thanksgiving said we'll be hearing something very soon. Outside of his own projects, though, Weezy said there isn't too much — by "too much" he means nothing — that's exciting him. "Everybody's doing their thing, but they're not exciting," Wayne said. "Everybody is doing the same thing. That's terrible. Do I love the music that's out right now? I love it with a passion. Does it motivate me? Not one bit. That's because 808s & Heartbreak isn't out yet. Wayne is one of the few guests on Kanye West's upcoming album. ... With an album title like Da Realist, of course Plies would be one of the few MCs to speak out against a law in some Southern cities that bans men from wearing their jeans with a sag. "Pants Hang Low" was his loud response. "For me, being where I'm from, understanding the legal system and the culture I'm a part of, I felt it was a statement record," he said. "We got a lot of cats ... they had a situation in Riviera Beach, Florida, not too far from my hometown. It was a group of guys that were harassed and arrested and incarcerated for a fashion statement. I'mma always stand in the forefront and do what I feel is right. The record had a lot of sentimental value to it." His December 16 LP features nothing less than good ol' Plies spitting from the heart. "Still hitting on issues that's important to me," he said of his second LP in less than a year. "I got another record, called 'Family's Straight.' It's me talking to God, asking him that before he takes me, before he calls my number, give me the opportunity to get my family in order. I'mma continue to make music that's true to who I am. I still got the over-the-top radio records. To have that good collage of what I call street-accepted music, I couldn't ask for it in no better way." The lead cuts from Da Realist are "Heard of Me" and "Put It on Ya." "The record is on pace in two weeks to be another certified #1 record," he said of the latter. "God has his hands on me right now." ... Jim Jones definitely blessed Kid Cudi's underground hit "Day 'n' Nite," giving the record exposure it hadn't gotten in the year and a half since Kid first released it. While Cudi is thankful to Capo for unofficially remixing it, he is a little salty that his song didn't start to pop until a known artist rapped on it. Give an up-and-comer a shot, would ya? "[Jim] jumping on it opened up a lot of people's eyes to it, like, 'Oh, word, this kinda is a dope record,' " Cudi said. "It's kinda wack that somebody established with a big name has to jump on your record before mutha----as start to feel it. That's my problem with the game. I think that's the lamest part of the game, of the industry." If you think Cudi is going to capitalize with a remix of the remix, you're wrong. He declined. He's focusing on new material with Kanye West. 'Ye signed him about a month ago. "I just established a whole G.O.O.D. Music situation," Kid explained. "Kanye reached out, and my manger, Plain Pat, works with him on the A&R tip. He's always been a fan of my records, I guess. He liked the joints, and it just made sense. It came together. The fact he supports what I do and he sat there and listened to my vision and he got it, that was the dopest moment for me." And, oh, what a vision it is. The homie from Ohio has planetary hopes. "Man on the Moon: The Guardians," he said, revealing his album title. "It's about my rise, my birth until now, present day. Me growing up, not knowing that this would be my destiny. All my hardships growing up and kinda becoming one with myself. Finding inner peace, being comfortable in my own skin, becoming an individual. And coming from the moon, which would be my own little world, it starts off from there and goes to a whole 'nother level. "To my birth up to present day," he reiterated about the LP's timeline. "My guardians, all my features on my album, don't play themselves. They play characters in my story. Each feature plays an angel. They play a certain part of my personality as a guardian angel. It's all story format, and it's gonna be dope to see 'Kid Cudi features so-and-so as ... .' They can get into a character and vibe out." Besides Kanye, Cudi wants to work with Ryan Leslie, Organized Noise, Will.I.Am, 88 Keys, the Alchemist, Emile and Dr. Genius, who produced "Day 'n' Nite." The album isn't due until the spring, but until then, Cudi would love for you to give his record — the version with or without Mr. Jones — some play. "I was worried about how people would view the original version of 'Day 'n' Nite.' It was my first song out to the public that we were pushing. As an MC ... I wanted people to know I'm a rapper, not a singer. Then I was like, 'F--- it.' Nowadays, artists think too much instead of doing records with pure feelings." For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines. Related Videos Related Artists | |
| On The Scene In Chicago: What's Going On In Obama's Backyard On Election Eve? Posted: 03 Nov 2008 06:13 AM PST Well, not as much as you might think! Our writer does his part to get one apathetic voter to the polls.
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| Fantasia Sings At Funeral For Jennifer Hudson's Family Members Posted: 03 Nov 2008 01:54 AM PST Fellow 'Idol' alum reportedly holds Hudson's hand while singing.
On Monday morning (November 3), a private funeral service was held at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago for Jennifer Hudson's nephew Julian King, mother Darnell Donerson and brother Jason Hudson, who were murdered last month in Chicago. According to the Chicago Tribune, at the end of the two-hour wake, Hudson spent a few moments at each of the coffins. She reportedly kissed her mother before returning to her seat. At the funeral, "American Idol" alum Fantasia Barrino sang "Your Grace and Mercy," called the Hudsons "my family" and walked offstage into the aisle, where she took Hudson's hand and sang directly to her, according to the report. The funeral ended a short time later, and a horse-drawn carriage led the procession to the cemetery. The Reverend Jesse Jackson and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley both spoke at the service. Police shut down streets surrounding the church in order to keep the media and onlookers away from the service. A plastic covering was used on a tall gated fence in back of the large church, blocking the public from seeing into the entrance area, according to The Associated Press. On Sunday, mourners paid their respects to the Hudson family at the Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church, more than a week after the still-unsolved crime took place. A private service attended by 100 people was followed by a parade of thousands of mourners, who filed into the small hall to write condolence notes on cards with the images of King, Donerson and Hudson on them. Related Videos Related Artists | |
| The Perks Of Voting: Ice Cream, Coffee, Tattoo Removal And More Freebies Posted: 03 Nov 2008 05:47 AM PST In this struggling economy, head to the Newsroom blog to find out what you can score just for hitting the polls.
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| Barack Obama Weighs In On Sagging-Pants Ordinances: 'Brothers Should Pull Up Their Pants' Posted: 02 Nov 2008 10:45 PM PST However, candidate says, 'I think passing a law about people wearing sagging pants is a waste of time.'
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama may not necessarily support lifestyle legislation — including state bans on low-slung, sagging trousers — but that doesn't mean he thinks dudes should be showing off their skivvies. On Saturday, MTV News' own Sway led our exclusive interview with Obama in Henderson, Nevada, just days before Tuesday's historic election. Armed with questions submitted by MTV viewers, Sway discussed a number of critical topics with the presidential hopeful, including California's controversial Proposition 8 (the state ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage), education, gun violence and civil liberties. (Tune in to "Ask Obama" tonight when it airs on MTV at 7 p.m. ET, and on MTV Tr3s at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. ET.) But he also answered a question from Eric, who lives in Huntington Beach, California, about lifestyle legislation like anti-sagging-pants ordinances, which have either been added to the books or are being considered in more than eight states (and has even inspired a song from rapper Plies). Eric wanted to know what Obama thinks of such legislation, and asked whether he feels those mandates intrude on civil liberties.
"Here's my attitude: I think passing a law about people wearing sagging pants is a waste of time," Obama replied. "We should be focused on creating jobs, improving our schools, getting health care, dealing with the war in Iraq. Any public official who is worrying about sagging pants probably needs to spend some time focusing on real problems out there. "Having said that, brothers should pull up their pants. You're walking by your mother, your grandmother, and your underwear is showing. ... What's wrong with that? Come on. There are some issues that we face that you don't have to pass a law [against], but that doesn't mean folks can't have some sense and some respect for other people. And, you know, some people might not want to see your underwear — I'm one of them." Obama also said that employers who ban sagging pants or similarly provocative fashions in the workplace are well within their rights. "I think that it's one thing if an employer discriminates on the basis of gender or sexual orientation or, obviously, race," he said. But by the same token, "I think employers can set standards. You have [dread] 'locks," he continued, pointing to Sway's hair, "but you look clean, man. It's tight. My little girl has twists, Malia. I think, to me, it looks great. Obviously, I'd be upset if she were discriminated against on that basis. On the other hand, if you're working at a fancy store, and you show up to work in jeans and a shirt and you have a tattoo across your neck like Mike Tyson, for them to say, 'You know what, that's sort of not the image we're trying to project,' obviously that's within their rights as well. Any business has a right to say, 'This is the tone we want to set,' as long as they aren't discriminating on the basis of things people can't control." First-time voters, we want to hear from you! Text VOTE to 66333 with your first name, age, state and a comment about your experience, and your message could appear on the air Tuesday.
Get informed! Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election, including everything from the latest news on the candidates to on-the-ground multimedia reports from our 51 citizen journalists, MTV and MySpace's Presidential Dialogues, and much more. Related Videos | |
| Barack Obama Tops Sway's Interview List -- And That Includes Biggie And Bono! Posted: 03 Nov 2008 05:53 AM PST The MTV News correspondent says the presidential hopeful is down-to-earth and intelligent.
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| Are Obama And McCain Looking Younger? Nope, It's Just One High School's Election Simulation Posted: 03 Nov 2008 12:56 AM PST Students at New York's Townsend Harris High School take their version of the presidential race seriously.
FLUSHING, New York — The room is buzzing as John McCain frantically paces back and forth, Sarah Palin by his side. "I need an opening and info on Social Security," he shouts to his speechwriters and policy analysts as they scurry about. It's the day of the big debate — the final one before Election Day — and McCain and his team have been preparing for weeks. The energy is palpable, but it's soon interrupted. "This is the end of sixth band; please head to your next class," a mysterious voice says from over the loudspeaker. Everyone grabs their backpacks and heads out.
The scene isn't McCain's campaign headquarters, but a 12th grade classroom in Queens, New York. "McCain," "Palin" and the rest of the group are actually students participating in Townsend Harris High School's election simulation, which according to program organizers, is the only program in the country that simulates every aspect of the presidential race, start to finish. Unlike popular (and surprisingly accurate) indicators such as the Scholastic News Election Poll and the 7-Eleven cup poll, the Harris elections have had only a 50/50 record when it comes to predicting real-world results since the program began in 1996. But it has been accurate in educating students about the election. "It's always of interest to us as to why our results are not the same [as the real election]," program organizer Susan Getting told MTV News. "Very honestly, our candidate sometimes just does a better job than the real-world candidate." In order to prepare for his role as Barack Obama, senior Damian Charles and his team of policy analysts tuned in to CNN, read the New York Times daily and even checked out conservative news outlets to learn more about the Republican policies. "All of my views I probably know just as well as [Obama] does," Charles said. "Because the freshmen ask really hard questions, and I have to be ready to answer them." The students are chosen by their teachers to fill specific roles, from the candidates themselves to policy analysts, speechwriters, press secretaries and campaign managers. There are also students assigned to work as election reporters for the school paper or on the live call-in radio show. Others work for one of 15 mock special-interest groups, including MoveOn.org, the Sierra Club and the Christian Coalition. The students also have to complete 10 hours of community service for a real campaign. Both of the campaigns, represented by two groups of seniors, are given a budget of 4,000 Simbucks, fake money that can be used to purchase in-school demonstration permits and ad time during one of the school's two election-news programs, or it can be used to pay Federal Election Commission fines for inappropriate campaigning (yes, they also have their own FEC). The underclassmen each receive 25 Simbucks, which the campaigns compete for by holding fundraisers throughout the semester (there are also some anonymous fat cats who receive 100-500 Simbucks). "We have bake sales, and we even had a 'Barack Band,' " Charles said. "We also hosted Barack Café, where we had lots of food and served the students instead of them coming to us — that's something that's never been done before." "It's a wonderful lesson in civics for high school students," Getting added. "They become very savvy and critical, because they want to make their vote count. They don't want to choose someone based on a sound bite." So how will Harris students make their votes count on their Election Day, Monday (November 3)? Although most students we interviewed support their Obama — largely due, they say, to their liberal upbringings — there are still some who are undecided. "I'm not leaning towards anyone right now; that's why I'm doing these different commercials, trying to get informed," Bill Pastore, Harris' "Joe the Plumber," said during a shoot in the boys' bathroom. "I really have no idea who I'm voting for," senior David Genfan said. "Both candidates are doing such a good job." "Both of them really know their stuff," senior Kiran Manikarnika added. "And the students vote on how well the campaign gets out to them — not always on what their views are." And although Obama is ahead in both real-world polls and at the school, Getting said her "gut feeling is that our election might be a little closer than one might think. The candidates are very well-prepared, so we'll have to see." To find out who came out on top, check out the Newsroom blog on Monday evening.
Get informed! Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election, including everything from the latest news on the candidates to on-the-ground multimedia reports from our 51 citizen journalists, MTV and MySpace's Presidential Dialogues, and much more. Related Videos |
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