The Roundup with Aleksei Sokolov: Volume 1, Issue 15
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson, the highest-rated host at his network, left Fox News last week. Carlson is most known for his denial of the legitimacy of the 2020 election, and the role he played in conservative culture wars. This announcement followed a lawsuit against Fox News due to claims of defamation, which Fox settled for $787.5 million. While neither Carlson nor Fox has released the reasoning for the popular TV host leaving his show, possible controversies may have influenced the decision, including leaked texts criticizing Trump and the part he played in the lawsuit that cost Fox almost $800 million. In any case, despite the fact that Carlson will no longer have as big of a platform to spew his bigoted views, it’s highly unlikely that Fox News will stay away from the far-right rhetoric that Carlson was known for.
Biden 2024
Last Tuesday, Apr. 25, President Joe Biden announced his bid for re-election in the 2024 election. Controversy has been spreading about Biden’s age, currently 80. Biden is currently the only major candidate for the Democratic Party. It seems that the 2024 election might be a recreation of the 2020 election, a face-off between Donald Trump and Biden, with new issues at hand, including transgender rights and the return of old controversies, like gun violence and climate change.
Bud Light
Recently, Bud Light, the popular beer brand, released a collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney, arguably one of the most famous transgender women. This release sparked wide controversy, specifically among Republican and anti-trans customers of Bud Light. Videos on TikTok went viral of people smashing and shooting Bud Light cans, as well as a video of a man, doing what can be best described as throwing a tantrum in a store and destroying a display of the popular beer cans. Following the outrage, two Bud Light executives responsible for the collaboration were placed on leave. Mulvaney, who has gained fame and popularity in the past year documenting her transition, has faced violent threats following the release.
George Floyd
One of the police officers who stood by as George Floyd was murdered by his fellow officers was found guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter in the 2020 case. Tou Thao, a former police officer, refused a plea deal, and has been ruled to be guilty in the George Floyd case, in which he watched as his partners dangerously and fatally restrained Floyd, by crouching on his neck. The Thao ruling is monumental, in that it sets the precedent that police officers not only to not cause unjust harm to civilians but that it is their duty to stand up against their coworkers when they act wrongfully.
