May 10, 2018

Kanye's Trump support could wreck his album sales

Kanye West courtside at a basketball game. Photo: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Kanye West, whose publicly professed love for President Trump and erratic, sometimes brash, statements such as calling slavery "a choice," has drawn intense backlash from his fans, so much so that it may be hurting his album sales.

The impact: As the LA Times' Gerrick Kennedy and August Brown point out, West's loyalty to Trump and right-wing pivot may cost him his goodwill with his young fans who have supported his brand for years. And we're already seeing his behavior weigh down some of his recent singles, like "Ye vs. the People," which ranks 85th on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and "Lift Yourself," which isn't listed at all.

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Axios
Updated 25 mins ago - Politics & Policy

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

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Texas and Louisiana face fresh flood threat from Tropical Storm Beta

Tropical Storm Beta slowly approaching the Texas coast on Monday. Photo: National Weather Service/Twitter

Tropical Storm Beta crossed the Texas coast near the southern end of the Matagorda Peninsula late Monday, the National Hurricane Center said, bringing with it the risk of "life-threatening storm surge" and flooding to parts of Texas and Louisiana.

What's happening: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) made a disaster declaration and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared a state of emergency, as the states began feeling the impact of the slow-moving storm — which was causing coastal flooding along the bays near Houston and Galveston in Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico Monday, per the National Weather Service.

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Louisville police declare state of emergency as Breonna Taylor decision looms

A demonstrator holds up a sign of Breonna Taylor during a protest in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The Louisville police chief declared in a memo obtained by news outlets a "state of emergency" for the department on Monday to prepare for Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's expected announcement on the Breonna Taylor case.

Of note: Louisville has witnessed more than 115 days of protests over the police killing of Taylor, an unarmed Black woman, with calls for all the officers involved to be charged.

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