Master Sergeant & Chef Andre RUSH

Andre Rush is an American celebrity chef and military veteran. Rush worked in the White House as a Chef for four administrations. Rush, a retired Master Sergeant of the US Army, gained attention for his large biceps and muscular physique.

Rush grew up in Columbus, Mississippi.  He played football in the position of running back at Lee High School in Columbus.  He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Trident University International, an associate degree in Hotel Restaurant Management from Central Texas College and an associate degree from Culinary Stafford University.

Rush enlisted as active duty in the US Army in 1993. He has been deployed several times, and has served as a trainer in hand-to-hand combat and food service. In 1997, he began to cook at the White House. He has served the presidential administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.  He worked at the White House part-time while simultaneously working at The Pentagon.  He was in the gym of the Pentagon when it was hit during the September 11, 2001 attacks, and chose to enlist in combat duties afterwards.

In June 2018, Rush received fame when he was photographed by CNN reporter Kate Bennett preparing a Ramadan meal for a White House dinner.  The photo of him cooking on the White House lawn during the annual White House Iftar dinner circulated on Twitter, and subsequently went viral.  Later that year, Rush signed a deal to produce a television show entitled Chef in the City.  He has since left his job as a White House chef.

In 2020, Rush attended the opening of a Salvation Army in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, whereupon they gave him a celebration of service award.

Rush was a member of the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team. In addition to cooking, Rush's other pursuits include ice carving, motivational speaking and life coaching.

Fitness
Rush is known for his physique and large 24 inch biceps that gave him notoriety on social media.  As a high school senior he reportedly could bench press 350 pounds (160 kg) while weighing just 150 pounds (68 kg).  In 2010, he was reported to be able to bench press 605 pounds (274 kg).   Rush states he does 2,222 pushups daily as part of the 22 pushup challenge, with the goal to raise awareness for the roughly 22 veterans who die by suicide every day.

In 2021, Men's Health published an article featuring Rush's daily routine, which included him eating eight meals a day and up to 10,000 calories and only sleeping for 2 hours every night.  Some of his claims were received with skepticism by the professional bodybuilding community.  SOURCE: Wikipedia

To visit the website of Chef Rush, CLICK HERE...

Swapping Statues

The statue was daubed with paint during protests last year

A statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, which stood on one of the main avenues of Mexico City, will be replaced by one of an indigenous woman.

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said the bronze likeness of Columbus would be moved to a park and a statue of an Olmec woman would take its place.

The Columbus statue was removed from its plinth last year ahead of protests.  Protesters have toppled Columbus statues in Latin America and the US.

Christopher Columbus, an Italian-born explorer who was financed by the Spanish crown to set sail on voyages of exploration in the late 15th Century, is seen by many as a symbol of oppression and colonialism as his arrival in America opened the door to the Spanish conquest.

Mayor Sheinbaum made the announcement on Sunday at a ceremony marking the international day of the indigenous woman.  She said that relocating the statue was not an attempt to "erase history" but to deliver "social justice".

Ms Sheinbaum said that the Columbus statue "would not be hidden away" but that the civilisations which existed in Mexico before the Spanish conquest should receive recognition.  READ MORE