Two weeks after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, left 17 people dead, President Trump appears to have broken with the NRA and his Republican colleagues. At a televised White House meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday, Trump urged Republican and Democratic lawmakers to pass comprehensive gun control measures. At one point he accused Republican Senator Pat Toomey of being “afraid of the NRA.” After the meeting, NRA spokesperson Jennifer Baker said, “While today’s meeting made for great TV, the gun control proposals discussed would make for bad policy that would not keep our children safe. Instead of punishing law-abiding gun owners for the acts of a deranged lunatic, our leaders should pass meaningful reforms that would actually prevent future tragedies.” Joining us in Washington is Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. She wrote an open letter to Trump on Wednesday explaining her opposition to his push to arm teachers. Also in Washington is Kris Brown, co-president at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. And here in New York is Andy Pelosi, executive director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/1/a_message_to_trump_fund_background[with embedded video, and transcript]
West Virginia Teachers Win Promise of Pay Raise, But Continue Strike over Soaring Healthcare Costs
Published on Mar 1, 2018 by Democracy Now!
In West Virginia, public schools remain closed today, after the state’s teachers’ unions remained on strike over the high cost of health insurance. On Tuesday, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice agreed to boost teacher salaries by 5 percent in the first year of a new contract, but the teachers say the deal isn’t enough to offset skyrocketing premiums in the Public Employees Insurance Agency. Some 20,000 teachers and 13,000 school staffers say they’ll remain on strike until they win a better agreement on healthcare. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/1/west_virginia_teachers_win_promise_of[with embedded video, and transcript]
“Freakishly Warm” Arctic Weather Has Scientists Reconsidering Worst-Case Scenarios on Climate Change
Published on Mar 1, 2018 by Democracy Now!
Scientists are expressing dismay over unprecedented warm temperatures in the Arctic. In recent days, temperatures at the North Pole have surged above freezing—even though the sun set last October and won’t rise again until later this month. On the northern tip of Greenland, a meteorological site has logged an unprecedented 61 hours of temperatures above freezing so far in 2018. The record-breaking temperatures are connected to an unusual retreat of sea ice in the sunless Arctic winter. Scientists suggest warming temperatures are eroding the polar vortex, the powerful winds that once cushioned the frozen north. The alarming heat wave is causing scientists to reconsider even their bleakest forecasts of climate change. According to a leaked draft of a scientific report by a United Nations panel of scientists, “The risk of an ice-free Arctic in summer is about 50 per cent or higher” with warming of between 1.5 and 2.0 degrees Celsius. We speak with Jason Box, professor in glaciology at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland in Copenhagen. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/1/freakishly_warm_arctic_weather_has_scientists[with embedded video, and transcript]
“You have a different President now” said Trump as Feinstein can’t control her glee, and GOP is stunned. Trump taunts Senators about being “petrified” of NRA and tells Congressman Scalise to forget about being able to carry a gun (less than a year after he was shot) because they have “comprehensive” gun legislation to get thru. What’s going on? Meanwhile, YouTube admits censorship of conservatives and Facebook’s new algorithm has dropped Trump’s engagement by 45%. Then, Marc Morano gives us a preview of “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change”.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) made a key promise to Parkland shooting survivors and families at a CNN town hall that he would support a law to raise the minimum age to buy a rifle. A week later in front of Congress, Rubio changed his tune saying he was "open to" it.
Students around the country are turning last week’s heartbreaking school shooting in Parkland, Florida, into an inspiring push for change. Plans for coordinated student walkouts have been making national news and have already spurred disciplinary threats from some school administrators. That’s why it’s so important that everyone – especially students and allies – learns about students' rights. Learn more about your rights, the First Amendment, and potential risks to be prepared for: https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/student-speech-and-privacy/students-rights-speech-walkouts-and-other-protests
Readout of President Donald J. Trump’s Call with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea
Issued on: March 1, 2018
President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to congratulate him on the success of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. President Trump thanked President Moon for his hospitality to the United States Presidential Delegations to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies led by Vice President Mike Pence and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, respectively. President Moon briefed President Trump on developments regarding North Korea and inter-Korean talks. President Trump and President Moon noted their firm position that any dialogue with North Korea must be conducted with the explicit and unwavering goal of complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization. The two leaders committed to maintain close coordination.
In this video message to the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), FCC Chairman Ajit Pai pledges his commitment to stand against online censorship and commends NRB’s work in Washington, D.C. The video was presented during Proclaim 18, the NRB International Christian Media Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, February 27-March 2, 2018.
Thursday, March 1st 2018[, with Anthony Cumia co-hosting the fourth hour]: Operation Paul Revere 2018 - Infowars is fighting back against the current assault on free speech with Operation Paul Revere 2018, a special 34-hour broadcast in defense of the First Amendment. Simon Roche of Suidlanders.org joins today's show to break down the current situation unfolding in South Africa as parliament has voted to confiscate white-owned land without compensation. Also, Andrew Torba, founder of social network Gab, joins the transmission to discuss the current social media censorship of conservative voices.
Imagine a world where we worship magic beans. This belief would potentially have a pernicious effect on every aspect of our life. We wouldn't be able to make positive social changes without first undergoing a massive paradigm shift and questioning the bean god. People’s core ideologies influence every aspect of their lives. It’s often impossible to change minds on small issues without first altering fundamental beliefs about the world. Also, Beans are holy and sacred. Beans are love; beans are life. Don't blaspheme the bean god.
President Donald J. Trump is Combatting the Opioid Crisis “Together, we will face this challenge as a national family with conviction, with unity, and with a commitment to love and support our neighbors in times of dire need. Working together, we will defeat this opioid epidemic.” - President Donald J. Trump March 1, 2018 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-combatting-opioid-crisis/
Full Show - Roger Stone Defends Alex Jones From Outrageous Smear - 03/01/2018
Published on Mar 1, 2018 by Ron Gibson
The baseless accusations published in the Daily Mail are rebuffed by Roger Stone.
EXCLUSIVE: Fired Infowars staffers at war with Alex Jones - one claiming he was teased as the site's 'resident Jew' while African American worker says she was 'mocked' for her skin tone and Jones 'grabbed her behind' • Two former Infowars staffers have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the site's founder Alex Jones • Rob Jacobson, who is Jewish, alleges Jones bullied, ridiculed and humiliated him • Jones joked with staff who called Jacobson 'The Jewish Individual', 'The Resident Jew' and shouted 'Yacobson' across the office, Jacobson claims in his complaint • Jacobson also claimed that Jones called him 'Beefcake' - a homophobic slur • A second ex employee claims she suffered 'harassment and discrimination' at the hands of Jones and other senior managers at Infowars based on her race • Former production assistant Ashley Beckford said she was subjected to sexual harassment and racial slurs by her colleagues and upper management • She claims Jones groped her 'butt' during a 'side-hug' while 'pretending to feel sympathy' over an incident and asked 'Who wouldn't want to have a black wife?' 28 February 2018 | Updated: 13:57 EDT, 28 February 2018 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5419371/Former-Infowars-employees-claim-Alex-Jones-harassed-them.html [with comments]
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
A group of top stand up comics put their minds together to try and solve some of the worlds toughest problems. From politics to sexism, they've got the answers.
Biathlon combines competitive Nordic skiing with rifle shooting. Although biathlon is extremely popular in Europe, most Americans are unfamiliar with the sport. For many of them, the sport seems like an odd combination of physical effort and mental skill, but there’s a fascinating explanation for how biathlon came to be.
The sport of biathlon evolved over a long period of time and for much of that history it was primarily a military exercise to train soldiers for winter warfare. It all started in Norway, where a military officer decided to combine his love of skiing with his expertise in training tactics. Soon, the combination spread across Europe and national militaries started applying and developing his techniques to train their own winter warfare battalions.
In both World Wars, ski warfare played a key role in several battles—most notably during the “Winter War” between Finland and Russia in 1940. During that skirmish, Finnish troops used their ski prowess to elude and attack the Russian enemy. Although the Finns lost the battle, they were able to inflict major losses against the much larger foreign army.
Once WWII ended, soldiers returned home and began popularizing the sport of skiing around the world. Instead of using their ski skills for warfare, they turned to recreational endeavors like ski racing, skill competitions, and biathlon. During the next decade, the ski industry boomed. In 1960, biathlon was introduced as an official Olympic sport and it has continued to grow in popularity ever since.
Although much has changed about the sport, modern biathlon still retains the unmistakable traces of its military origins. To learn what those are, make sure to watch the video above.
New report shows why Mueller has not charged collusion yet
The Beat with Ari Melber 3/1/18
Ari Melber’s special legal report shows why the 4 crimes under investigation in Mueller’s Russia probe rebut a common argument that collusion did not occur and could reveal the direction of Mueller’s next charges. Melber fact-checks Law Professor Jonathan Turley’s analysis that there was likely no collusion, because there have been no collusion charges.
The Trump administration is running the country like a banana republic, says Richard Painter, and "the only person who's gonna come out ahead on this is Putin."
Leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded several weeks ago that it was Republicans on the House Intel Committee who leaked Sen. Mark Warner’s text messages, reports the New York Times.
Trump nepotism causes strain within White House, security risks
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/1/18
Rachel Maddow looks at the strife within the White House as Donald Trump's top White House staff come into conflict with unqualified family members Trump hired.
Mueller appears to be working on Trump Russia collusion question
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/1/18
Rep. Adam Schiff talks with Rachel Maddow about indications that special counsel Robert Mueller is preparing to engage the matter of the Russian hacking of Democratic e-mails and the central question of Trump campaign collusion with Russia.
ACLU fights anti-abortion Trump appointee on undocumented minors
The Rachel Maddow Show 3/1/18
Brigitte Amiri, senior staff attorney for the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, talks with Rachel Maddow about the legal fight against Trump appointee Scott Lloyd, director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, who is obstructing pregnant undocumented minors being held at a refugee center from obtaining abortions.
First Trump, now Putin brags about his arsenal size
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 3/1/18
Lawrence O'Donnell argues that Russian President Vladimir Putin has followed Trump in bragging about the size of his arsenal. The Russian president announced a new weapon today, but President Trump stayed silent on the threat.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin showed a video of weapons targeting Florida near the president's Mar-a-Lago, Trump made no comments. MSNBC Analyst Malcolm Nance tells Lawrence O'Donnell Putin's display was all for show.
John Kelly told an audience "God punished me" with a Trump White House job as more top officials may quit. Plus, Trump makes a surprise policy announcement. David Frum says the president's governing style is akin to 'Mean Girls.' He & Kimberly Atkins join Lawrence O'Donnell.
Mueller eyes charges against Russians who hacked Dems
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 3/2/18
NBC News reports Mueller is assembling a case for criminal charges against Russians who hacked & leaked private information designed to hurt Democrats in the 2016 election. Our panel reacts.
Next to leave Trump White House: McMaster, Kushner, & Ivanka?
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 3/2/18
NBC News reports H.R. McMaster could be gone from the Trump White House by April. The New York Times reports Trump has said Ivanka & Kushner should have never joined the White House. The West Wing drama continues.
Trump goes from far left to far right on guns within hours
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 3/2/18
In the span of just over 24 hours, Pres. Trump went from suggesting taking guns away from Americans without due process to saying he had a great meeting with NRA reps. Mike Murphy discusses.
He's often talked about, but do you even know what Robert Mueller sounds like? We went back through old speeches and remarks to find him discussing the importance of things like honesty, integrity, and service.
In a case that could have wide-ranging national significance for gay rights, a federal appeals court in New York ruled on Monday that a landmark civil rights law bars employers from discriminating against their workers based on sexual orientation.
The decision was a setback for the Justice Department, which under President Trump had unexpectedly interceded in a discrimination lawsuit filed by a sky-diving instructor. The department had argued that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act did not explicitly cover sexual-orientation discrimination in the workplace, a stance that put it at odds with another federal body, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In rejecting the Justice Department’s argument, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit became the second appeals court to rule recently that the Civil Rights Act, which outlaws bias in the workplace on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex or national origin,” should also be extended to include sexual orientation. A third appellate court in Atlanta has ruled differently.
During meetings to discuss gun reform, President Trump unexpectedly sides with Democrats on issues like universal background checks and age restrictions.
Chadwick Boseman - Why Everyone Is a Hero in "Black Panther" - Extended Interview
Published on Mar 4, 2018 by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
"Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman talks about why the movie is resonating with audiences across the world and explains why so many different African accents are featured.
Published on Mar 2, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Utah's House of Representatives wanted to show how a bill becomes a law. Instead, they showed how an innocent attempt at musical humor becomes a catastrophe of historic proportions.
Seth takes a closer look at the key White House aides mired in scandal, the Russia probe heating up and President Trump publicly attacking his own attorney general.
Australians turn in 57,000 guns in national amnesty Australians turned in more than 57,000 firearms to authorities last year during a national gun amnesty. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-43236421
Mueller considers charges against Russians who leaked emails during the 2016 election These new charges rely heavily on intelligence gathered by the CIA, the FBI, the NSA and the DHS, and target a different group of Russian actors than those indicted last month by a federal grand jury. A possible new indictment would include details on the Russian intelligence operation that released emails that embarrassed Democrats and added fuel to Trump's campaign. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/01/mueller-considers-charges-against-russians-who-leaked-democrat-emails.html
It took Hope Hicks about 10 minutes to answer whether or not she ever lied for Trump White House communications director Hope Hicks took five to 10 minutes to answer a question posed by a member of the House Intelligence Committee while she consulted with her lawyer, CBS News reported. The representative had asked her if she had ever lied on President Donald Trump's behalf. She responded that she had told "white lies" for him, but hadn't lied with respect to the Russia investigation. Hicks has become a major witness in the investigation because of her closeness to Trump. http://www.businessinsider.com/hope-hicks-white-lies-answer-took-10-minutes-to-confer-2018-3
One of Ivanka Trump's international business deals could spell trouble for her in the US Ivanka Trump's international business deals are getting a closer look by US investigators who are trying to make sense of the Trump family's complex financial portfolios. According to current and former US officials cited by CNN on Thursday, federal investigators want to know more about a Trump International Hotel and Tower that opened in Vancouver, Canada, in February 2017. The site features an Ivanka Trump-branded spa. Specifically, investigators want to know details about negotiations and financing surrounding the project. http://www.businessinsider.com/ivanka-trumps-foreign-business-could-spell-trouble-for-her-in-the-us-2018-3
White House reportedly planning to replace H.R. McMaster as soon as next month The White House is reportedly planning to replace National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. His departure could come as soon as next month, according to NBC News. A White House spokesperson did not confirm the NBC report, saying only that it had "no personnel announcements at this time." But a National Security Council spokesman said Trump had recently met with McMaster to congratulate him for "a great job" and called the NBC News report "fake news." http://www.businessinsider.com/hr-mcmaster-leaving-white-house-nbc-report-says-2018-3
Trump just announced a move that could have devastating economic consequences — and markets tanked President Trump announced that the US would impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. The move is a concrete step toward the more protectionist trade policies the president has promised. The decision will most likely prompt retaliation from other countries, including China. Increased trade protectionism could result in retaliatory measures and a broader trade war, experts say. Stocks sold off after the announcement, with the major indexes falling as much as 2%. Domestic metal producers soared on the news. http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariffs-taxes-on-imports-of-steel-aluminum-could-be-trade-war-2018-3
There’s a Hopeful New Path for Gun Politics in America Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: the ongoing political fallout from the Parkland mass shooting, Jared Kushner’s precarious position in the White House, and the new film The Death of Stalin. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/frank-rich-a-hopeful-new-path-for-gun-politics-in-america.html
Most Americans think Trump is racist, according to a new poll Most Americans think President Trump is a racist, according to a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. More than half of adults think his policies have worsened the lives of Muslims and Hispanics, while almost half say the president has worsened the lives of African Americans. In all, 57 percent of adults — including 8 in 10 blacks, three-quarters of Hispanics and almost half of all whites — say the nation’s leader is a racist, according to the poll. About 85 percent of Democrats say Trump is a racist, while 21 percent of Republicans say the same, according to the poll, which surveyed 1,337 adults from Feb. 15 to 19. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/03/01/ap-norc-poll-most-americans-say-trump-is-racist/
Ben Carson is trying to explain why his government department ordered a $31,000 dining set for his office Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is under fire spending $31,000 on a lavish dining set for his office. The spending has resulted in a complaint to the Office of Special Counsel as well as a House Oversight Committee investigation. Carson's office said Thursday it's attempting to cancel the order for the dining set, which has not yet been delivered, but that "it might not be possible" due to bureaucracy. http://www.businessinsider.com/ben-carson-office-furniture-31000-dining-set-hud-controversy-2018-3
Putin just touted an 'invincible' Russian nuclear weapon called the Satan 2 — here's what it can do During a speech on Thursday, Russian president Vladimir Putin showed test footage of a new intercontinental ballistic missile. The nuclear weapon, called the RS-28 Sarmat or Satan 2, has been in development since 2009. Putin claimed the ICBM is"invincible" to missile defense systems. He also presented animations of several other weapons, including what some call a "doomsday" drone submarine. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-satan-2-icbm-nuclear-weapon-works-2018-3
Why would Putin want to nuke Florida? President Putin has unveiled Russia's new stockpile of "invincible" nuclear weapons, with a video graphic appearing to show missiles raining on Florida. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43248794
Marine Le Pen: French judge opens probe into IS images A French judge has opened a formal criminal investigation into Marine Le Pen's publication on Twitter of a series of grisly images in 2015. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43241111
California has the worst quality of life in the 50 US states, and some conservatives are celebrating California came in 50th place in a ranking of the US states by quality of life. The rankings considered metrics such as air quality, pollution, community engagement, and voter participation. Some conservatives celebrated the news on social media. California has the worst quality of life of the 50 US states, according to a recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report. The Golden State came in dead last in the rankings, released earlier this week in partnership with McKinsey & Co. The rankings considered two sets of metrics for each state: 1.Natural environment, comprising drinking-water quality, air quality, and pollution and industrial toxins. 2.Social environment, comprising community engagement, social support, and voter participation. North Dakota was crowned with the best quality of life, with two other Midwestern states — Minnesota and Wisconsin — rounding out the podium. In other metrics, California didn't fare nearly as poorly. U.S. News & World Report deemed its economy the fourth best in the nation, and its business environment claimed the No. 1 spot. The state also ranked 11th in healthcare. Still, the low mark on quality of life provided fodder for some conservative news sites and politicians. "Californians scored poorly in part because they're simply insufferable," wrote Fox News in an article about the ranking. The article appeared on Fox News' front page under the headline "Failed State?" Meanwhile, far-right-wing site Breitbart focused on California's high cost of living and immigration rates — two metrics that did not factor into the quality-of-life rankings. http://www.businessinsider.com/california-worst-quality-of-life-2018-3
‘March For Our Lives’ gun-control rally bumped from Mall by ‘talent show’ A planned rally against mass shootings can’t be held on the Mall later this month because it conflicts with what’s described in a National Park Service permit application as a “talent show.” A permit application filed last week by survivors of the Parkland, Fla., school massacre indicated the “March For Our Lives” rally will be on March 24, with up to 500,000 attendees expected. Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the Park Service, said organizers proposed holding the event on the Mall but were looking to move the rally to another location after the request conflicted with a film crew’s permit. Litterst said the film permit was “from a student group at a local educational institution,” but he wouldn’t name the institution because “applications from educational institutions are withheld from release for privacy reasons,” he wrote in an email. A redacted Park Service permit application this week given to The Washington Post showed the application is for a “student project” related to “filming for a talent show.” [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/march-for-our-lives-gun-control-rally-bumped-from-mall-by-talent-show/2018/03/01/ad8c7268-1cc6-11e8-9496-c89dc446c2d3_story.html
Scott Lloyd Hasn't Stopped With Jane Doe Scott Lloyd, the Trump-appointee who held Jane Doe hostage for one month to prevent her from accessing an abortion, hasn't stopped with Jane Doe. https://www.aclu.org/video/scott-lloyd-hasnt-stopped-jane-doe
Scott Lloyd, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, doesn’t believe the constitutional right to abortion extends to the young women in his care. Here’s proof. https://www.facebook.com/aclu/videos/10155136196651813/
A Member Of The Little Rock 9 Knows Why They’re Smearing Parkland Students — They Did It To Her, Too The “paid agitator” smear tends to show up throughout American history during moments of social reform. It dates back at least to Reconstruction. Minnijean Brown Trickey wanted to make one thing clear. She and the eight other members of the Little Rock Nine weren’t just accused of having been paid to integrate Central High School back in 1957. It was deeper, more insidious than that. They were called communists. They were accused of being secret Russians who had been trained to disrupt the South’s preferred way of life. “It’s disappointing. You just feel accused and ashamed,” she told me, letting out a deep-throated sigh. “Shame is a big deal in this ? making people feel ashamed and making them feel that they’re doing the wrong thing when they speak out or participate in activism. “This is the United States. We don’t like desegregation. We like segregation. We like not to affirm young people’s sense of determination.” The accusations lobbed at 16-year-old Trickey and her peers remind her of what’s now happening to the survivors of a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Those teens, who lost 17 of their peers and teachers, have been rallying for stricter gun laws since the Feb. 14 shooting. During the students’ crusade to stop mass shootings, conspiracy-minded right-wingers have accused the students of being paid “crisis actors,” FBI sympathizers and operatives for left-wing billionaires like George Soros. “We like to keep our kids infantilized and will do anything to make that possible,” she said. “Once you say they can’t think of this themselves, you got to add on evidence that somehow they’re being persuaded by somebody else. It’s a serious game that justifies violence, brutality and not responding. It’s a very powerful form of delegitimizing.” Dissatisfied young people, Trickey explained, are a threat to a bad status quo. “Young people don’t have mortgages. They don’t have car notes, and they can be a force to create change, so quickly we gotta get them shot down because they don’t have anything to lose.” The “paid agitator” smear tends to show up throughout American history during moments of social reform. It dates back at least to Reconstruction. Formerly enslaved Africans who testified about their experiences in front of Congress were accused of lying and being paid to do so. But, in reality, the Republicans in Congress were just paying for their travel expenses since many formerly enslaved folks couldn’t afford to travel to Washington. Accusing people lobbying for civil rights of being paid agitators has long been a tactic “used by white segregationists as a way to dismiss the legitimacy of African American claims to full equality,” according to Kevin Kruse, a historian who briefly dissected this phenomenon in a viral tweet. “During the Little Rock school desegregation case, segregationists spread rumors that the nine high school students who had integrated Central High had been paid. Or, alternatively, that they had been imported from outside the region,” Kruse told HuffPost. “And those reflected a common theme in segregationist press in this period that anyone clamoring for full civil rights in the South must be themselves an ‘outside agitator’ or had been influenced by one.” Alabama Gov. John Patterson claimed at the time that “a handful of race agitators” were sent to the state to “stir up racial trouble and strife.” He also claimed that protesters capitalized “upon racial factors for private gain.” Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett even claimed to have proof that black organizers of a voter march were paid. Elizabeth Eckford, another member of the Little Rock Nine, was accused of being paid as she walked through a mob of violent white segregationists, according to a 1957 article in The Madison County Record: “Nigger, go back to Africa!” “Let her go, she’s being paid for it.” Martin Luther King Jr. was accused of income tax fraud in February 1960 after a state audit claimed he didn’t report income he’d received from the the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He was later acquitted. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the three civil rights activists who were murdered in Mississippi in 1964 were also accused of being paid for their civil rights work. A 1967 column from The New York Times News Service accused two Black Panthers ? H. Rap Brown and Stokely Carmichael, both of whom were chairmans of SNCC ? of being on the U.S. Senate payroll. Such claims have become the hallmark of every national tragedy in recent years. Grieving parents standing outside of Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 small children and six adults were slaughtered in 2012, were deemed “actors.” The same was said of those at the scene of a mass shooting in an Aurora, Colorado., and at the Boston Marathon bombing. Protesters against police violence in Ferguson and Baltimore have often been accused of being paid actors on the Soros payroll. While a lot of the accusations are malicious, these claims also show a general lack of understanding of how movements are resourced. People aren’t typically paid to act in organic social movements, but movements do require resources to sustain ? especially when the bulk of organizers hail from low-income communities, said Tristan Wilkerson, the acting executive director of Philander Smith College’s Social Justice Institute. But most of the financial backing comes from small donors ? not billionaires like Soros. “Those folks aren’t being paid to advance that agenda. Those are folks who are deeply affected ? and I think it’s disgusting to make those accusations,” Wilkerson said. “When folks are deeply this affected, you’re motivated.” By calling into question the sincerity of the movement, segregationists were able to undermine its moral authority. The same applies today. Kenneth Janken, a professor in UNC’s African, African American and Diaspora Studies Department, noted that the attacks on the Parkland students are designed to reinforce the disbelief that young people can make history. Another reason prominent conservatives attack protesters, per Janken, is that they know they’re in the wrong. He compared the bombastic political pushback to protests ? in Parkland, Baltimore, Ferguson and beyond ? to former Alabama Gov. George Wallace’s infamous 1963 inaugural speech where he proclaimed: “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!” “He knew that he was on the losing end. He knew that federal enforcement was going to force the end of legal segregation. He knew he couldn’t win, yet to create a political advantage for himself, he went on rants like that,” Janken said. “They’re on the losing side ? these demagogues are on the losing side and this is a gambit to try and shore up their position,” he said. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/little-rock-nine-parkland-students_us_5a9844c6e4b0479c02505ef4
Grand Jury Indicts Two [white] Former Cops Caught On Traffic Stop Beating Video Michael Bongiovanni and Robert McDonald face 10 counts for their alleged attack. A grand jury has indicted two former Georgia police officers on multiple charges after they were recorded beating and kicking a handcuffed black motorist during a traffic stop early last year. Former Gwinnett County Sgt. Michael Bongiovanni and former Master Police Officer Robert McDonald, who were both fired after the April 12, 2017, incident, were hit with a 10-count indictment on Wednesday. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/former-cops-indicted-beating-handcuffed-driver_us_5a9821e2e4b0e6a523059a6b
This 1 Weird Thing About ‘The Simpsons’ Is Freaking Out Fans You won’t unsee this. Once you notice this one thing about “The Simpsons,” you’ll likely never watch Fox’s animated comedy in the same way again. On Tuesday, Twitter user @butchcoded pointed out how “cursed” Springfield’s residents sometimes look when seen head-on: [images, including their Trump] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-simpsons-looking-different_us_5a97eac2e4b09c872bb1b118
N.R.A. Suggests Trump May Retreat From Gun Control WASHINGTON — The top lobbyist for the National Rifle Association claimed late Thursday that President Trump had retreated from his surprising support a day earlier for gun control measures [ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/us/politics/trump-gun-control.html ] after a meeting with N.R.A. officials and Vice President Mike Pence in the Oval Office. Chris Cox, the group’s top lobbyist, posted on Twitter just after 9 p.m. that he met with Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence, saying that “we all want safe schools, mental health reform and to keep guns away from dangerous people. POTUS & VPOTUS support the Second Amendment, support strong due process and don’t want gun control. #NRA #MAGA.” Mr. Trump tweeted about an hour later [ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/969408165308747777 ]: “Good (Great) meeting in the Oval Office tonight with the NRA!” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, declined to provide any details about the previously unannounced meeting. A spokeswoman for the N.R.A.’s lobbying arm, which Mr. Cox heads, did not respond to requests for more information. But the twin tweets suggest that it may have taken the gun rights group only about 24 hours to persuade the president to back away from the positions he took embracing Democratic gun control measures during a remarkable, televised meeting on Wednesday with members of Congress. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/us/politics/trump-republicans-gun-control.html
World's largest family tree reveals environment’s influence on lifespan Genetics explains only a small part of differences in how long a person lives, finds analysis that links 13 million people. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02596-9
Astronomers Discover S0-2 Star is Single and Ready for Big Einstein Test No companion found for famous young bright star orbiting Milky Way’s supermassive black hole http://www.keckobservatory.org/recent/entry/S02_Single
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