Offering asides, recommended links, blogworthy quotations, and more, In Brief is the Northwest Progressive Institute's microblog of world, national, and local politics.
“Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was officially charged Tuesday with criminal contempt of court when a federal judge affixed her signature, a formality that throws the lawman’s political and personal future into a level of crisis never before seen in his twenty-three years in office,” reports the Arizona Republic’s Megan Cassidy.
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“Federal prosecutors on Monday charged Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County with criminal contempt of court, saying he willfully defied a judge’s orders to stop targeting Latinos — including citizens and legal immigrants — in traffic stops and other law enforcement efforts, behavior the judge said showed a pattern of discriminatory policing,” The New York Times reports.
Launch“Federal prosecutors on Monday charged Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County with criminal contempt of court, saying he willfully defied a judge’s orders to stop targeting Latinos — including citizens and legal immigrants — in traffic stops and other law enforcement efforts, behavior the judge said showed a pattern of discriminatory policing,” The New York Times reports.
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Breaking from The New York Times: “The National Collegiate Athletic Association said on Monday that it would relocate all seven previously awarded championship events from North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year because of concerns over laws passed by the state that it said violated the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”
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Racism is racial prejudice plus power. Racism is the intentional or unintentional use of power to isolate, separate and exploit others. This use of power
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I saw a young man, shot, helpless — shot for no apparent reason. I saw my nephew shot by a man, clinging to his life
LaunchTwo reporters for The Advocate of Baton Rouge explain what is known so far about the killing of Alton Sterling, a thirty-seven year old black man who was killed by police in Baton Rouge without justification.
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“We must change our gun laws to protect the living as we recommit ourselves to addressing the hatefulness that exists in our country,” writes former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords.
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I’m going to remain on this floor until we get some signal, some sign that we can come together on these two measures, that we
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In the wake of tragedies like the horrific mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, it’s common for elected leaders, celebrities, and other public figures to
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Many of the gun shot wounds were fairly severe… Many trunk, abdomen and extreme gun shot wounds. Our operating room has been quite busy all
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The fight over HB 2 North Carolina’s discriminatory new law targeting transgender individuals, has escalated after Republican Governor Pat McCrory and his legislative cohorts filed a lawsuit against the federal government seeking a determination that HB 2 does not violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Department of Justice promptly responded with its own lawsuit asserting that HB 2 *does* violate the Civil Rights Act. Justice is asking for an injunction to block HB 2 from being enforced.
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“White supremacists, nationalists and antigovernment conspiracists feverishly embrace the Republican candidate as their Great White Hope, not to mention a ‘Patriot sleeper cell’,” David Neiwert reports.
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“In more than a dozen states with long traditions of robust support for gun ownership rights, and where legislatures have moved to relax gun laws during the past year, the local police have become increasingly vocal in denouncing the measures. They say the new laws expose officers to greater danger and prevent them from doing their jobs effectively,” The New York Times reports.
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“Nationalism, condescension towards human rights, use of scapegoats for a unifying cause, sexism, threats to free journalism, subordinating all other concerns for national security, fetish for police power, are some of the common traits of fascism. Trump check marks on all of them, albeit in a modern American context,” writes University of North Florida President Parvez Ahmed.
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“Intentionally or not, Donald Trump’s remarks are resonating with — and mobilizing — white supremacists, many of whom have traditionally refrained from participating in the political process. He has their support, whether he wants it or not,” writes Jonathan Mahler.
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A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian… I say only that this man
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The idiotic, dangerous right wing insurrection against the people and government of the United States in rural Oregon appears to be almost over. The Oregonian
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The Baltimore Sun reports: “President Barack Obama, speaking in Baltimore County during his first visit to a U.S. mosque, urged voters to reject the ‘inexcusable political rhetoric’ he said is emanating from the presidential campaign trail as he called on Americans to embrace a common humanity.”
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On Wednesday, February 3rd, President Barack Obama delivered a landmark speech on religious freedom and tolerance to the Islamic Society of Baltimore.
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“Pam Roach has been kicked off a legislative task force on human trafficking after complaints that she belittled and verbally abused victims of sex trafficking at a meeting last month,” The Seattle Times reports.
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