Trump visited India as tensions between Hindus and Muslims intensified
President Trump visited New Delhi this week as clashes between protestors have lead to 42 deaths and several hundred injuries. The violence erupted between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a proposed law that would grant religious minorities citizenship as long as they are not Muslim. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ran his campaign on a platform of Hindu nationalism in a country that is 80 percent Hindu, has been accused of perpetuating a culture of bigotry in that country.
The House of Representatives passed anti-lynching laws for the first time in history
Lynching became popular in the United States around 1882. This bill is being passed in 2020. 138 years later… let that sink in. https://t.co/qwi5MB8iCg
— HUNCHA (@dembrii) February 27, 2020
The House of Representatives voted to make lynching a federal hate crime for the first time in American history. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act, named after the young boy who was murdered and mutilated in 1955, must now be signed by President Donald Trump in order to become law. Until the mid-1950s, lynching was a common form of mob justice and often involved white people killing and displaying the bodies of black people they suspected of committing a crime.
The Democratic Debate in South Carolina got even rowdier
Tensions between Democratic candidates reached a fever pitch on Tuesday night’s debate just four days before the South Carolina primaries. Several candidates confronted Bernie Sanders, who had a clear lead after he won the primaries in New Hampshire and Nevada. Michael Bloomberg was also a target and continued to be criticized for using his considerable wealth to gain an advantage in the race.
… plus, Joe Biden won South Carolina by a landslide
Despite a poll by NBC that predicted Sanders would be in the lead at the South Carolina primaries, Biden defeated the Democratic frontrunner by 29 points. The huge win for the former vice president reinvigorated his campaign, which trailed behind Sanders’ in New Hampshire in Nevada.
‘Love, Victor,’ a ‘Love, Simon’ spin-off, removed from Disney+
So #Lovevictor is too ‘mature’ for #DisneyPlus yet y’all have a series about a bounty hunter (mando) , a show where a girl almost gets drugged and raped (marvels runaways), an animated show that curses every 2 minutes (Simpsons), and a movie with Nazis (rocketeer/captain America) pic.twitter.com/mmEZyTSHvU
— inkiad ️ (@Inkiadk) February 24, 2020
Disney+ released a statement saying it removed the much-anticipated series Love, Victor to Hulu, which also belongs to Disney+ but is considered an more mature platform. Some have accused Disney+ of removing Love, Victor specifically because of its queer content, since the streaming service also hosts adult programs such as The Simpsons.
Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of sex crimes
On Monday, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of two felony sex crimes and faces a prison sentence of 5 to 29 years. Weinstein was also found “not guilty” of other serious charges brought against him by actress Annabella Sciorra. His conviction comes four years after allegations by hundreds of women against the Hollywood mogul catalyzed the #MeToo movement.
Even though Weinstein will spend time behind bars, he will not be placed with other inmates at Rikers Island, according to the New York Times. Instead, he’ll likely serve his sentence in a larger cell with a private bathroom and phone.
Thousands paid tribute to Kobe and Gianna Bryant in memorial service
… and Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death suit.
Vanessa Bryant, wife to Kobe Bryant, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that operated the helicopter her husband and daughter died on. The lawsuit alleges recklessness against Ara Zobayan, the pilot of that flight who insisted on flying despite foggy weather conditions.
Jussie Smollet faced 6 new charges
This morning actor Jussie Smollett is set to walk back into the same criminal court that he walked out last year when his charges were shockingly dropped by Kim Foxx’s office. Today, six new felony charges of lying to PD.
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) February 24, 2020
Jussie Smollet pleaded “not guilty” to six counts of felony disorderly conduct after he allegedly staged a hate crime last year. Smollett, who is famous for his starring role on Empire, was released on a $20,000 bond on Monday and insists that the hate crime was not a hoax.
“I don’t claim to be innocent — I am innocent,” he told TMZ.
Director of the CDC warns Americans to prepare for a bad coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, warned Americans to prepare for a potentially bad coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., according to the New York Times. The announcement came a week after Italy saw a spike in coronavirus cases in just one day.
Cover Photo: Kena Betancur/Getty Images.
