Our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Have Changed
By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
U.S. Edition
News
U.S.
World
Politics
Tech
Health
Entertainment
Living
Travel
Money
Sports
Watch Live TV
VideoTVOpinionsMore
Crime + Justice
Energy + Environment
E*****e W*****r
Space + Science
Charleston shooting victims
An hour in the church with a k**ler
The New York State Police issued these 'progression' photos of Richard Matt and David Sweat on June 17, 2015. Matt, 49, and Sweat, 35, escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York sometime after they were last seen at bed check Friday night, June 5, 2015. The pair left decoys to trick guards into think they were asleep as they made their escape. Both were serving time on separate murder convictions.
Chase heats up for escaped k**lers
The lights of New York City nights
It all started with, 'I don't want to die alone'
The birth of a psychopath
Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Middle East
A wild male black rhino named Sambu is pictured after it was darted from a helicopter in Lewa conservancy on August 28, 2013. 11 of Lewa's total 73 endangered black rhinos are being t***slocated to neighbouring Borana conservancy to afford them more space. Borana currently has no rhino population and is hoping to help increase their numbers. The horn of each rhino is cut and a tracking device is fitted to monitor its movements and to help combat poaching. Lewa has suffered severe poaching in the past. Illegally poached rhino horn is sold for large sums as an ingredient in some traditional Chinese medicine. AFP PHOTO/Carl de Souza (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)
Is Earth in the midst of a mass extinction?
Stowaway falls from British Airways plane
Orange: The new black in Bangladesh?
The king with 100 wives
Turning gorilla poachers into protectors
Yankee Doodle
Being Moody
Political Op-Eds
2016 E******n
Democratic p**********l candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the 2015 United States Conference of Mayors on June 20, 2015 in San Francisco, California.
Clinton calls for more gun control in wake of Charleston church shooting
The South Carolina and American f**gs fly at half mast as the Confederate f**g unfurls below at the Confederate Monument June 18, 2015 in Columbia, South Carolina. Legislators gathered Thursday morning to honor their co-worker Clementa Pinckney and the eight others k**led Wednesday at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Jeb, Romney weigh in on S.C. Confederate f**g flap
Carson tries Australian accent
How the 3rd Bush campaign launch stacks up
Ding, dong, the Iowa Straw Poll is now dead
Gadgets + Reviews
Cybersecurity
Space + Science
Innovation Nation
Google says there have been misconceptions about its new cross-product privacy policy
Silicon Valley's plan to be more diverse
The world's smartphone makers are crazy about India
Fitbit stock surges
Human skin could be coming to 3-D printing
Scientists emerge from Hawaiian 'Mars'
Diet + Fitness
Living Well
Health Care
Sanjay Gupta
Elizabeth Cohen
Reddit's 'bullies' pushed me to fight weight gain
The ultimate Father's Day gift: A kidney
Trick your brain to avoid 'portion distortion'
Time for medical marijuana revolution
'Fearless' Ebola nurse trains at Emory University
Celebrity Watch
TV + Web
Movies + Music
"True Detective"
'True Detective' and other shows to watch this summer
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 01: TV Personality Kim Kardashian attends the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on June 1, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
NPR fans mad about Kim Kardashian
Tyra Banks and her naked face
Stars to return for 'Pitch Perfect 3'
What will be the song of the summer?
Parenting + Life
Food
Relationships
Style + Culture
Religion
Child riding on dad's shoulders joyfully in park
The difficulty in telling dad 'I love you'
charleston church shooting victim's friend speaks ac bts_00011117.jpg
The most amazing videos of the week
Mother who lost mentally ill, addicted son: System is 'broken'
The Pegan diet: When paleo met vegan
Our happy places: The vacation spots we call home
Best of Travel
Sleeps + Eats
T***sportation
Sexy, boozy summer sleep-away camp
The Thunderbird roller coaster opened in Spring 2015 at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.
6 new rides that are worth the trip
Where in the world?
The Hawaiian side of paradise
Thailand 'red-f**gged' for aviation safety concerns
Pro baseball team cancels 'Caucasian Heritage Night'
By Christina Zdanowicz, CNN
Updated 5:28 PM ET, Sat June 20, 2015
Team cancels 'Caucasian Heritage Night' promotion
Team cancels 'Caucasian Heritage Night' promotion 01:24
Story highlights
The Orem Owlz canceled a 'Caucasian Heritage Night'
People criticized the team for touting a white appreciation event in the wake of the Charleston shooting.
(CNN)It was to be a night of Wonder Bread on burgers with mayo, a jumping contest and a group watching of "Friends," but "Caucasian Heritage Night" will never be.
The Orem Owlz, a minor league baseball team in Utah, said it had long ago scheduled the white appreciation event, which was meant to be a lighthearted event, according to a statement.
Within hours of posting a promotion Friday and two days after the church shootings in South Carolina, the team canceled the event after social media lit up.
"We understand, in light of recent tragic events, that our intentions have been misconstrued. For that, we sincerely apologize," read the team's official statement.
"In light of everything that has happened in Charleston, South Carolina, it is very troubling," Jeanetta Williams, president of the NAACP Tri-State Conference of Idaho, Nevada & Utah, told CNN affiliate KSL.
"Especially now, when there are so many w***e s*********t groups out there, and they're looking for something like this."
People flocked to Twitter on Friday to lob angry comments at the team using #CaucasianHeritageNight. Melanie Monroe, a Hispanic, said every night is Caucasian heritage night.
One Utah resident was ashamed that such a night was even created.
Others shrugged and asked what was so bad about it. "Every other race has their night," a man told CNN affiliate KSL.
Another defender asked what's so bad about grilling meat and watching mixed-martial arts.
Some who defended the event were just as angry as those criticizing it. One person who commented was asking for the night to be rescheduled.
"Please in the future have a bigger backbone. Or at least schedule this for later. Blaming you or other w****s for what one white did in South Carolina is r****t and caucasiaphobic."
Promoted Stories
The Key to Banning Underarm Bulge This Summer
Viva Fashion
California Entrepreneur Invents Coffee Cups that
Viewers to Volunteers
How Your Second Brain Affects Your Anxiety
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Dont Be Surprised When Someone Loses Their Job
Microsoft
Recommended by
More Promoted Stories
The Three Best Beaches in All of Los Angeles Homes.com
Lessons Learned from Police Body-Worn Cameras Microsoft
Alfa Romeo 4C Spider: A Beautiful and Affordable Supercar Bold Ride
10 Celebrities Who Refuse G****r Norms Buzz-Hut
Alfa Romeo 4C Spider: A Beautiful, Affordable, Supercar The Detroit News
Channing Tatum's Mansion Is Beyond Extravagant Lonny Magazine
More from CNN
The real issue for #distractinglysexy female scientists
Dolezal squeezed out people who 'weren't black enough'
Heckler to CNN anchor: 'White people are terrorists!'
Zakaria: Why Saudi Arabia can't go nuclear
Female prison employees 'can be owned' by an inmate
$13 billion warship is first of its kind
Recommended by
More Top Stories
Mysterious moon may have secret ocean -- and life
Mysterious moon may have secret ocean -- and life
Man calls 911 on himself, k**ls officer
Man calls 911 on himself, k**ls officer
Soccer players fired over orgy
Soccer players fired over orgy
Has Tiger Woods Hit Rock Bottom?
Has Tiger Woods Hit Rock Bottom?
Get enough sleep or risk early death
Get enough sleep or risk early death
Rescue: Army jumper's chute fails
Rescue: Army jumper's chute fails
More from CNN
Confessed gunman's family responds after church massacre
Confessed gunman's family responds after church massacre
Gunman's friend: Shooting could have been prevented
Gunman's friend: Shooting could have been prevented
Betty White's bizarre requests
Betty White's bizarre requests
Airbus A400M flies again after tragedy
Airbus A400M flies again after tragedy
Charleston shooting terrifies black America (Opinion)
Charleston shooting terrifies black America (Opinion)
How to look like this on $100 a month
How to look like this on $100 a month
Promoted Stories
8 Great Actors Who Are Actually Horrible People
8 Great Actors Who Are Actually Horrible People
Fame Focus
17 Instagrams That Prove Plus-Size Girls Can Do Minimal Fashion
17 Instagrams That Prove Plus-Size Girls Can Do
Refinery29
Heres Why the Papal Position on C*****e C****e Could (Finally) Change the World
Heres Why the Papal Position on C*****e C****e
The Huffington Post
33 Actors Who Tragically Died Too Young
33 Actors Who Tragically Died Too Young
Your Daily Dish
Recommended by
More from US
Police: Attackers shoot 10 people at child's birthday party in Detroit
detroit shooting block party michigan bts_00001223.jpg
Gunmen shoot 10 at child's birthday party
New York prison break: Trail heats up amid new possible sightings
More from Christina Zdanowicz
Kelly Hager survived a coma and came back to running a successful business, with the help of her team.
How a coma made me a happier person
A community organizer later identified as Joseph Kent paces in front of r**t police with his hands up during the curfew on April 28. Moments later, he was seen being arrested by police live on CNN.
Joseph Kent, Baltimore man arrested on live TV, is released
New York City, NY Showers 71°
NEWS
U.S.WORLDPOLITICSTECHHEALTHENTERTAINMENTLIVINGTRAVELMONEYSPORTS
VIDEO
CNNGOLATEST NEWSMUST WATCH VIDEOSDIGITAL STUDIOS
TV
CNNGOSCHEDULECNN FILMSSHOWS A-ZFACES OF CNN WORLDWIDE
OPINIONS
POLITICAL OP-EDSSOCIAL COMMENTARYIREPORT
MORE
PHOTOSLONGFORMINVESTIGATIONSCNN PROFILES A-ZCNN LEADERSHIP
U.S. Edition
© 2015 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of servicePrivacy guidelinesAdChoicesAdvertise with usAbout usWork for usHelpTranscriptsLicense FootageCNN Newsource
Jump to Navigation
msnbc
Sign in | Register
Explore
Watch
Join In
Speak Out
Society
The White House seen from outside the north lawn fence in Washington, Sep. 22, 2014. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
The White House seen from outside the north lawn fence in Washington, Sep. 22, 2014. Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Former White House chef missing in New Mexico mountains
06/20/15 09:24 PMUPDATED 06/20/15 09:26 PM
facebook twitter save share group 5
By Phil Helsel
Search teams in New Mexico continued on Saturday to look for a missing former White House chef who was last seen setting off for a solo hike in the mountains near Taos last weekend.
Walter Scheib, 61, went hiking in the area on Saturday and never returned home, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety said. He was reported missing the next day.
Scheib set off on the Yerba Canyon Trail, which reaches altitudes above 12,000 feet, Taos Search and Rescue said. Scheibs vehicle was found at the Yerba Canyon Trailhead on Tuesday, the department of public safety said.
The search has included ground teams and aircraft, state police said. The air search was expanded Friday but the mountainous terrain and dense vegetation has made the air effort difficult, the department said.
According to Scheibs professional website, he served as White House executive chef under President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush from 1994 until 2005.
He was initially hired by then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, who the site says was impressed by the comprehensive spa menu Scheib had developed for the Greenbrier resort, as well as his highlighting of American cuisine.
He is listed as co-author of White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen, published in 2007.
Explore:
New Mexico, Society and White House
facebook twitter save share group 5
'MHP' Syllabus: 6.21.15Gun violence strikes block parties
From Around the WebRecommended msnbc Stories
Never Buy Fruits and Vegetables From Trader Joes (Reviewed.com)
The Best Places to Retire for Your Lifestyle [Infographic] (Prudential)
Meryl Streep Finally Reveals Her Outrageous Home (Photos) (Lonny)
4 in 5 Americans Are Ignoring Buffett's Warning (The Motley Fool)
1 Dirty Little Secret To Eliminate 15 Years Of Mortgage Payments (LowerMyBills)
GOP aide bashes Obama kids
Prince William to Obama: 'You've got pretty much every member of the press here'
Ted Cruz dings Hillary, crowd doesn't
Like mother, like daughter! See Gwyneth Paltrow's look-alike daughter
(TODAY.com)
Actor accidentally stabbed on stage
by TaboolaPromoted Links
MSNBC DAILY
Don't miss out. Subscribe to the Newsletter
Privacy
More Like This
Police tape secures a crime scene on Oct. 21, 2013. (Photo by David Calvert/Getty)
SOCIETY
Gun violence strikes block parties
save share 33
The White House seen from outside the north lawn fence in Washington, Sep. 22, 2014. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
SOCIETY
Former White House chef missing
save share 5
Mourners hold hands as they pause outside Morris Brown AME Church during a vigil the day after a mass shooting in Charleston, S.C., June 18, 2015. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)
SOCIETY
'Holy City' horror
save share 43
Dylann Roof appears at Centralized Bond Hearing Court June 19, 2015 in North Charleston, S.C. (Photo by Grace Beahm/Pool/Getty)
RACE
Shooter's family: 'Internet evil' drew him in
1 save share 55
Best of msnbc
Investigators look over a New Orleans Police department vehicle in which one officer was shot and k**led while t***sporting a prisoner in New Orleans, La. on June 20, 2015. (Photo by Gerald Herbert/AP)
SOCIETY
Manhunt for prisoner who k**led cop
1 save share 25
Mourners hold hands as they pause outside Morris Brown AME Church during a vigil the day after a mass shooting in Charleston, S.C., June 18, 2015. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)
SOCIETY
'Holy City' horror
save share 43
Confederate f**g symbolism sparks debate
Confederate f**g symbolism sparks debate
1 save share 14
The South Carolina and U.S. f**gs are seen flying at half-staff behind the Confederate f**g erected in front of the State Congress building in Columbia, S.C., on June 19, 2015. (Photo by Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty)
RACE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE
'Burn, baby, burn'
6 save share 306
Speak Out
5 comments
in 2 groups
join the discussion
Add your comment
create new group
Latest comments
user
Mary Dobbs
7 HOURS AGO
Hiking alone at altitude is so dangerous. Sure hope they find him safe. Stories like these here in Colorado often dont turn out well. Hoping the first responders searching for him stay safe also
reply
user
Ice Cube will swarm
3 HOURS AGO
Today I thought I had locked my keys in my car, but I just retraced my steps and I had left them in a Wendy's bathroom stall-- no problem. This is exactly the same. He'll just turn up. It is so a perfect analogy. Yes it is.
reply
user
maggie nelson poole
4 HOURS AGO
and here is a photo that has nothing to do with the article....we can assume the victim is hungry and thirsty....we hope he hasn't dropped his cell phone....
reply
Top msnbc Commenters
Sandy Dickenson
Sandy Dickenson
0 followers
Michael-528853
Michael-528853
3 followers
A Regular
A Regular
0 followers
Most Active Groups
New Rules for MSNBC
New Rules for MSNBC
20 members join group
price for freedom
price for freedom
10 members join group
washington bigets
washington bigets
5 members join group
create new group
New Mexico and White House
Former White House chef missing in New Mexico mountains
06/20/15 09:24 PMUPDATED 06/20/15 09:26 PM
Add your comment
create new group
see allCONSERVATVE FACTS LIBERAL ATTACKS
join group
1
comment author avatar Playtow4 HOURS AGO
Moosechelle Vince Fostered him for serving a cheeseburger and french fries rather then an apple with lettuce. >
see allGeneral Discussion
4
comment author avatar Mary Dobbs7 HOURS AGO
Hiking alone at altitude is so dangerous. Sure hope they find him safe. Stories like these here in Colorado often dont turn out well. Hoping the first responders searching for him stay safe also >
comment author avatar Ice Cube will swarm3 HOURS AGO
Today I thought I had locked my keys in my car, but I just retraced my steps and I had left them in a Wendy's bathroom stall-- no problem. This is exactly the same. He'll just turn up. It is so a perfect analogy. Yes it is. >
comment author avatar maggie nelson poole4 HOURS AGO
and here is a photo that has nothing to do with the article....we can assume the victim is hungry and thirsty....we hope he hasn't dropped his cell phone.... >
comment author avatar Merlin-4204558 HOURS AGO
I told those New Mexicans they'd better feed Bigfoot.... Seriously, I hope they find him alive and well, just lost. >
facebook twitter google plus tumblr instagram rss
Home
Help
Terms of Service
Independent Programming Report
Closed Captioning
Privacy Policy
Newsletters
MSNBC Info Blog
Careers
AdChoices
NBCNews.com
Today.com
CNBC.com
BreakingNews.com
©2014 NBC UNIVERSAL
Jump to Navigation
msnbc
Sign in | Register
Explore
Watch
Join In
Speak Out
E******y / Society
UP WITH STEVE KORNACKI, 6/20/15, 8:01 AM ET
Website linked to Dylann Roof features r****t screeds, photos with guns
06/20/15 01:23 PMUPDATED 06/20/15 09:34 PM
facebook twitter 3 save share group 501
By Elizabeth Chuck
A website featuring a 2,444-word w***e s*********t screed shows dozens of photos of the gunman arrested in the Charleston, South Carolina, church massacre.
The site shows a stone-faced Dylann Roof the man who confessed to shooting nine people dead at a Bible study group, according to sources holding weapons, visiting a cemetery for Confederate soldiers, and burning and spitting on an American f**g.
Roof appears to have bought the site domain in February based on a reverse domain look-up service that found it was registered under the name Dylann Roof, using Roofs mothers home address. NBC News could not confirm the sites authenticity or whether Roof was its creator.
RELATED: Dylann Roof, suspected Charleston shooting gunman, previously arrested
Federal law enforcement sources said the FBI and local Charleston authorities have been investigating and analyzing the site, and have known about it for several days.
While the FBI is not saying with 100% certainty it belongs to Roof, they are operating under the assumption that he is responsible for all of the writings, photos and other material, sources said.
There are also photos on it of historic sites, such as a Confederate museum, and one picture of a beachs coastline with 1488 carved in the sand, a w***e s*******y encryption that stands for: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children. Its unclear who took many of the photos.
In a drawn-out rant, the sites writer outlines becoming racially aware, explaining that he wasnt raised in a r****t environment, but was awakened by the case of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager shot to death in Florida.
The writer goes on to explain his views on race, calling black people stupid and violent, Jewish people an enigma, Hispanic people a huge problem, and East Asian people by nature very r****t.
The writer then describes a disdain for the American f**g, which he says represents people pretending like they have something to be proud [of] while White people are being murdered daily in the streets. The writer concludes by saying that he has no choice but to fight, and says he has chosen Charleston because of its historical importance and because it at one time had the highest ratio of b****s to W****s in the country.
Roof, 21, was arrested in the fatal shootings of the nine victims at the historically black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston on Wednesday night. Police say they believe the attack was a h**e crime.
This article originally appeared on NBC News.com.
Explore:
Charleston church shooting, Dylann Roof, E******y, Race, R****m, Society, South Carolina, Trayvon Martin and W***e S*******y
facebook twitter 3 save share group 501
Cher mocks Trump candidacy on TwitterWhere Clinton is to the left of Sanders
From Around the WebRecommended msnbc Stories
We Found A Card With No T***sfer Fee, No Interest For 15 Intro Months (LendingTree)
The Best Places to Retire for Your Lifestyle [Infographic] (Prudential)
Ruin Your Teenagers House Party Even When Youre Away (AT&T Digital Life)
6% cash back from a credit card? You bet (NextAdvisor)
Best Places to Retire To (Prudential)
California principal: 'I just don't like the black kids'
Whats next for Dylann Roof?
5 chilling details from the Charleston massacre
Actor accidentally stabbed on stage
Royally sweet! Michelle Obama brought gifts for Prince George and baby Charlotte (TODAY.com)
by TaboolaPromoted Links
E******Y
Don't miss out. Subscribe to the Newsletter
Privacy
More Like This
Police tape secures a crime scene on Oct. 21, 2013. (Photo by David Calvert/Getty)
SOCIETY
Gun violence strikes block parties
save share 33
The White House seen from outside the north lawn fence in Washington, Sep. 22, 2014. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
SOCIETY
Former White House chef missing
save share 5
Mourners hold hands as they pause outside Morris Brown AME Church during a vigil the day after a mass shooting in Charleston, S.C., June 18, 2015. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)
SOCIETY
'Holy City' horror
save share 43
Dylann Roof appears at Centralized Bond Hearing Court June 19, 2015 in North Charleston, S.C. (Photo by Grace Beahm/Pool/Getty)
RACE
Shooter's family: 'Internet evil' drew him in
1 save share 55
Best of msnbc
Investigators look over a New Orleans Police department vehicle in which one officer was shot and k**led while t***sporting a prisoner in New Orleans, La. on June 20, 2015. (Photo by Gerald Herbert/AP)
SOCIETY
Manhunt for prisoner who k**led cop
1 save share 25
Mourners hold hands as they pause outside Morris Brown AME Church during a vigil the day after a mass shooting in Charleston, S.C., June 18, 2015. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)
SOCIETY
'Holy City' horror
save share 43
Confederate f**g symbolism sparks debate
Confederate f**g symbolism sparks debate
1 save share 14
The South Carolina and U.S. f**gs are seen flying at half-staff behind the Confederate f**g erected in front of the State Congress building in Columbia, S.C., on June 19, 2015. (Photo by Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty)
RACE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE
'Burn, baby, burn'
6 save share 306
Speak Out
501 comments
in 10 groups
join the discussion
Add your comment
create new group
Latest comments
user
Sandy Dickenson
16 HOURS AGO
Facts: Something Righties Avoid like the Plague
reply
user
Sandy Dickenson
16 HOURS AGO
He sounds like a typical Southern Conservative so he fits right in with the Republican Party.
reply
user
RochesterX
16 HOURS AGO
Time for someone to ask Bush3 about motivation again. I suspect he'll pivot away from "I really don't know", directly on to "it must be drugs", or even the spoonfed "christian persecution" meme on Fox. It takes a while for people like him to see what's right in front of his eyes.
And you know...
reply
Top msnbc Commenters
Sandy Dickenson
Sandy Dickenson
0 followers
Michael-528853
Michael-528853
3 followers
A Regular
A Regular
0 followers
Most Active Groups
Progressive News & Opinion
Progressive News & Opinion
235 members join group
CANCELLATIONS FROM BC/BS
CANCELLATIONS FROM BC/BS
5 members join group
Fire The GOP
Fire The GOP
68 members join group
create new group
Charleston church shooting, Dylann Storm Roof, R****m, South Carolina, Trayvon Martin and W***e S*******y
Website linked to Dylann Roof features r****t screeds, photos with guns
06/20/15 01:23 PMUPDATED 06/20/15 09:34 PM
Add your comment
create new group
see allUS News & Views
join group
1
comment author avatar R. Oliver Radiko8 HOURS AGO
"...burning and spitting on an American f**g." Seriously? Members of the Taliban or Al Qaeda would do the same thing. They'd photo and/or vid a gross desecration of the Stars and Bars -- stomp on it, spit on it, dance on it, then burn it -- and proudly post it online for all their like-minded... >
see allFACTS: A L*****T'S NIGHTMARE!
join group
84
comment author avatar Sandy Dickenson16 HOURS AGO
Facts: Something Righties Avoid like the Plague >
comment author avatar Sandy Dickenson16 HOURS AGO
He sounds like a typical Southern Conservative so he fits right in with the Republican Party. >
comment author avatar Bigbill-83799715 HOURS AGO
Yep, and the Republican playbook of today. (eg. 'the Southern Strategy.' >
comment author avatar Auditoria13 MGA16 HOURS AGO
The nonsense this little boy is spouting comes right out of the democratic party playbook of sixty years ago. >
comment author avatar dback-again-husker17 HOURS AGO
This article ought to get the accusations flying over which political ideology Roof belongs to. Based on what we know now, I'd say he doesn't belong in the conservative or the progressive camps. He apparently loves guns and conservatives generally like guns, but he h**es the American f**g... >
see allHPRefugees
join group
33
comment author avatar rutht***h16 HOURS AGO
But I thought, according to Fox News it was a war on religion or some other BS. BTW there GOP contenders, how about telling the t***h for a change and call it what it is , a h**e crime because these people were black. >
comment author avatar John & wally14 HOURS AGO
Excuses? Are you kidding me. This dude was a r****t and filled with h**e. All conservatives are saying that. The difference between me and liberals is I'm smart enought to understand that something caused him to act on his r****t thoughts. We all know that the dork was a r****t. But that's... >
comment author avatar John & wally10 HOURS AGO
Ok? And why does this help further the conversation? Another attempt to belittle someone that you absolutely h**e just because their views on the world are different than yours. You really need to grow up man. >
comment author avatar John & wally13 HOURS AGO
then why did you tear a hole in the Liberals universe when Bush threw out the thought that he could have been a drug user? And if it is true that he abused drugs would you agree that was a contributing factor? >
comment author avatar John & wally15 HOURS AGO
Well we know he was a drunk per his friends and he had a prescription for methadone which is supposed to help with heroin withdraws. This was a screwed up r****t little boy that wasn't thinking clearly due to the DRUGS he was under the influence of. You can deny it and just hope he was h**eful.... >
see allmsnbc Community
join group
7
comment author avatar roboman691612 HOURS AGO
I wish Fox News would do a real story on this story. Their coverage has been terrible at best. Its not even the top story over their. Fox news is avoiding this issue like plague. Why doesn't Bill O'Really do a story about White kids that are brought up in r****t homes. Or Were is there war... >
see allDEMOCRAT-Viners
join group
6
comment author avatar Rob Russell-1053571715 HOURS AGO
LIE , DENY , SLANDER & CRY -- The Republican Manifesto During the past 6+ years , the Reich Wing has relentlessly spewed R****t , prejudiced , bigoted , h**eful , i***tic rhetoric that seemed to come out of neo-N**i skinhead playbooks. When confronted regarding ... >
comment author avatar put a fork in it14 HOURS AGO
Giffords attacker WAS "insane" - that's demonstrable The Vega$ pair were dedicated reichwingnutz (not insane, just dedicated fools) Roof is NOT insane - and frankly, they should have just shot him and spared us all this bulls.hit, but, alas, he is WHITE and not eligible for "summary execution" >
see allYOU CAN'T FIX STUPID
join group
3
comment author avatar Rob Russell-1053571712 HOURS AGO
REPUBLICN OUREACH STRIKES AGAIN ! We have people like this posting on the vines. We have people posting like this , In support of this , posting on this seed , specifically. They're trying to claim everything but the honest t***h. They're trying to claim he ... >
see allS i N
join group
3
comment author avatar Rob Russell-1053571715 HOURS AGO
Remember when palin & tea t*****rs were spewing their gun rhetoric , appearing on camera with various weapons , putting out campaign posters with targets over Democrats names , saying they were "targeting" specific Democrats by name -- and then one of ... >
comment author avatar xgeei11 HOURS AGO
Sounds like he was trying to "take his country back",. Where have I heard that slogan before? Hmmmm! >
see allProgressive State of Mind
join group
2
comment author avatar A Regular3 HOURS AGO
Something has to be appreciated here. Both, the father and the son and all those denying this as a racially motivated crime represents an era of mankind being weeded out of the......and you just purposedy tried to to imposed me from this "Prrogressive State of Mind" thread. >
see allFourteen Characteristic of F*****m
join group
1
comment author avatar ALPHA-OMEGA3 HOURS AGO
This is for all the Trolls who have posted on this article and are confused. You say F*****m and Democrat in the same sentence and leave out Republican, here is a primer on the characteristics so you can understand where F*****t belongs. If you believe that any of them are... >
see allGeneral Discussion
358
comment author avatar RochesterX16 HOURS AGO
Time for someone to ask Bush3 about motivation again. I suspect he'll pivot away from "I really don't know", directly on to "it must be drugs", or even the spoonfed "christian persecution" meme on Fox. It takes a while for people like him to see what's right in front of his eyes. And you know... >
comment author avatar Cagan17 HOURS AGO
This scumbag is nothing more than a piece of trash that wants to blame everyone else for his poor decisions in life. >
comment author avatar c1aud1a%17 HOURS AGO
I think that governor is a b----- but I thought that before this incident. That is what happens from gerrymandering the state so the repulsicans can win. >
comment author avatar mcbarker14 HOURS AGO
This little $h!t is happy. He achieved what he set out to do... promote his racial hatred on other weak minded individuals, got his 15 minutes of fame, and will be welcomed with open arms by his future neo n**i counterparts in prison. The ONLY way to actually punish this filth is to execute... >
comment author avatar Jim Souther14 HOURS AGO
The H**e Sight looks like someone simply copied and pasted everything from the Republican Party platform. >
facebook twitter google plus tumblr instagram rss
Home
Help
Terms of Service
Independent Programming Report
Closed Captioning
Privacy Policy
Newsletters
MSNBC Info Blog
Careers
AdChoices
NBCNews.com
Today.com
CNBC.com
BreakingNews.com
©2014 NBC UNIVERSAL
Tracing Ancestry, Researchers Produce a Genetic Atlas of Human Mixing Events
By NICHOLAS WADEFEB. 13, 2014
The rise and fall of empires, the march of armies, the flow of trade routes, the practice of s***ery all these events have led to a mixing of populations around the world. Such episodes have left a record in the human genome, but one that has so far been too complex to decipher on a global scale.
Now, geneticists applying new statistical approaches have taken a first shot at both identifying and dating the major population mixture events of the last 4,000 years, with the goal of providing a new source of information for historians.
Some of the hundred or so major mixing events they describe have plausible historical explanations, while many others remain to be accounted for. For instance, many populations of the southern Mediterranean and Middle East have segments of African origin in their genomes that were inserted at times between A.D. 650 and 1900, according to the geneticists calculations. This could reflect the activity of the Arab s***e trade, which originated in the seventh century, and the absorption of s***es into their host populations.
Genetic Mixing
Researchers have found genetic evidence for hundreds of examples of the large-scale mixing of human populations in the past 4,000 years.
Lithuanian
Circles show the apparent sources of DNA within the two parent populations, one European and one Asian.
Scottish
Welsh
Lezgin
Kalash
Georgian
Burusho
Palestinian
Yi
Balochi
Pathan
Druse
Bedouin
Makrani
Sindhi
Parents from
two populations
Child
Grand-
child
Modern
population
Indian
Jew
Indian
Children inherit one set of c********es from each parent, and in later generations that DNA is cut into smaller and smaller chunks. By measuring the average size of the chunks, researchers are able to estimate how many generations have passed since the ancestral populations were mixed.
The Kalash people of Pakistan were found to have chunks of DNA from an ancient European population. Statistical analysis suggests a mixing event before 210 B.C., possibly from the army of Alexander the Great.
By The New York Times
Source: Science
The lowest amount of African admixture occurs in the Druse, a religious group of the Middle East that prohibited s***ery and has been closed to converts since A.D. 1043.
Another mixing event is the injection of European-type DNA into the Kalash, a people of Pakistan, at some time between 990 and 210 B.C. This could reflect the invasion of India by Alexander the Great in 326 B.C. The Kalash claim to be descended from Alexanders soldiers, as do several other groups in the region.
The genetic atlas of human mixing events was published on Thursday in the journal Science by a team led by Simon Myers of Oxford University, Garrett Hellenthal of University College London and Daniel Falush of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. Having sampled genomes from around the world, they found they could detect about 95 distinguishable populations.
Though all humans have the same set of genes, their genomes are studded with mutations, which are differences in the sequence of DNA units in the genome. These mutations occur in patterns because whole sets of mutations are passed down from parent to child and hence will be common in a particular population. Based on these patterns, geneticists can scan a persons genome and assign the ancestry of each segment to a particular race or population.
The team led by Dr. Myers has developed a statistical technique for identifying the chromosomal segments with particular precision. This enables them to perform a second feat, that of assigning a date to the one or more mixing events that have affected a population.
The dating system is based on measuring the length of c********e segments of a particular ancestry that occur in a population. When people of two different populations intermarry, their childrens genomes carry large chunks of DNA of one parents ancestry interspersed with large chunks from the others.
In each successive generation, the average size of the chunks becomes smaller because when DNA is swapped between the parents genomes in making the eggs or sperm, the cuts needed to generate the swapped sections are made in different places. Therefore, from the average size of the chunks in a persons genome, the geneticists can calculate the number of generations since the mixing event.
We are among the first to try to date ancestry events, and we have more ability to determine the source populations, Dr. Myers said.
One of the most widespread events his group has detected is the injection of Mongol ancestry into populations within the Mongol empire, such as the Hazara of Afghanistan and the Uighur Turks of Central Asia. The event occurred 22 generations ago, according to genetic dating, which corresponds to the beginning of the 14th century, fitting well with the period of the Mongol empire.
In another example, the European colonization of America is recorded in the genomes of the Maya and Pima Indians. And Cambodian genomes mark the fall of the Khmer empire in the form of ancestral DNA from the invading Tai people.
Dr. Myers and his colleagues have detected European ancestry that entered the Tu people of central China between the 11th and 14th centuries; this, they surmise, could be from traders traveling the Silk Road. They find among Northern Italians an insertion of Middle Eastern DNA that occurred between 776 B.C. and A.D. 550, and may represent the Etruscans, a mysterious people said by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus to have emigrated from Lydia in Turkey.
The Myers group has posted its results on a web page that records the degree of admixture in each population. The English, however, known to be a rich medley of Celts with invaders such as the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Danes and Norwegians, carry the notation No strong evidence of admixture. Dr. Myers said his method cannot yet detect genetic mixing between very similar populations, as was the case with the English and their invaders from Scandinavia and Northern Germany. He said he hoped to distinguish all these groups in a separate project on British ancestry.
Dr. Hellenthal said, Were fairly confident that increasing our sample size will help us follow local migrations.
John Novembre, a geneticist at the University of Chicago, described the new genetic atlas as a landmark study because of its scale and the fact that the authors had been able to extract complex signatures from the data. The detailed historical interpretations may need further questioning and testing, he said.
Dr. Myers and Dr. Hellenthal said that they hoped historians would find their work useful, but that they had not collaborated with historians.
In some sense we dont want to talk to historians, Dr. Falush said. Theres a great virtue in being objective: You put the data in and get the history out. We do think this is a way of reconstructing history by just using DNA.
Hopes, and Homes, Crumbling on Indian Tea Plantations
By MAX BEARAKFEB. 13, 2014
An employee of the Hattigor Tea Estate, which is owned by Amalgamated Plantations, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam in December. Himanshu Khagta for The New York Times
NAHORANI TEA ESTATE, India For a century and a half, Madhu Mundas forebears toiled on the same tea plantation that she lives and works on now. Belonging to central Indian tribes brought to what is now the northeastern state of Assam by the British in the mid-19th century, they and millions of other plantation workers survived as little more than indentured servants, even as the British Raj gave way to Indian democracy.
So when Amalgamated Plantations took over the plantation in 2008, Ms. Munda and her fellow workers had high hopes for change. The companys investors said they planned to t***sform this sprawling tea estate into a model for sustainable and responsible labor policy through an employee shareholding program. The International Finance Corporation, a branch of the World Bank partly funded by the United States government, lent the new company legitimacy with a sizable investment. In approving funding, the International Finance Corporation stated that Amalgamated promised to create opportunities for people to escape poverty and improve their lives.
DETAIL
CHINA
INDIA
INDIA
Nahorani
Tea Estate
BHUTAN
NEPAL
Brahmaputra
River
ASSAM
Ganges
River
BANGLADESH
INDIA
MYANMAR
WEST
BENGAL
100 Miles
But that early optimism has evaporated. Despite pledges of better working and living conditions, Ms. Munda, 45, finds herself living a life not dissimilar to that of her grandparents. Her family shares a cramped and crumbling house with three other families. The well outside is filled with murky water, and a nearby latrine is rank and overflowing. Ms. Munda says she has been emptying a bucket filled with the water that leaks through her roof for 15 monsoon seasons.
In interviews at two of the companys plantations, workers said their overseers treated them harshly and denied them basic benefits. Ms. Munda said that to qualify for a paid sick day, workers had to report to the plantation clinic three times a day to prove their illness. Raju Mantra, the son of two plantation workers, said that protective equipment was withheld from workers.
When big people come to visit, they give it to us, he said of equipment like gloves and masks to protect from pesticides, but then they put it back in storage, saying that if we wear it every day, it will wear out.
On Monday, the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School released a 110-page report on Amalgamateds operations, which employ more than 30,000 people on 24 plantations in Assam and neighboring West Bengal.
The report paints a grim portrait of life on the tea plantation: dilapidated and crowded housing, hazardous water and sanitation conditions, the denial of basic benefits like health care for workers dependents, widespread disregard for occupational safety measures, and pitifully low wages.
Amalgamated denies any wrongdoing. The company claims it was not given enough time to fully review the Columbia report before its release. But it issued a statement saying that the report was incorrect and misleading in some parts, and said that some issues, like wages, were dictated by an industrywide recession that necessitated conservative spending.
Amalgamateds oceanic plantations of undulating green tea bushes employ thousands of workers each. The plantations used to be owned by the Tata Group, a vast Indian conglomerate that, along with the International Finance Corporation, created Amalgamated during a restructuring process in the late 2000s. Now, Amalgamated provides tea leaves primarily to Tata Global Beverages, whose Tetley and other brands of tea are widely consumed across the world. Assams almost 1,000 plantations produce around one-sixth of the worlds tea.
On Tuesday, the International Finance Corporations internal compliance and accountability office announced that it would be conducting a full investigation into the I.F.C.s environmental and social performance in relation to its investment in A.P.P.L., the abbreviation for Amalgamated.
Madhu Munda lives and works on the Nahorani Tea Estate. Himanshu Khagta for The New York Times
In an email response to questions, Amalgamateds spokesman said the allegations made by workers on the companys plantations were untrue. The company said it adhered strictly to the Plantations Labor Act, an Indian law that requires plantation owners to supplement wages, which can be set below state minimums, by providing tea workers with housing, schools, health care and other basic needs.
Tea workers rights groups say the Plantations Labor Act has perpetuated the feudal system created by British companies when they first developed the plantations. Todays plantation workers descend almost exclusively from tribal populations t***splanted in the colonial era, having inherited jobs from their parents. The manual labor they perform has changed little in 150 years. Last December, women in saris moved slowly down the rows of bushes, pruning them with machetes.
Workers said managers treated them with contempt. A group of women at one plantation said their supervisors used language with them so vulgar they could not repeat it. Mr. Mantra later said that local stereotypes of tribal people as promiscuous figure heavily in taunts, and workers who show up late are sometimes asked, Were you having sex all night, and thats why youre late?
The Columbia report said that management warned researchers not to trust workers because they were just like cattle.
Leaving the plantations is only a vague dream for most. Local advocacy groups say schools on plantations go up to only the fourth grade, and in some schools, there are up to 250 students for each teacher. Most tea workers remain illiterate, the advocates say. Beyond the fences of Assams plantations, where tea workers seldom go, there is little demand for unsk**led labor.
The poverty that besieges tribal populations throughout India more harshly circumscribes mobility for those on Assams plantations. Many here said they would like to continue going to school or seek care at hospitals outside their plantations, but t***sportation is too costly for those who earn so little. Plantation workers like Ms. Munda can make 89 rupees ($1.43) a day picking tea leaves or performing other tasks, provided they meet their productivity quotas. Mr. Mantra said that to get by, most tea workers ate simple meals of rice sprinkled with salt most days, splurging for eggs or fish only on paydays.
Many workers said that speaking on the record meant risking harassment or losing their jobs. One man who said plantation managers had threatened him after he spoke with the International Finance Corporations internal review team last April agreed to talk anonymously, at night, when no one might see him meeting outsiders.
I wanted to tell my story then, but now theres no use, the man said.
Im talking to you now only because I would regret if I didnt even show my face.
A version of this article appears in print on February 14, 2014, on page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: Hopes, and Homes, Crumbling on Indian Tea Plantations. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe
Federal Judge Overturns Virginias Same-Sex Marriage Ban
By ERIK ECKHOLMFEB. 14, 2014
Mark R. Herring, the Virginia attorney general, center, outside the federal courthouse in Norfolk last week. Jay Paul/Getty Images
A federal judge on Thursday evening declared that Virginias ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, in the strongest legal reversal yet of restrictive marriage amendments that exist throughout the South.
Our Constitution declares that all men are created equal, wrote Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen of United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, in Norfolk. Surely this means all of us.
The ruling, which overturned a constitutional amendment adopted by Virginia v**ers in 2006 as well as previous laws, also said that Virginia must respect same-sex marriages that were carried out legally in other states.
But opponents of same-sex marriage have vowed to appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, and Judge Wright Allen stayed the execution of Thursdays ruling pending the appeal.
This week, a federal judge in Kentucky ruled that the state must honor same-sex marriages legally performed in other states, but the ruling did not address Kentuckys own ban on such marriages.
If the Court of Appeals upholds Thursdays decision, the repercussions in the South could be wide. Similar amendments limiting marriage to a man and a woman would most likely be voided in other states of the Fourth Circuit, including North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia. (Maryland, the fifth member, approved same-sex marriage in 2012.)
But many legal experts believe that this case, or another among the dozens now being argued in federal district or appeals courts around the country, will eventually be taken up by the United States Supreme Court.
Last year, as it overturned a part of the Defense of Marriage Act, the Supreme Court required the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages from states where it is legal, and a majority of justices agreed that discrimination against gay and lesbian couples was unjustified and stigmatized their children. In another decision, it allowed a reversal of Californias ban on same-sex marriage to stand on technical grounds.
But so far, the justices have not decided the basic issue raised by the new decision in Virginia and similar recent decisions by federal district courts in Utah and Oklahoma: whether any sound constitutional reason exists for a state to deny gay and lesbian couples an equal right to marry.
The challenge to Virginias ban was argued by the same bipartisan team of legal stars, Theodore B. Olson and David Boies, that successfully contested Californias ban in 2010. They argued the case on behalf of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, a private national group.
When the case was first filed, Virginias Republican governor and attorney general strongly defended the states ban. But Democrats won the two offices in November, and the new attorney general of Virginia, Mark R. Herring, announced that his office considered the marriage ban unconstitutional and would assist the challenge.
Remaining in court to defend the state law were two court clerks, one of them represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, a coalition of conservative Christian lawyers.
The plaintiffs in the case are Tim Bostic, an English professor, and Tony London, a real estate agent, who live in Norfolk and have been together for 24 years.
They are joined by Carol Schall, an autism researcher, and Mary Townley, who also works with special needs youth, from Richmond. The two women have been together for 28 years and have a 16-year-old daughter. They married legally in California in 2008, but Virginia refused to recognize that status.
I am proud to say that today I am equal under the law in my home state of Virginia, Mr. Bostic said Thursday. Tony and I just want to get married like everyone else can.
Ms. Schall said, For us, marriage is about love and commitment and our family having the recognition and protection other families enjoy.
The judge often used lofty language in declaring that Virginias marriage ban violated the Due Process and Equal Protection provisions of the 14th Amendment. In summing up the decision, she wrote, We have arrived upon another moment in history when We the People becomes more inclusive, and our freedom more perfect.
John Boehner smiles as walks to a strategy meeting with fellow Republicans, Feb. 4, 2014.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Boehner: GOP immigration plan isnt amnesty
02/04/14 01:52 PMUpdated 02/06/14 02:54 PM
facebook twitter 2 save share group 25
By Benjy Sarlin
House Speaker John Boehner is defending new Republican immigration principles from critics on the right who complain it rewards i*****l i*********n and plays into President Obamas hands.
On Tuesday, Boehners office released a Q&A explaining why the speaker had decided to pursue immigration reform and how it would address major concerns within his party.
The focus of this Congress should be on creating jobs and growing our economy, the document reads. Reforms to our immigration system will accomplish those goals and address a serious national security issue.
msnbc Live, 1/31/14, 1:21 PM ET
House Republicans release immigration principles
The immigration principles, released at the House GOPs retreat in Maryland last week, call for a revamped legal immigration system for both high sk**led and temporary workers, new border security and enforcement measures, and most controversially a program to legalize qualifying undocumented immigrants.
The most common issue House Republicans have raised with passing reform this year is that they fear Obama will bank the legalization part and then unilaterally refuse to enforce the security measures attached to it. This complaint usually has less to do with immigration, specifically, where the administration has presided over record deportations, and more with a broader critique of the Obama administrations use of executive action on issues like health care, where the White House delayed a mandate for businesses to buy insurance.
But while some Republicans argue that their distrust of Obama is reason to punt on reform for now, even if they agree with it on the policy merits, Boehner affirms their premise to make the opposite case. Immigration reform is worth passing, he argues, because Republicans need a new law that constrains Obama more explicitly.
Unfortunately, the Senate bill would allow this and future administrations to circumvent the Congress and decide unilaterally how to enforce our i*********n l*ws, the Q&A reads. As part of its step-by-step approach, the House would eliminate the ability for any administration to arbitrarily decide which laws to enforce.
This isnt just a theoretical concern. The president has already deferred deportations, over Republican objections, for young undocumented immigrants who would gain legal status under the DREAM Act. Under pressure from immigration activists, Obama hinted last week that he might consider blocking deportations for larger groups of undocumented immigrants if Congress fails to act.
Boehner also takes on the argument that legalization constitutes amnesty for immigration violators.
Just the opposite is true, the document reads. Right now, there are few, if any, consequences for living here illegally. What we have now is amnesty.
It goes on to argue that any legalization would be earned through admitting past wrongdoing, paying back taxes and fines, learn English and American civics, and have to support themselves without federal help. There would be no special path to citizenship, although the actual details on how citizenship would be handled under the Republican plan are still unclear.
The Q&A also raises what could end up being the biggest disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in negotiating a final deal: How quickly immigrants could apply for legal status. Democrats and immigration activists have argued that the process needs to begin almost immediately. But Republicans are worried it would give the administration too much leeway to slow walk the security portions of the bill and want to tie it to unnamed enforcement triggers. While the language in the framework is sitll somewhat vague on this issue, Boehner reiterated its importance on Tuesday.
None of this can happen before specific enforcement triggers on border security and other measures have been met, the Q&A reads. The Senate bill, on the other hand, starts registering i*****l i*******ts virtually immediately after passage, does not require them to admit they broke any laws, only prohibits access to public benefits during a probationary period.
For the most part, Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress have greeted Boehners immigration framework with cautious praise. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who v**ed against the bipartisan Senate bill, told reporters on Tuesday he foresaw an irresolvable conflict between the House and Senate that would prevent them from reaching a deal this year.
The Senate insists on comprehensive; the House says it wont go to conference with the Senate on comprehensive; it wants to look at step by step, McConnell said. I dont see how you get to an outcome this year with the two bodies in such a different place.
While immigration reform is a tough slog, McConnells reasoning is a bit odd given that top Democrats have already suggested theyre willing to follow the Houses lead and pass immigration reform as a series of bills. In fact, Boehner paid Obama a rare complement in November for publicly acquiescing to his demand for a step by step approach.
Jansing & Co. , 1/31/14, 11:50 AM ET
GOP House unveils immigration reform plan
Poll: Will Republicans back Boehners immigration plan?
What do you think?
Will Republicans back Boehner's immigration plan?
1413 v**es
Yes, Boehner made a good case that it's not amnesty.No, the GOP wants enforcement, not legalization.Not sure.
Gay Republican House candidate features partner in ad
02/13/14 10:23 AMUpdated 02/13/14 11:32 AM
facebook twitter 0 save share group 73
By Benjy Sarlin
Republican Congressional candidate Carl DeMaios new ad looks like most campaign ads cliched shots of diverse happy v**ers, American f**gs, and the local California landscape paired with inspiring music and generic slogans about a problem solver who isnt afraid to be different.
That is, with one big exception. Toward the end of the ad, DeMaios is seen holding hands with his male partner in one shot and waving a rainbow f**g in another. While DeMaio is not the first openly gay Republican to run for Congress, nor would he be the first to serve in office if elected, the ad appears to be a new milestone.
This is who I am, DeMaio told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the ad, in an interview. Its something thats important to me. I want to embrace e******y, and feel like the party should, too.
DeMaio, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Scott Peters, is not a fringe candidate. He was the partys nominee for San Diego mayor in 2012, losing narrowly to Democrat Bob Filner, who later resigned over allegations that he sexual harassed multiple women.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has touted DeMaio as a promising recruit in memos and House GOP leaders, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, have donated to his campaign.
DeMaio, who is one of three openly gay Republicans running for Congress this year, reflects an ongoing change in the party as they adjust to a political environment in which gay rights is broadly popular with v**ers. Once a powerful wedge issue in the 2004 e******ns, national Republicans bring the topic up only rarely in ads and speeches. A Republican National Committee memo examining the partys 2012 losses warned that the gay marriage debate was boosting Democratic margins with young v**ers and that the party, without necessarily changing their position, needed to become more tolerant.
Its not always an easy t***sition. Last year, Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia reportedly lobbied GOP leaders to withdraw support for DeMaio and another promising openly gay House candidate, Richard Tisei in Massachusetts. It didnt work: NRCC chairman Greg Walden issued a statement affirming that the decisions on the Republican nominees we support will not be based on race, g****r or sexual orientation but will be based on the strength of their candidacy and their ability to defeat Democrats. Speaker John Boehner also said he had no problem with gay Republican candidates.
There are no openly gay Republicans currently in the House or Senate. Former Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe and Wisconsin Congressman Steve Gunderson came out while in office during the 1990s and each won re-e******n before leaving the House.
Poll: Is Carl DeMaio a sign the GOP is changing on gay rights?
What do you think?
Is Carl DeMaio a sign the GOP is changing on gay rights?
1070 v**es
No, he's a rare exception.Yes, the party is evolving on gay rights.Maybe, let's see if there's a backlash.
CLAREMONT, Calif. (AP) A Southern California church nativity scene is featuring a bloody Trayvon Martin in place of the infant Jesus in an effort to stir a community conversation about gun violence.
The Los Angeles Times reports Sunday that the nativity scene on the lawn of the Claremont United Methodist Church was created by congregant and artist John Zachary. Martin is shown in a hoodie, slumped over and bleeding.
But critics on Facebook have blasted the depiction as sacrilege.
The church's Rev. Dan Lewis says the scene featuring the Florida teenager whose shooting death captivated the nation was meant to be thought provoking.
The scene will remain in place at the church 35 miles east of Los Angeles through Jan. 5.