To subscribe to this newsletter, sign up right here.
Anti-Muslim hate speech is still relentless on social media, even as platforms crack down on other extremist groups
Recently, the major tech platforms took action to remove anti-vaccination content. Facebook, YouTube, and Amazon also managed to largely eradicate content from ISIS terrorists
Yet Anti-Muslim content remains on the platforms in spades, and its spread is persistent. Racial slurs, dehumanizing photos, threats of violence, and targeted harassment campaigns continue to spread and generate significant engagement even though it's prohibited by most terms of service.
Jane Lytvynenko looked into this, and it’s an important read. One expert summed it up like this: “Islamophobia happens to be something that made these companies lots and lots of money.”
Three stories you should read about the Christchurch shooting:
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed to never again say the Christchurch shooter’s name, urging people to “speak the names of those who were lost.”
New Zealand has made it illegal to share the 17-minute video of the mosque attacks.
Christchurch school kids have come together to show support for the Muslim community.
California wildfire survivors say they’re living in dire conditions and there’s little help
The Camp fire is the deadliest fire in California’s history. The fire that spread quickly claimed the lives of dozens of people and burned more than 150,000 acres. It virtually destroyed the town of Paradise.
Now, four months later, those who survived the inferno are still seeking help. FEMA says it’s received nearly 27,000 valid registrations from wildfire victims asking for aid, but has approved just a fraction — 7,891.
We spoke with those whose lives are left in ruins. They told us “it’s a constant battle just to survive.”
SNAPSHOTS
A man suspected of shooting and killing three people on a Netherlands tram has been arrested. Police in the Dutch city of Utretcht identified the suspect as Gökmen Tanis, a 37-year-old man who was born in Turkey. The motive for the shooting is still not known.
UK Parliament Speaker John Bercow told Prime Minister Theresa May she can’t have another vote on the same Brexit deal. Bercow's decision sets up a major constitutional clash between Parliament and the government.
The suspected Gambino mob boss killer scrawled “MAGA Forever” and apparent QAnon messages on his hands in court. The shooting was originally thought to be tied to mob activity, but police now believe the suspect, Anthony Comello, may have shot Francesco "Frankie Boy" Cali over a dispute about Comello's romantic interest in one of Cali's relatives.
Popular YouTube star Shane Dawson has denied rumors that he had sex with his cat. He says the story was from a time when he tried to shock people with his jokes.
Kim Kardashian is being mom-shamed for North’s lipstick and outfit. People have very strong feelings about this.
Kat Von D denied accusations she’s a Nazi and an anti-vaxxer after people boycotted her makeup line. The tattoo artist and makeup entrepreneur said she and her husband will no longer discuss whether to vaccinate – or not vaccinate – their son.
Surviving R. Kelly kicked off a #MeToo movement in East Africa
Shortly after an explosive documentary detailed R. Kelly’s alleged sexual abuse of minors, the floodgates opened.
A popular Instagram account meant to unite the Ethiopian community over its national dish has sparked a social movement by providing a space for people to share their stories of sexual violence under the #MeTooEthiopia hashtag.
The results have been incredible. The hashtag has shown hundreds of Ethiopian women and men they’re not the only ones carrying trauma as victims of sexual violence. The movement also recognizes the specific cultural barriers that prevent people from sharing their stories.
Read Tamerra Griffin’s excellent piece on how #MeTooEthiopia came to be.
This guy’s viral Twitter thread about his neighbor’s pets breaking into his house is seriously hilarious
So rarely in our time does a story command every bit of your attention.
JP Brammer was just minding his own business, you know, livin’, when he heard a knock on the door. It wasn’t a person. It was his neighbor’s pets — a cat and two dogs.
What unfolded next is the Homeward Bound of 2019, a saga of dogs who know how to open doors and a cat that will not leave. Please enjoy.