Tired of ads? Want to support our progressive journalism? Click to learn more.
JOIN FOR $1
Enjoy good journalism?
… then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. And unlike other news outlets, we’ve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.
Raw Story is independent. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.
We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click to donate by check.
Value Raw Story?
… then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we believe in the power of progressive journalism — and we’re investing in investigative reporting as other publications give it the ax. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. We need your support to do what we do.
Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.
Report typos and corrections to: corrections@rawstory.com.
Members of the far-right group the Proud Boys are rallying again, even as the group's top leadership are facing charges for the fatal January 6th insurrection by supporters of Donald Trump.
"Justice Department officials have reviewed potential sedition charges against members of the Oath Keepers militia group who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, and they have been weighing whether to file them for weeks, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the deliberations," The New York Times reported Monday evening. "Early on in the sprawling investigation into the assault on the Capitol, investigators began focusing on members of the Oath Keepers, a militia that was founded by former law enforcement officers and military veterans, as well as on members of the far-right nationalist group the Proud Boys."
<p>"On Saturday, on opposite sides of the country, men in black and yellow uniforms took to the streets for various far-right causes. In Sandy, Oregon, they joined a church for an anti-gay event. In Raleigh, North Carolina, they joined supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory for a protest against COVID-19 prevention measures," The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/proud-boys-are-rallying-again-but-with-a-sneaky-twist?ref=home?ref=home" target="_blank">reported</a> Monday. "They were members of the Proud Boys, a far-right paramilitary group, many leaders of which have been charged with planning and taking part in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (The group may face additional legal challenges, with a top prosecutor suggesting sedition charges for unnamed rioters.) Following the Capitol riot, and subsequent revelations that the Proud Boys' chairman was a federal informant, some Proud Boys chapters splintered while others appeared less publicly active than in months past. But in recent days, some Proud Boys chapters have resumed their public rallies, often attaching themselves to other right-wing groups, while their own leadership battles serious criminal charges."</p><p>The rally and counterprotest in Sandy were covered by Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Sergio Olmos.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f023ddf693a4e3d18758efa07e01c72e" id="e6628"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1373394095721222146"><div style="margin:1em 0">“If God hates gays why are we so cute” https://t.co/Gh08HmV85f</div> — Sergio Olmos (@Sergio Olmos)<a href="https://twitter.com/MrOlmos/statuses/1373394095721222146">1616277643.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Video from the scene showed Proud Boys members posing together.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="72485a22101341d1c595f5a7b02f9ab3" id="c9055"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1373375831871922178"><div style="margin:1em 0">I’ve arrived in Sandy, OR where a group is holding a “Have a Gay Day” demonstration to counter this pro “natural he… https://t.co/3RSf7icmF0</div> — Alissa Azar (@Alissa Azar)<a href="https://twitter.com/AlissaAzar/statuses/1373375831871922178">1616273289.0</a></blockquote></div>
CONTINUE READING
Show less
Sedition charges decision 'has languished' as Biden's DOJ nominees await Senate confirmation: NYT
March 22, 2021
More than two months after Donald Trump was impeached for inciting insurrection, none of his supporters who participated in the January 6th riots has been charged with sedition. New reporting is shedding light on the decision making process behind that fact.
"Justice Department officials have reviewed potential sedition charges against members of the Oath Keepers militia group who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, and they have been weighing whether to file them for weeks, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the deliberations," The New York Times reported Monday. "The group members, including Thomas E. Caldwell, Jessica M. Watkins and Donovan Crowl, were indicted last month on charges of conspiring to obstruct Congress's ability to certify the Electoral College victory of Joseph R. Biden Jr., then the president-elect."
<p>Senate gridlock is reportedly one of the reasons for the lack of sedition charges.</p><p>"The Justice Department has rarely brought charges of sedition, the crime of conspiring to overthrow the government, and has not successfully prosecuted such a case in more than 20 years," the newspaper reported. "The decision about how to move forward has languished while Justice Department leaders go through the Senate confirmation process. The new attorney general, Merrick B. Garland, was sworn in on March 11 and is likely to have final say over such a high-profile case."</p><p>"Law enforcement officials have given senior officials in the Justice Department's National Security Division potential evidence that they gathered about the trio and an analysis of whether that evidence supported a sedition charge, but they stopped short of delivering a more formal prosecution memo or a draft of an indictment, one of the officials said. Early on in the sprawling investigation into the assault on the Capitol, investigators began focusing on members of the Oath Keepers, a militia that was founded by former law enforcement officers and military veterans, as well as on members of the far-right nationalist group the Proud Boys," The Times' Katie Benner reported.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="24df08f2869cabda6b3f1ac4e67b5477" id="27a37"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1374183264211116037"><div style="margin:1em 0">New from @ktbenner: DOJ weighing sedition charges against the Oath Keepers https://t.co/0fpjWeVH0C</div> — Michael S. Schmidt (@Michael S. Schmidt)<a href="https://twitter.com/nytmike/statuses/1374183264211116037">1616465795.0</a></blockquote></div>
CONTINUE READING
Show less
Meghan McCain apologizes after she gets called out for anti-Asian statements by John Oliver
March 22, 2021
In the wake of a shooting rampage in Atlanta that left eight people dead - six of whom were of Asian descent - many Americans have been forced to confront the undeniable anti-Asian narratives that have practically been ingrained in out culture. However, the most recent iterations of this long-held racism and vitriol have been intensified by the false narratives surrounding the origins and spread of the coronavirus. With pundits and political figures like former President Donald Trump referring to COVID-19 with Sinophobic monikers like the "China virus" "kung-flu" or "wuhan virus," there is a clear correlation between the uptick in hate crimes towards Asian Americans with the proliferation of these racist phrases.
<p>And many popular figures have come forward to condemn these attacks and recent events for what they are: hate crimes that stem from ignorance and prejudice; in other words, unwarranted assaults that are caused by just about anything but a <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/skbaer/sheriff-bad-day-spa-shooter-statement" target="_blank">"bad day</a>." Among those decrying this disturbing trend, has been conservative talk show host Meghan McCain, who shared various statements on her social media profiles condemning the attacks against Asian Americans.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7eebdf217c669805231fa73b9d251dcb" id="9ec1a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1372216359464144902"><div style="margin:1em 0">💔💔💔 https://t.co/jv6EIdildG</div> — Meghan McCain (@Meghan McCain)<a href="https://twitter.com/MeghanMcCain/statuses/1372216359464144902">1615996849.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Curiously enough, McCain did in fact give her thoughts on the idea of enforcing a "politically correct" narrative about the virus last year at the beginning of the pandemic.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f832eea38d572c0656e5512dbec82add" id="36a17"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1240329950185619457"><div style="margin:1em 0">TRUMP CALLS COVID-19 “CHINESE VIRUS”: After sparking criticism for using the term, the president defended himself s… https://t.co/pxU8Gr9blx</div> — The View (@The View)<a href="https://twitter.com/TheView/statuses/1240329950185619457">1584552678.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>John Oliver pointed out this hypocrisy in his show Sunday by rolling a clip of McCain about one year ago sharing her thoughts on the matter. In it, she says, "I don't have a problem with people calling it whatever they want. It's a deadly virus that did originate in Wuhan." Oliver was then quick to point out the glaring contradiction between someone dismissing this harmful language and then denouncing it without an iota of self-awareness or critical thought in between.</p><p>After the callout, which highlighted the fact that, of course, a wealthy white woman like McCain would be fine with something like this, she issued an apology:</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="72592b1dcf8bc0c9c3edad504e6e3de6" id="ed464"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1374051866426941446"><div style="margin:1em 0">I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian-American community. There… https://t.co/85WQykTBLR</div> — Meghan McCain (@Meghan McCain)<a href="https://twitter.com/MeghanMcCain/statuses/1374051866426941446">1616434468.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>As Oliver noted as he closed the focus on McCain, there's no issue with displaying some sympathy towards a community, but "there has to be an understanding that saying, 'I don't have a problem with calling it the China virus' is very much giving space for hate to grow."</p>
CONTINUE READING
Show less
Trending
Latest
Videos
Copyright © 2021 Raw Story Media, Inc. PO Box 21050, Washington, D.C. 20009 | Masthead | Privacy Policy | For corrections or concerns, please email corrections@rawstory.com.