DOJ, Sante Fe Shooting, Meghan Markle: 3 News Stories You Should Read Today – 5/21/2018
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In the category of: How many layers of conflict can one case have?
DOJ asks watchdog to probe Trump campaign surveillance claims
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked its inspector general to look into whether the FBI surveilled President Trump‘s campaign for “inappropriate purposes.”
“If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action,” Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a statement.
DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a separate statement that “the Inspector General will consult with the appropriate U.S. Attorney if there is any evidence of potential criminal conduct.”
In the category of: Occums Razor usually applies to everything
America can prevent shootings. But it has to come to grips with the problem.
As a reporter, I have become eerily attuned to this horrible American ritual. I do the same thing every single time we get news of a mass shooting: verify reports, contribute to a “what we know” article, and then begin to update our old pieces on guns. I do this almost instinctively at this point — and that terrifies me. No one should get used to this.
As I see it, the core issue is that America as a whole refuses to even admit it has a serious problem with guns and gun violence. And more than that, lawmakers continue acting like the solutions are some sort of mystery, as if there aren’t years of research and experiences in other countries that show restrictions on firearms can save lives.
Consider President Donald Trump’s initial speech in response to the Parkland, Florida, school shooting: His only mention of guns was a vague reference to “gunfire” as he described what happened. He never even brought up gun control or anything related to that debate, instead vaguely promising to work “with state and local leaders to help secure our schools and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.”
In the category of: She’s not an ordinary princess
Why Meghan Markle Matters (Whether We Like It or Not)
From the looks of it, Markle has been clear about her identity for quite some time. And whether or not a royal wedding—or the idea of “royalty” at all—personally resonates with you, to question whether or not she “matters” is, in some ways, to question whether or not you do.
Because bottom line: Representation does matter. While I don’t personally aspire to be a princess (or know anyone who does, though I’m sure they’re out there), if only mere months ago we were collectively overjoyed to meet the fictional black princess of a country that only exists onscreen, does it really make sense to be dismissive of a real one in one of the most powerful countries in the world?
