 | Laffy (@GottaLaff) |
"The message, however, seems to contradict President Donald Trump's, one day after he again questioned whether Russia has interfered in American politics and after he has repeatedly politicized the threat, including by saying Russia favors the Democratic Party." twitter.com/ABCPolitics/st… | |
 | Howard (@HowardA_Esq) |
Dear trump: stop wasting our money with these ridiculous tax payer funded hate fests. We are paying a fortune for you to travel around lying, and spewing hate against everybody. On the good hand, you will be in prison soon. No rallies there, traitor. | |
 | Rocky Mountain Mike (@RockyMntnMike) |
Siri, please translate; "He says what I'm thinking" — He's white "He's stopping illegal immigration" — He's white "He's good on trade" — He's white "He's a businessman, we need a businessman" — He's white "He's making America great again" — He's white | |
— Scott Sullivan (@SullyBunz)
Derek Harkins leaving #Plymouth district court this morning after being released on 10K bail for allegedly biting a man's finger off during a melee @southersmarsh on Friday. #WBZ
Derek Harkins is the 46 year old golfer who allegedly bit off another man's index finger after an argument about golf this weekend.
Harkins, 46 years old, was arraigned in court in Boston on Monday on charges of "mayhem." Harkins works as a carpenter for the city of Brockton's Public Properties Department, which is in charge of maintaining public buildings.
Mayor Bill Carpenter told the media on Monday that they are investigating the incident and have put Harkins on administrative leave.
Here's what you need to know:
46 year old Derek Harkins is accused of biting off the finger of a marshfield man on the golf course Friday evening. He will face a judge later this morning. #wcvb
— Katie Thompson (@KThompson_WCVB)
Prosecutors brought a slew of charges against Harkins when he appeared in a Boston court on Monday — the 46 year old was charged with assault and battery, mayhem and disturbing the peace. Harkins himself had a "visible gash" on the left side of his forehead when he appeared in court on Monday, news reports said.
"Mayhem" is defined as: "Whoever, with malicious intent to maim or disfigure, cuts out or maims the tongue, puts out or destroys an eye, cuts or tears off an ear, cuts, slits or mutilates the nose or lip, or cuts off or disables a limb or member, of another person." Mayhem carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a maximum fine of one thousand dollars.
Harkins entered a "not guilty" plea. He was released on $10,000 bail.
"The noise created by Derek Harkins biting onto his finger sounded like 'someone chewing on a Dorito,' " read the report. http://bos.gl/Xi1RbyS
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe)
"The noise created by Derek Harkins biting onto his finger sounded like 'someone chewing on a Dorito,' " read the report. https://t.co/hfTwk2tWaZ
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) August 21, 2018
The victim in the case, 57 year old Daniel Menton, said that Harkins grabbed him by the wrist and began biting at his fingers. Menton said that when Harkins bit into his index finger, there was a loud crunching noise — just like the sound of someone biting into a Dorito.
Another golfer witnessed the fight and called 911. Firefighters rushed to the scene, and Menton was hurried to a local hospital.
Derek Harkins was released on $10,000 bail after pleading not guilty Monday to charges including assault and battery. https://wgxa.tv/news/offbeat/man-charged-with-biting-golfers-finger-off-in-course-brawl-08-20-2018 …
— WGXA (@WGXAnews)
Derek Harkins was released on $10,000 bail after pleading not guilty Monday to charges including assault and battery. https://t.co/4GGSPc01hj
— WGXA (@WGXAnews) August 21, 2018
After Harkins allegedly bit off Menton's finger, Menton's son put the finger into a plastic cup full of ice. He brought the finger along to the hospital where his father was receiving treatment. Doctors tried to re-attach the finger, but were unsuccessful.
Harkins told the court on Monday that Menton's finger ended up in his mouth and that he just bit down. Menton, though, says that Harkin had grabbed him by the wrist and started biting on his fingers.
Derek Harkins, seen here with a gash on his forehead, which court docs say was a result of golf course brawl. #wcvb
— Katie Thompson (@KThompson_WCVB)
The fight took place on Friday evening at the Southers Marsh Golf Club in Plymouth. Harkins and his father were playing on the same course as Menton and his son. Apparently, the two groups had a dispute over the speed of play, and the argument got heated very quickly. Harkins was apparently upset that Menton was playing "too slowly." Witnesses said that Harkins smelled strongly of alcohol and was acting "like a madman" even before his started biting.
Harkins told the court that he was just trying to defend his father. According to court documents, Harkins said that Menton's finger ended up in his mouth and that he just bit down.
Reporters follow Derek Harkins As he leaves court, charged with #bitingoffthefinger of a fellow golfer at #Plymouth golf course Friday. Witnesses say Harkins was upset group ahead was playing too slow & that he smelled of alcohol & was acting like #madman when he attacked victim
— Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ)
The judge told Harkins to stay away from Menton — and to stop drinking alcohol. There is no public information about whether Harkins was intoxicated during the fight with Menton, which took place shortly before sunset on Friday.
If convicted of "mayhem," Harkins could be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail — and he could face a fine of up to 1000 dollars.
 | Dr. Donna #Vote4YourLife Noble (@DonnaNoble10th) |
If Republicans think they are safe, they are sadly mistaken. Russia is targeting conservative think tanks that aren't on the Trump Bandwagon But there's no collusion🙄 washingtonpost.com/business/econo… | |
 | Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) |
VOICEMAIL FROM A FAN: "You're the problem. You are the enemy of the people. And although the pen might be mightier than the sword, the pen is not mightier than the AK-47." pic.twitter.com/hKHTsGm9KL | |
 | The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) |
Knock 'em all down, melt 'em, and make civil rights hero statues in their place. twitter.com/ap/status/1031… | |
 | Wise PaxCat (@WisePaxCat) |
Two. Years. Court rules man in ICE custody for nearly two years is US citizen: report a.msn.com/01/en-us/BBMbR… | |
 | WTAE-TV Pittsburgh (@WTAE) |
Sign at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School vandalized bit.ly/2MCA9i1 pic.twitter.com/jAAzGI3IpA | |
 | MsActiviss🔥💫 (@MsActiviss) |
RegisterToVote T Shirts #MarchForOurLives Kids! #TheYouthVote #BlueVictory🌊 twitter.com/davidhogg111/s… | |
 | Game Of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) |
"We had seven years to build up to this moment where he finally says no to her. His whole life has been about trying to navigate around her and protect her and do whatever he could to do to be there for her." - @nikolajcw on #GameofThrones (via @etnow): itsh.bo/2BtPbCl | |
 | Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) |
Members of neo-Nazi group Aryan Strikeforce met a man, who turned out to be an FBI informant, at a Cracker Barrel to arrange drug transport. 6 members are now facing charges for federal crimes — & the group lost its main source of income #ConfrontingHate bit.ly/2KF9Frj | |
 | David Priess (@DavidPriess) |
NEW: More than 175 former officials from across the national security community have added their names to the nonpartisan list of those deeply concerned by the politicization of security clearances. Full link here: bit.ly/2nSEm3g | |
 | Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) |
As an innocent man often does... twitter.com/kylegriffin1/s… | |
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action" – Ian Fleming
Politicizing Intelligence in Austria: As long as extremist groups stay on the fringes of government, independent state institutions can continue to function. Once anti-establishment, hard-line parties gain a foothold within government, they can begin taking control of systems meant to remain above politics—courts, the military, intelligence agencies. Many fanatical groups holding power in several European countries have close ties to Russia. In Austria the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric of the far-right Freedom Party continued gaining in popularity until elections in October 2017 put the party into power in a coalition with the center-right. The Freedom Party had been founded in the 1950s by former Nazi SS officers, and some of its current members share a nostalgia for Hitler's Third Reich. The party has a formal cooperation agreement with President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.
The Freedom Party controls Austria's Interior Ministry, which is responsible for law and order. The country's main domestic intelligence agency, the BVT, is part of the Interior Ministry. In February 2018 Freedom Party bosses ordered a police raid on the agency's offices, along with top spy service officials working at home. Some of the nation's most sensitive secrets were carted off in open crates and plastic bags. The basis for the search warrant was flimsy and transparent; critics called it an absurd pretext for a politically motivated stab at an independent institution that could threaten the party's agenda. The decision to target the agency responsible for defending the country against a multitude of threats, including right-wing extremism, was so shocking other foreign services have stopped sharing intelligence information with Austria for fear it would wind up in the wrong hands. One European intelligence official said: "The alarms are going off…(the raid) reminds me of what autocrats would do."
Additional read: "The Bride Was a Dream in a Dirndl, but Putin Stole the Show: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has always shown a mastery for playing to the cameras, whether posing bare-chested on horseback, dancing with Tartars or riding Harleys with bikers. On Saturday, that command was on display again, this time as the Russian leader made a brief personal appearance in the Styrian Alps at the wedding of Austria's foreign minister, before continuing north to Germany where he was to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel." (NYT)
 | Stephanie Miller (@StephMillerShow) |
Want to hear your favorite celebrities drinking and swearing and talking about @realDonaldTrump? Then you need to be listening to my Happy Hour Podcast! Go get it now and steal your friends phones and subscribe them too! They will thank you for it! itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1… | |
 | Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) |
WARNING: What happened to Austrian Intelligence (BVT) by the Russian backed Far Right Freedomw Party government (founded by WW2 Nazis) is what Trump wants to do to the CIA ... gut it for personal reasons. washingtonpost.com/world/national… | |
 | Ryan Knight 🌊 (@ProudResister) |
THE TRUTH is Trump's campaign had 75 contacts with Russia WHILE Russia was attacking election. THE TRUTH is 5 Trump campaign advisors and 26 Russians have been charged. THE TRUTH is Russia is attacking our elections and Trump is attacking the investigation into Russia's attack. | |
 | Rob Reiner (@robreiner) |
Trump is finally on solid ground with "Truth is not truth". He can continue to lie, obstruct & conspire because now he can fall back on the "I'm out of my fucking mind defense". But we can't let that stop us from swarming the polls on Nov.6. VOTE!!! | |
 | Big 🌊 Blue Wave Cat 5 🌊 Cometh (@TeelaResists) |
#fridaythoughts let's share some resources this morning i sent out the locator map so you can see if any hate groups are near you if you think the trolls are driving you nutz now...the closer we get to midterms it is gonna get worse pic.twitter.com/JJ6ubJcs2M | |
 | Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) |
"I remember running into Sarah Vaughan, who always intimidated me. Sarah said, 'Have you heard of this Aretha Franklin girl?' I said, 'You heard her do 'Skylark,' didn't you?' Sarah said, 'Yes, I did, and I'm never singing that song again.'" -- Etta James pic.twitter.com/J3MCPdzPNr | |
 | Simar (@sahluwal) |
PSA: Dear white people tomorrow you may see people of color: -selling water on a corner -canvassing your neighborhood -as real estate agent selling homes in your area -having a bbq at the park -mowing a lawn -walking home in a hoodie don't be alarmed, we are just living. | |
 | WTFGOP? #basta (@DogginTrump) |
What the Fuck! Randolph County in Georgia, a county made up of 60% African Americans, twice as many as any other county in GA, is considering closing 7 of 9 voting precincts during the midterms on Nov 6th This is Bullshit! How do we stop it?! #VoterSuppression | |
 | (((DuneMyThang™))) (@Kris_Sacrebleu) |
🚨HEADS UP Seeing a resurgence of the "FAR LEFT" accts again When you see people on the "left" saying they didn't vote for HRC because they're "ANTI-WAR" and promoting Wikileaks, "free Julian assange", etc...rest assured, they are here to sow chaos and division within the LEFT | |
 | Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) |
I do NOT want Vladimir Putin, a man who has killed innocent children, a man who kills journalists and poisons innocent women, a man who attacked our democracy, to step foot in my country! Do you? | |
 | Frank Conniff (@FrankConniff) |
Roy Cohn was your mentor so shut the fuck up. twitter.com/realDonaldTrum… | |
 | Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) |
This belief of Don McGahn is absolutely correct. "As White House counsel, not a personal lawyer, he viewed his role as protector of the presidency, not of Mr. Trump." Federal employees take an oath to the Constitution, not to any person or party. twitter.com/kylegriffin1/s… | |
 | Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) |
One of the most common things I hear from Trump supporters: Trump is so altruistic because he gave up his entire salary as President... It's all a fraud. He gave up a $400k salary and rolled back the inheritance tax, which will save his Family over $2 BILLION! | |
 | David Hemond (@david_hemond) |
As Brennan says, Trump has crossed the line many times. But that is best understood when you realize he was mentored by Roy Cohn, for whom there was no line. Trump is both mobbed up and taught by a master, more demon than the clown he personifies. twitter.com/lauferlaw/stat… | |
 | Steven Beschloss (@StevenBeschloss) |
Can we all just promise that when this sad, dark chapter is over and we have an honorable and competent president again we won't sit back and relax? That we will continue to work to increase voter turnout, back civic education and support new tools to strengthen our democracy? | |
 | (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) |
The biggest concern with any mainstream media platform giving airtime to white nationalists is that it makes it seem like there are two sides to white supremacy. There are NOT. We must fight especially hard in the time of trump to not allow them to normalize white supremacy. | |
| Rocky Mountain Mike (@RockyMntnMike) |
You really don't understand how the 1st amendment works, do you? Hey, I know someone who really knows the Constitution a lot! Maybe you should ask him! Get a pencil and write down his name. It's "Barack Obama". #YoureWelcome twitter.com/realdonaldtrum… | |
 | Andrew Goss ✊USAF✊ (@Goss30Goss) |
Rand Paul has sold out to Russia. He defends the indefensible. He is a traitor & needs to be federally investigated for conspiracy & bribery. This man is a disgrace to the United States Senate. | |
 | Investigate Russia (@InvestigateRU) |
White House drafts more clearance cancellations demanded by Trump washingtonpost.com/politics/forme… | |
 | David Corn (@DavidCornDC) |
Maybe the FBI should have sent a press release to Fox News noting that a bevy of Trump aides were in contact with Russian officials while the Kremlin was attacking the US election to help Trump. twitter.com/mkraju/status/… | |
How a transplanted face transformed a young woman's life
National Geographic
At 18, Katie Stubblefield lost her face. At 21, she became the youngest person in the U.S. to undergo the still experimental surgery. Follow her incredible story. Read the full story
Shared from Apple News
Weekend Read // Issue 93
"Half-baked maggot." "If he wants to be a female, make him a female. A good sharp knife will do the job really quick."
That's what adults in Oklahoma had to say this week about a transgender middle schooler named Maddie who used the girls' bathroom during her first week at Achille Public Schools. She is 12 years old.
A parent's post on Facebook — "the transgender [sic] is already using the girls [sic] bathroom" — attracted adults from outside of the school district. In just a few hours, hundreds of shockingly violent comments had proliferated.
"Let Parker whip his ass until he quits coming to school," wrote one man. Sixteen people reacted with "likes" and "laughing" emojis.
Tell students to beat up Maddie in the bathroom, wrote another, so "it [sic] won't want to come back!"
Achille Independent School District shut down for two days, concerned that it could not keep Maddie and other students safe. Maddie's mom obtained an order of protection after she said the husband of the parent who wrote the original post blocked her in the road and "verbally assaulted" her after they dropped their children off at school.
In rural towns and throughout the South, these are the stakes of LGBT bigotry — stakes that Alabamian Nathan Mathis knows only too well. Mathis lost his daughter Patti Sue to suicide in 1994 when she was just 23 years old.
"I regret very much the mean things I said to Patti when I found out she was gay," Mathis said from the pulpit of Unlimited Ministries, an LGBT-friendly church in Madison, Alabama, on Father's Day. "I realize now there was nothing wrong with Patti. Something was wrong with me."
Pattie Sue's death plunged Mathis into a deep depression. "There's a while there where you don't care if you live or die," he told Tori Truscheit for BuzzFeed News.
Truscheit wrote a long feature on parents fighting for their LGBT children's rights in Alabama, inspired, in part, by a video that went viral last year of Mathis protesting at a Roy Moore rally. As Truscheit writes:
What stood out about Mathis wasn't just that he supported LGBT rights like few straight white men of his generation. What's rare and compelling about Mathis is that he transformed his grief into tangible solidarity, putting his body on the line for queer and trans people.
For too many LGBT Alabamians, the idea of their own parents doing that is tragically far-fetched.
"It would mean the world to me," Lawrence Haliburton told Truscheit. "Doing anything would just be a big step for either one of them."
"If [my mom] was out there with me trying to push for LGBT rights and all that, I'd be overwhelmed," Jasmine McIntosh added.
The LGBT community is facing a slew of attacks from groups that want to enshrine bigotry into federal law, and a hate crime epidemic that stretches from coast to coast.
But nowhere is the ground for organizing and deep transformation of bigotry into acceptance more fertile than it is in the South. As Truscheit writes:
In other parts of the country, better laws may protect LGBT rights, but superficial "tolerance" can mask bigotry right below the surface. The challenges of the Deep South, in contrast to milquetoast acceptance elsewhere, can forge a deep commitment to change.
"There's almost an element of defiance for me in claiming my home," Dana Sweeney, 23, told me ... present[ing] ... a coffee mug with a quote from activist Grace Lee Boggs on it: "The most radical thing I ever did was to stay put."
That's certainly what Maddie plans to do.
"I'm going to keep my head held up high and stay strong and go to school," she told The New York Times. "And won't let those bullies drag me down."
Neither will we.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. For LGBT-specific services, the Trevor Lifeline is 1-866-488-7386. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
The Editors
P.S. Here are some other pieces we think are valuable this week:
Why incarcerated people at poultry plants deserve better by Kristi Graunke and Will Tucker for The Marshall Project
How Trump radicalized ICE by Franklin Foer for The Atlantic
Ground Rules by Jamelle Bouie for Slate
Stephen Miller is an immigration hypocrite. I know because I'm his uncle. by David S. Glosser for Politico
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