political activism

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BTS Is Taking a Break. There's More Than Music at Stake

K-pop group's break, which it says is temporary, spurs debate in Korea on conscription, activism

(Newser) - The surprise announcement by BTS last week that they were taking a break to focus on members' solo projects stunned their global fan base, shaking their label's stock price and leaving many questions about the K-pop supergroup's future. HYBE, the company behind the band, denied the group was...

Ukrainian Olympian Sends Message of Peace
Olympian Sends Message

Olympian Sends Message

IOC won't punish Ukrainian skeleton racer for displaying his sign urging peace

(Newser) - An athlete from Ukraine has broken the ice on political statements at the Beijing Olympics, showing a sign reading "No War in Ukraine" to a television camera after completing his event Friday. The blue-and-yellow sign—evocative of Ukraine's flag—was displayed by Vladyslav Heraskevych, a skeleton racer, after...

2 Women, 1 Senator. Did They Change His Mind?
What Happened Inside
Sen. Flake's Head?
the rundown

What Happened Inside Sen. Flake's Head?

Ana María Archila and Maria Gallagher made an angry impact

(Newser) - Did two women just affect the course of Supreme Court history? One of the women who angrily confronted Sen. Jeff Flake outside an elevator Thursday—perhaps influencing him to demand an FBI investigation into sexual-assault claims against Brett Kavanaugh—says they did alter things. "His reaction shows the power...

Collins on Effort to Sway Vote on Kavanaugh: It's Bribery

Watchdog group wants DOJ to investigate groups crowdfunding to pressure Maine senator

(Newser) - More than $1.2 million has been raised to help convince Sen. Susan Collins she shouldn't cast her vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but the Maine pol isn't exactly motivated by the cash influx. Mainers for Accountable Leadership, the Maine People's Alliance, and a group...

Arizona Student's Post About Her Taxes Goes Viral

Belen Sisa, an undocumented immigrant, was trying to make a point

(Newser) - An Arizona State University junior found herself in the crosshairs of internet commenters over the weekend after posting a photo of herself holding her tax return to Facebook. AZCentral reports that Belen Sisa, an undocumented immigrant who came to the US with her parents from Argentina at age 6 and...

Chinese Cops Bust Poet Over Umbrella

Item confiscated from Wang Zang's home amid Hong Kong protests

(Newser) - A Chinese poet could reportedly face three years in prison, and it's all because of an umbrella. Wang Zang posted a picture of himself online holding an umbrella—and, it should be noted, sporting a one-fingered salute—after said rain shields, also used to block tear gas, became a...

The Keystone XL Controversy Is Just Stupid

Political symbolism makes a mundane issue hotbutton

(Newser) - A bipartisan energy bill is expected to go down in flames in the Senate today, thanks to yet another confrontation over the Keystone XL pipeline, the AP reports. Which probably annoys Claire Casey at the Daily Beast . "No issue better captures the dysfunction of Washington than the trumped up...

Folk Icon Pete Seeger Dies
 Folk Icon 
 Pete Seeger 
 Dies at 94 
OBITUARY

Folk Icon Pete Seeger Dies at 94

Lifelong activist spearheaded folk revival

(Newser) - Pete Seeger, a towering presence in American folk music and activism for many decades, has died after 94 years—and more than 100 albums. The bearded, banjo-playing protest singer gained fame with the Weavers in the '40s and is best known for popularizing songs like This Land Is Your ...

Malala Thanks Supporters: 'I Can See You'

Pakistani teen activist will keep working for education

(Newser) - Malala Yousufzai has released a video expressing her appreciation for prayers directed her way from around the world after she was shot by the Taliban. Following multiple surgeries , "today you can see that I am alive," she says in the clip, via NPR . "I can speak, I...

Right Gears Up for 'Papa John's Appreciation Day'

Anti-ObamaCare event inspired by support for Chick-fil-A

(Newser) - Chick-fil-A redux? ObamaCare opponents plan to flock to Papa John's today to support the company's stance against the law. More than 18,000 people have confirmed their attendance on a Facebook event for "National Papa John's Appreciation Day." CEO John Schnatter "has received intense...

Cambodian Activist, 71, Sentenced to 20 Years

Sonando accused of attempting to overthrow government

(Newser) - Cambodian-French radio broadcaster and activist Sonando, 71, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for attempting to overthrow the country's government, according to a Phnom Penh court. Some 13 others were also found guilty of inciting a rebellion among villagers, Reuters reports. Sonando pleaded not guilty to the...

Bring Green Movement Back to the Suburbs

Revive environmentalism by making climate change a local issue: Essay

(Newser) - This month marks the 50th anniversary of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring—but these days, the environmental movement seems to have lost its steam. Pollution ranked as the No. 1 problem in the US in a 1970 survey; today, it hardly ever makes the top five. Writing in the New ...

Decade After Her Death, US Activist's Case Nears End

Pro-Palestinian Rachel Corrie killed by bulldozer

(Newser) - It's been almost ten years since a 23-year-old American activist was killed by an Israeli bulldozer—and after 15 hearings, her court case could finally end tomorrow. The family of Rachel Corrie has spent some $200,000 on a civil lawsuit against Israel's military that has dragged on...

Don't Let Pussy Riot Be the New Kony 2012

Keep the focus on activism, not punk rock: Joshua Foust

(Newser) - The world's anger at Russia over its treatment of Pussy Riot seems to be moving in the wrong direction. Yes, we should decry the country's clampdown on activism. What we shouldn't be so concerned about is the fact that the victims, in this case, happen to be...

What China's Blind Activist Said When He Landed

Chen Guangcheng calls arrival in New York City 'sentimental'

(Newser) - A blind Chinese activist said yesterday that leaving his homeland and arriving on US soil was strangely nostalgic, the New York Times reports. "I don’t really feel that happy, but rather sentimental,” Chen Guangcheng said near the New York University apartment where he will live. “After...

Egypt Inspired by Nameless Facebooker

User known only as 'El Shaheed' fueled protests

(Newser) - The protests rocking Egypt have been fueled in part by a man who died before they began: Khaled Said, who was reportedly killed by police last summer. That’s the name that heads a Facebook page that has been helping to organize the demonstrations—but the page’s creator, who...

Cyber Stalkers Attack Human Rights Sites

Volunteers aid hackers in worsening problem: research

(Newser) - In a sort of cyber-censorship, those who disagree with a human rights group have an increasingly easy answer: Hack its website. Hackers are increasingly targeting such groups, researchers find, using DDoS attacks to inundate a website with data in order to shut it down—sometimes for weeks. Between August 2009...

Anti-War Activist Pies Sen. Levin

Student arrested after pieing senator over 'war crimes'

(Newser) - Sen. Carl Levin was served with a pie in the face by a Michigan State student activist during an informal Q & A session held in a local deli yesterday. The 23-year-old, who tossed the pie after a fellow anti-war protester made a speech criticizing the Democratic senator over "...

What Tea Partiers Need to Do Next
 What Tea Partiers 
 Need to Do Next 
KARL ROVE

What Tea Partiers Need to Do Next

Rove suggests 'citizen's pledge' to strengthen movement

(Newser) - Democratic attacks on the Tea Party movement show they're scared, and with good reason, writes Karl Rove. With public opinion still against ObamaCare, the movement needs to keep its momentum going, Rove urges in the Wall Street Journal . He suggests tea partiers sign a "citizen's pledge" demanding to know...

Dems' Reaction to Angry Right Is Ridiculous

Left is exaggerating, exploiting tensions, writes Jonah Goldberg

(Newser) - People like the Alabama militia leader who advocated breaking the windows of Democratic politicians are "wrong, reprehensible and clownish," but the Democratic reaction is just as bad, writes Jonah Goldberg. Some overheated commentators have gone so far as to draw parallels between that incident and Kristallnacht when there's...

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