10.19.2017

CA Legislature.
On the heels of allegations against Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein, more than 140 women associated with the California state legislature have come forward to denounce an atmosphere of pervasive sexual misconduct. In the state capitol - located in Sacramento - legislative staff, consultants, lobbyists, and even 26 female legislators from both parties signed a letter outlining instances that include groping, lewd comments, and inappropriate behavior. Notably, the letter not only outlined what happened, but why the women didn't speak up - detailing the fear of being blacklisted from the California political community. Those involved said the recent allegations against Weinstein only elevated the problems detailed in the letter, which had been longstanding. The signatories also created a website (check it out here) for others to share their stories. That this happened in a state legislature intersects with a larger issue around how legal mechanisms help to shield abusers.

Texas.
In a decision that may act as a flash point for a number of contentious political and legal issues, a federal district judge ordered the government to allow an undocumented teenage immigrant access to abortion procedures. The teen - represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - is currently being held in Texas by federal authorities awaiting deportation. A state judge previously granted the option for an abortion - the teen is reportedly 15 weeks pregnant, and Texas state law generally prohibits the procedure after 20 weeks - but ACLU lawyers said federal authorities refused to transport the teen to the nearest available clinic. The Department of Justice asked the DC Court of Appeals for an emergency stay on the district judge's decision, with a decision to be made by this evening. 

Manhunt.
A day-long manhunt ended yesterday evening as police arrested a man suspected of opening fire in a Maryland business park. Radee Labeeb Prince, 37, shot five employees at Advanced Granite Solutions in Edgewood - where Prince had worked for four months - located about 40 miles northeast of Baltimore, killing three. The suspect drove to Wilmington, Delaware, where he shot another person - reportedly an acquaintance - before evading police for nearly 10 hours. The search pulled in police from states across the mid-Atlantic region as well as federal Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agents, finally apprehending Prince in Newark, Delaware. 

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BuzzFeed | Molly Hensley-Clancy. Fascinating look at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, a medium-sized institution devoted to teaching students how to perform miracles and receive prophecy. More than a small, out-of-the-way fringe group, the organization has begun to take over the surrounding city of Redding, California - sparking protests from mainstream evangelical Christians in the process.  
 

Bloomberg | Kyle Stock, Lance Lambert, and David Ingold. Some problems go away with time and some problems do not - but texting while driving isn’t going anywhere. And it's not just texting: drivers are talking less, but using interactive apps like Twitter and Facebook far more. But the less obvious problem is reporting the cause of accidents accurately. Experts say that only half of the accidents caused by cell phone use are coded as such in federal records. Unfortunately, this is not just a small clerical error - it’s part of a huge problem.

Art in Public: Ai Weiwei's latest project, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, hits the streets of New York City.

First Round Review compiles a list of the best interview questions it has ever published.

We can't stop staring at this poster of all the North American birds.  

The winning entries for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017.

Lists: The 50 greatest living athletes (ranked by GQ). 

TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice award for World's Best Restaurant goes to an English pub in the middle of nowhere.

Speaking of: Esquire's best new restaurants for 2017. 

Photos: See the world's 'most useless' airport on the island of St. Helena.

A Win is a Win: Man wins Jeopardy with $1 when all three contestants whiff on final question.

Fantasy vs Reality: When it comes to your child's bedtime routine (from McSweeney's).

Clickbait: Female Israeli soldier uses ninja moves to fend off crowd of protesting ultra-Orthodox Jews. 

Historybook: US victory at Yorktown (1781); John Jay becomes first Chief Justice (1789); US imposes trade embargo against Cuba (1960); HBD Evander Holyfield (1962); HBD Blockbuster (1985); Black Monday: Dow Jones falls 22% (1987); Saddam Hussein goes on trial for crimes against humanity (2005).

"STAY ON YOUR TOES AND ALWAYS MOVE FORWARD."
-Evander Holyfield

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