MSNBC host fights back tears during Jan. 6 segment: ‘I’m going to try to get through this’
MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart got weepy during a segment featuring a former member of the Capitol Hill Police Department who served during the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol. Capehart was interviewing former officer Michael Fanone about this book, “Hold the Line,” that details Fanone’s experience on the day of the riot. “Michael Fanone, I’m going to try to get through this – um, thank you for what you did three years ago today,” Capeheart told Fanone through tears. “Please, tell me your thoughts on this third anniversary.” “We are still in the midst of the same fight that began on January 6th, 2021, and we have a lot at stake in this country,” Fanone responded. “I think it deserves every American’s attention.” JUDGE DISMISSES THREE CIVIL COUNTS AGAINST TRUMP, OTHERS OVER DEATH OF JAN. 6 OFFICER BRIAN SICKNICK Observers on social media mocked Capehart’s apparently over-dramatic performance. The segment came just one day after the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that defendants illicitly present in the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot can be convicted even if they were passively observing the events inside. PROUD BOY WHO FLED PROSECUTION, FAKED DRUG OVERDOSE AFTER J6 RIOT GETS 10 YEARS The ruling stated that trespassers did not need to be acting “disorderly” or “disruptive” to be found guilty of disorderly conduct, because such definitions “are nebulous, but time has given them concrete contours in two ways important here.” “First, it is well-established that whether conduct qualifies as disorderly depends on the surrounding circumstances,” the court wrote. “Courts consistently observe that ‘whether a given act provokes a breach of the peace depends upon the accompanying circumstances,’ making it ‘essential that the setting be considered.’” “Second, it is equally clear from caselaw that even passive, quiet and nonviolent conduct can be disorderly,” the ruling continued. FBI CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR JAN 6 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT 3 YEARS AFTER CAPITOL RIOT, OFFERS $500K REWARD The court compared trespassers present in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to hikers and audience members in an extended metaphor about singing. “A lone hiker on a mountaintop can sing at the top of his lungs without disturbing a soul; a patron in a library cannot,” the court wrote. “It is entirely appropriate to clap and cheer when a keynote speaker steps to the podium but to do so once the room has fallen quiet and he has begun to speak would ordinarily be disruptive.” The FBI continues to investigate and prosecute suspects placed inside the Capitol by security and social media footage. Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report
Lula declares three-day national mourning for Brazil football great Zagallo
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has declared three days of national mourning for four-time World Cup-winning football legend Mario Zagallo, a day after his death at age 92. Zagallo, who played alongside Pele in Brazil’s 1958 and 1962 World Cup-winning teams and later won the trophy as a coach, died on Friday of multiple organ failure, said the Barra D’Or Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, where he had been treated for a series of health problems in recent months. Lula led a flood of tributes to the man known as the “Old Wolf”, who coached Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning side starring Pele – considered by many the greatest team in history – and served as assistant coach when the “Selecao” repeated the feat in 1994. The first person to win the World Cup as both a manager and as a player. 🏆🏆🏆🏆 A #FIFAWorldCup legend in every sense. Rest in peace, Mário Zagallo. 💛💚 pic.twitter.com/AWmOvxQKSa — FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) January 6, 2024 “He was one of the greatest football players and coaches of all time,” Lula said in a statement. “Courageous, passionate… [he] leaves a lesson of love, dedication and the will to overcome for our country – and for world football.” Messages also poured in from around the football world. “Zagallo’s influence on football, and Brazilian football in particular, is supreme,” said FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. Infantino called the diminutive left winger a “tactical genius”, underlining his role in four of football powerhouse Brazil’s five World Cup titles – more than anyone in history. “He will be remembered as the Godfather of Brazilian football and his presence will be sorely missed… The story of the FIFA World Cup cannot be told without Mario Zagallo,” Infantino said. “The story of the FIFA World Cup cannot be told without Mário Zagallo.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino has paid tribute to the great Mário Zagallo, following the Brazilian legend’s passing at the age of 92. — FIFA (@FIFAcom) January 6, 2024 ‘As important as Pele’ The only other men to win the World Cup as both player and coach are Franz Beckenbauer of Germany (1974 and 1990) and Didier Deschamps of France (1998 and 2018). Current and former players also paid their respects, including Brazilian World Cup winners Ronaldinho, Romario, Bebeto, Taffarel and Cafu. “Thank you for everything, Professor!!! Rest in peace,” Ronaldinho posted on Instagram, alongside a photo of him and Zagallo. “He’s as important as Pele,” Romario told journalists. “Today is a sad day for football.” Zagallo’s first dream was to be an airline pilot but he was forced to abandon that due to poor eyesight. Instead, he studied accountancy and played football in his spare time with local side America, then one of the biggest clubs in the city. “My father didn’t want me to be a football player, he wouldn’t let me,” Zagallo said in an interview published by the CBF. “Back then it wasn’t a profession that was respected, society didn’t look kindly on it … That’s why I say football came into my life by accident.” Zagallo started off as a left midfielder, wearing the number 10 shirt, which back then, before Pele, had not yet assumed the significance it has today. But intuition told him he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. “I saw it would be hard to get into the Brazil side wearing the number 10 shirt as there were lots of great players in that position,” he said. “So I moved from left midfield to left wing.” He also moved from America to Flamengo, where he won three Carioca state championship medals. The latter half of his career was spent at city rivals Botafogo, where he won two more state titles. His first World Cup came in Sweden in 1958, where he started all six matches and played alongside Garrincha and Pele, who was then just 17. “I was 27 and Pele was 17,” he said. “That’s why I say that I never played with him, but that he played with me.” Pele, left, embraces Mario Zagallo after the latter was appointed coach of the Brazilian national football team, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in March 1970. Zagallo reached the World Cup final a record five times, winning four, as a player and then a coach with Brazil [File: AP] A country in mourning The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said a minute’s silence for Zagallo would be held at upcoming matches. Many of Brazil’s top-flight clubs also paid tribute, including ones where Zagallo played or coached, such as Rio de Janeiro teams Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco. A public wake for Zagallo will be held from 9:30am (12:30 GMT) Sunday at CBF headquarters in Rio, officials said, followed by a burial at the Sao Joao Batista cemetery, the final resting place of some of Brazil’s most famous citizens. Beloved in Brazil for both his football heroics and outsize personality, Zagallo is remembered for his warm humour, deep superstition – he swore by the number 13 – and combative passion for the game. His death comes at a difficult moment in Brazilian football, which is still mourning the loss of Pele just over a year ago. Brazil sacked national team coach Fernando Diniz Friday after the “Selecao”, playing without injured star Neymar, suffered a string of losses in World Cup qualifying, including a humiliating 1-0 home loss to archrivals Argentina in November. The CBF has meanwhile been embroiled in a messy legal battle over its leadership and has struggled to find a new coach, with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti turning down the role. Adblock test (Why?)
Human remains scattered as Israeli drone targets West Bank city of Jenin
Six Palestinians and one Israeli police officer were killed as fighting flares again in the occupied West Bank. At least six Palestinians are reported to have been killed by an Israeli drone raid in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. The attack on the city, host to a large refugee camp, came amid multiple Israeli raids across the West Bank overnight, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Sunday. Israeli officials noted that a police officer was also killed during the operations. Witnesses said human remains were scattered at the site of the drone attack in Jenin. “We have seen some pretty gruesome pictures of a number of bodies lying on the floor. People say those targeted were civilians,” said Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem. The strike targeted a gathering of citizens in Jenin, the Health Ministry said. Four brothers were reportedly among the dead. Israel asserted that its aircraft had fired on “Palestinian militants who had attacked troops”. Witnesses said the attack took place as Israeli forces were withdrawing. The Israeli army stormed Jenin at about 1am (23:00 GMT on Saturday) and left at about 5am (03:00 GMT), Al Jazeera’s Khan said. “We know that there was at least one IED [improvised explosive device] that exploded and destroyed an Israeli army vehicle,” she said, adding that there was “fierce resistance” from fighters in the camp. A border police officer was killed and at least four Israeli soldiers were wounded when their vehicle was hit by the IED blast, Israel said. A helicopter helped rescue them with covering fire, the military said, adding that an aircraft fired at a “terrorist squad that hurled explosives and endangered our forces, a number of terrorists were killed”. “This is just part of the nightly raids that we’re witnessing in the occupied West Bank,” said Khan. The Jenin Brigades, an armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack on the Israeli forces. “We know, at least 5,600 people have been arrested, more than 3,000 injured and with this latest death toll, we’re looking at around 332 Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7,” Khan said. Al Jazeera’s team in the occupied West Bank reported that Israeli forces also raided the cities of Nablus, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Jericho overnight. In Nablus, Israeli forces arrested a young Palestinian after raiding her home, according to video footage verified by Al Jazeera. Nightly raids by the Israeli army have been taking place for almost two years, but they have intensified following the attack by Hamas on October 7, which killed about 1,140 people in Israel. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since killed at least 22,722 Palestinians and injured more than 58,000 people. The overnight raids on Jenin took place amid US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region. He is due to visit some Arab states, as well as Israel and the occupied West Bank. A woman, centre, mourns after her four children were killed in what Palestinian authorities said was an Israeli air raid, at a morgue in Jenin [Raneen Sawafta/Reuters] Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli drone attack kills four brothers during Jenin raid
NewsFeed A distraught mother searching a hospital found out four of her sons were killed in a drone strike during an Israeli raid on Jenin. An IED blast in the occupied West Bank city killed at least one Israeli soldier. Published On 7 Jan 20247 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
‘Personal opinions’: Maldives govt after minister’s derogatory remark against PM Modi
On Sunday, the Maldives government in a statement, rejected the derogatory remarks made by the island’s minister against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that they do not represent the views of the Maldivian government.
Swing state Democrats reduced criminal penalties, weakened parole laws ahead of attack on Las Vegas judge
Democrats in the swing state of Nevada pushed through legislation aimed at reducing the state’s prison population that reduced criminal penalties and weakened parole laws long before last week’s attack on a Las Vegas judge by a man with an extensive criminal history. In 2019, the Democrat-led Nevada legislature passed AB 236, which reduced penalties for domestic violence offenders, made it harder to classify individuals as “habitual offenders” and weakened parole laws. Although the bill passed with some bipartisan support, Democrats have since sought to block efforts by Republicans, led by Gov. Joe Lombardo, to reverse some of the changes resulting from the bill. Some of those changes would likely have applied to 30-year-old Deobra Redden, who launched himself at Clark County District Judge Mary Kay Holthus at a sentencing hearing during which she denied his attorney’s request Redden be sentenced to probation in an attempted battery case. LAS VEGAS COURTROOM ATTACK HIGHLIGHTS ISSUE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST JUDGES: EXPERTS According to KLAS, Las Vegas’ local CBS affiliate, Redden was previously released in November after pleading guilty to attempted battery with substantial bodily harm. Additionally, his extensive arrest history dating back more than a decade includes three felony convictions and nine misdemeanor convictions. His felony convictions include attempted theft in 2015, battery with substantial bodily harm in 2018 and battery constituting violence in 2021. His misdemeanor convictions include assault causing bodily injury to a family member in 2012, three domestic battery convictions in 2013, attempted theft in 2014, more battery charges in 2016 and 2018, another domestic battery charge in 2021 and a destruction of property charge last year. LATINO SENATE HOPEFUL SAYS HISPANIC VOTERS BEING ‘BLINDSIDED’ BY DEM POLICIES, AIMS TO FLIP BORDER SEAT RED Redden was sentenced to 45 days in jail for the 2012 conviction. He was sentenced to anger management classes and two months in jail and ordered to pay a fine for the 2013 convictions. He was sentenced to probation for the 2014 conviction, which he violated on multiple occasions before entering a court mental health program, and probation again in 2018, before a judge honorably discharged him in 2020 and 2021. In the 2021 conviction, Redden was sentenced to 12 to 30 months in prison but was granted parole in 2022. Redden was also charged with attempted home invasion and destroying the property of another person in 2021 and pleaded guilty last year but was released by Holthus without having to pay bail. BORDER STATE CANDIDATES ISSUE STARK WARNING TO FELLOW REPUBLICANS ABOUT CEDING TO DEMS ON UKRAINE: ‘BUCKLE UP’ He was sentenced by Holthus last February to a year of probation, which he violated in October and was ordered to serve 106 days in jail. “By passing laws like AB 236, Nevada Democrats put the interests of criminals ahead of protecting Nevada families and officials,” said John Burke, spokesperson of Better Nevada PAC, a group with close ties to Lombardo that has been sharply critical of Democrats blocking attempts to change the law. “By opening the door to reduced penalties for domestic violence, easing parole laws for offenders and changing the definition for ‘habitual offenders,’ Democrats have made it harder to keep individuals like the man who attacked Judge Holthus behind bars. We can’t trust them to keep us safe,” Burke added. As a massive criminal justice reform bill, AB 236 changed the definition of a “habitual defender” from someone convicted twice to someone convicted five times, something that would likely affect Redden’s journey through the Nevada justice system. According to the bill, parole and probation violations qualify as “technical violations” and are considered less serious. It also authorizes judges to suspend domestic violence offenders’ sentences after they meet mandatory minimum confinement periods with the stipulation they undergo substance abuse and domestic violence counseling programs.
California state health insurance to cover sex changes for illegal immigrants
The Golden State is expanding its massive health care system this year, which means more taxpayer dollars will fund sex change surgeries for state residents, regardless of their citizenship status. According to a memo first circulated in May 2022 and reported by the Daily Caller Foundation, California’s Medi-Cal covers costs for hormone therapy and procedures “that bring primary and secondary gender characteristics into conformity with the individual’s identified gender, including ancillary services, such as hair removal, incident to those services.” Nearly 700,000 illegal immigrants between the ages of 26 and 49 qualify, as of Jan. 1, for these federal health care services, which will cost California taxpayers an estimated $3.1 billion. For those living in California illegally within this age range, it translates to approximately $4,058 per year in medical coverage subsidies funded by the state’s general fund. “Gender affirming care is a covered Medi-Cal benefit when medically necessary,” the memo states. “Requests for gender affirming care should be from specialists experienced in providing culturally competent care to transgender and gender diverse individuals and should use nationally recognized guidelines.” CALIFORNIA’S NEW MENTAL HEALTH COURT SEES OVER 100 PETITIONS IN 2 MONTHS The memo adds that “medical necessity” is determined “and services shall be recommended by treating licensed mental health professionals and physicians and surgeons experienced in treating patients with incongruence between their gender identity and gender assigned at birth.” From Dec. 1 to Dec. 31, over 302,000 migrants were documented attempting to cross the U.S. southern border, the highest total for a single month ever recorded. It also marked the first time monthly migrant encounters surpassed 300,000. A recent report from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows a significant rise in the number of undocumented immigrants not held in detention. It went up from 3.7 million in 2021 to almost 4.8 million in 2022 and nearly 6.2 million in 2023. These are illegal migrants with final orders to leave or who are in the process of being removed but aren’t held in ICE custody. CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO BE DOMINATED BY AI REGULATIONS AND STATE’S STRUGGLING BUDGET “In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage — regardless of income or immigration status,” Gov. Newsom’s office reportedly said in a statement. “Through this expansion, we’re making sure families and communities across California are healthier, stronger and able to get the care they need when they need it.” Newsom announced California would begin providing health care coverage to additional illegal immigrants on top of the 1.1 million already in the Medi-Cal system. More than one-third of California’s shrinking population of 39 million is enrolled in the Medi-Cal program. California has been incrementally adding illegal immigrants to the Medi-Cal program since 2015. That was the year it made undocumented children eligible. Four years later, it added adults 50 and older. Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment. Fox News’ Chuck DeVore contributed to this report.
Wisconsin city asks Biden for help with 1,000 migrants that put ‘great strain’ on resources
A small city in Wisconsin is appealing to the White House for help with the influx of approximately 1,000 migrants who have come in since 2022, with issues ranging from housing to crime affecting the small community. City leaders of Whitewater, Wisconsin, have prepared a letter to President Biden, saying they have seen a “rapid increase in the population of immigrants arriving from Nicaragua and Venezuela.” “Each individual has a different reason for coming here; some are fleeing from a corrupt government, others are simply looking for a better opportunity to prosper. Regardless of the individual situations, these people need resources like anyone else, and their arrival has put great strain on our existing resources,” the letter, led by Police Chief Dan Meyer, states, according to Wisconsin Radio Network. SPEAKER JOHNSON FLOATS MEETING WITH BIDEN ON BORDER CRISIS They note that some of the migrants are in the country illegally, while others are not. “As a municipal government, our focus is not on legal status, but rather ensuring we are providing the resources expected of a municipality to all residents of the City. Unfortunately, we are increasingly finding it difficult to do that,” the letter adds. The leaders said police have been facing obstacles with communication, transportation, housing and identification. They said there have been three times the number of unlicensed drivers on the road, while some migrants have been living in “terrible” conditions. The letter also noted a “significant trust barrier” between migrants and staff, leading to some providing false documents and misleading staff. “Finally, our law enforcement staff have responded to a number of serious crimes linked to immigrants in some manner, including the death of an infant child, multiple sexual assaults and a kidnapping.” The leaders said despite that, “we see great value in the increasing diversity that this group brings to our community,” but they need additional resources to do so. US-MEXICO MIGRATION TALKS INCLUDED BENEFITS OF ‘REGULARIZING’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN US Specifically, the leaders expressed a need for more staffing, particularly in the police department, and money to fund programs aimed at “improving the quality of life of our immigrants,” including ride-share programs, affordable housing and language courses. “If direct funding is not feasible, then I ask you to consider creating a grant opportunity that the City would be eligible to apply for,” the letter says. Wisconsin Public Radio reports the letter is picking up signatures from Whitewater’s Common Council members and then will be sent to Biden and other national representatives. The letter is the latest indication of how the migrant crisis has affected communities across the country. Cities like New York City and Chicago have also called for federal help with migrants. The White House’s supplemental budget request includes $14 billion for border funding, including over $1.5 billion for aid to communities receiving migrants. LIBERAL MAYORS PUSH BIDEN FOR EMERGENCY DECLARATION, ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO DEAL WITH MIGRANT CRISIS That request is held up as Republicans demand greater limits on asylum and the use of parole by the administration to release migrants into the interior. There were more than 302,000 migrant encounters in December, a number that breaks the record for the all-time monthly high.
Fauci to be grilled by House GOP on COVID origins, future pandemics
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the public face of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic response, will be grilled on the origins of the virus and how to manage future mass outbreaks during back-to-back marathon meetings with lawmakers. The longtime former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is sitting down for a closed-door interview with the House select committee on COVID-19 Monday and Tuesday, with both sessions expected to last at least seven hours. “This is after-action review, lessons learned. What did we do right, what did we do wrong? Why were decisions made? You know, let’s face it, COVID was challenging from the standpoint that we didn’t know how to treat it. We didn’t know where it came from. We were learning what it was doing to people,” Committee Chair Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Dr. Fauci clearly was the scientific face of COVID during the pandemic and spokesperson under both administrations. … He might stay here in Washington, but we’re going home to our constituents, who want answers to a lot of things.” COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS: WHAT’S UP WITH NOSTALGIA FOR THE ‘OUTBREAK ERA’? Wenstrup, a physician of over 30 years, said he was interested in hearing insights that could potentially help his committee eventually offer bipartisan recommendations on how to handle the next pandemic. He’s also planning to demand answers on pandemic political decisions, including vaccine mandates, which Wenstrup called “egregious.” “It’s like a politician saying, ‘You must get this vaccine or you’re fired from your job.’ And, you know, where’s the doctor? People want to have a conversation with their doctor. ‘Am I at risk? Why am I at risk? Why should I get the vaccine? What are the side effects of the vaccine?’” he explained. COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED ‘COLLECTIVE TRAUMA’ AMONG US ADULTS, NEW POLL SAYS The Ohio Republican also suggested he’d ask Fauci about the controversy over whether COVID originated naturally or was formed in a Wuhan, China lab. “When people had a differing view of whether this came from nature and thought it came from a lab, why were they ignored?” he asked. “You saw people being called crackpots and conspiracy theorists. FREE COVID TESTS COMING TO US SCHOOLS, SAYS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: ‘PREVENTING THE SPREAD’ “We have people saying, ‘Forget about the origins, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just move on.’ … You’ve got to be prepared. Just as you want to see if something may emerge from nature, which is a lot of the work that they were doing with gain of function. … I can understand that. But, at the same time, you know, the technology is there to create a virus, and where are they doing it? In Wuhan. So why are we ignoring that?” Wenstrup’s committee has been investigating whether government officials at the time, including Fauci, worked to suppress questions about whether the pandemic was the result of a lab leak in Wuhan. Republicans accused those officials of pushing the natural origin theory in a bid to protect China. Fauci became a politically polarizing figure during the pandemic. He was vilified by those opposed to lockdowns, masking rules and vaccine mandates, while being idolized by those who agreed with the government’s actions. Wenstrup said the interview would be more of a “roundtable” with lawmakers on both sides posing questions. He also expressed hope the committee’s final recommendations could be bipartisan. “At the end of the day, we want to just reveal what worked and what didn’t work and what we might do better in the future,” Wenstrup said. “I come from a military background. It’s always fair to say there were lessons learned.”
Politicians, media figures and profs claimed racism drove ouster of former Harvard President Claudine Gay
Several politicians, media figures and professors raced to social media and television this week to amplify the message that racism forced former Harvard President Claudine Gay to resign from her position. Gay, Harvard’s first Black president, resigned after igniting controversy with comments regarding antisemitism on the university’s campus and facing several charges of plagiarism. The embattled leader sent a letter to the Harvard community Tuesday announcing she was leaving the post but would return to the university’s faculty, adding “racial animus” led to personal attacks and threats against her. “My deep sense of connection to Harvard and its people has made it all the more painful to witness the tensions and divisions that have riven our community in recent months, weakening the bonds of trust and reciprocity that should be our sources of strength and support in times of crisis,” Gay wrote in the letter. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AS HARVARD PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY RESIGNS: ‘SHOULD’VE BEEN FIRED WEEKS AGO’ “Amidst all of this, it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor — two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am — and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus,” she added. Gay, however, was far from the only individual who said racism led to her resignation. Shortly after her announcement became public, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., said her concession stemmed from racism. “This isn’t about plagiarism or antisemitism. This is about racism and intimidation. This makes no one safer,” Bowman wrote on X Tuesday. “The only winners are fascists who bullied a brilliant & historic Black woman into resignation. 2024 will be a battle for truth, democracy and our shared humanity.” Some prominent media members also rushed to Gay’s defense and blamed racism for her resignation. New York Times Magazine reporter and “1619 Project” founder Nikole Hannah-Jones called it a “glimpse into the future to come.” FIRING HARVARD’S CLAUDINE GAY WON’T CURE THE CANCER AT THIS ELITE UNIVERSITY “Academic freedom is under attack. Racial justice programs are under attack. Black women will be made to pay. Our so-called allies too often lack any real courage,” Hannah-Jones wrote. The New York Times’ Mara Gay appeared on MSNBC and said Gay’s resignation was “an attack on diversity” and “multiculturalism.” “I don’t have to say that they’re racist, because you can hear and see the racism in the attacks,” she said. Rev. Al Sharpton declared the end of her tenure was an “assault on the health, strength and future of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Politico reported. Additionally, several university professors trumpeted race as being the driving factor behind Gay’s resignation. “Racist mobs won’t stop until they topple all Black people from positions of power and influence who are not reinforcing the structure of racism,” Boston University professor Ibram X. Kendi posted on X. “What these racist mobs are doing should be obvious to any reporter who cares about truth or justice as opposed to conflicts and clicks.” Dartmouth assistant professor Roopika Risam wrote on X, “Oh Harvard. FFS. I am just absolutely livid that President Gay is resigning. They were always going to come for the leader who’s a brilliant Black woman.” “The intimidation is the point,” Duke University adjunct professor Eric Deggans posted on X. “Will the next president at Harvard stand for diversity? Will that person be female? Will that person be Black? If not, they have forced several steps back. And everyone across the school gets the message.” Gay’s troubles heated up in recent weeks and began reaching a boiling point when she testified before Congress following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. She struggled to answer a question from New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Harvard alum, about antisemitism on campus. Calls for her resignation were amplified after dozens of plagiarism allegations in the following weeks. The total number of plagiarism claims against Gay is at nearly 50, or “half of Gay’s published works,” according to the Washington Free Beacon. Gay, however, could retain her $900,000 salary from her new faculty position.