Courts & Law

Hate Crimes Are on the Rise, but Convictions Remain Elusive

Jeannine Bell / The Conversation Dec 8, 2023 Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have risen sharply in the wake of October 7th, but the narrow legal definition of a hate crime makes it difficult to prove in court. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

LGBTQIA+

Texas Sets Hate Crime Record

Steven Monacelli / Texas Observer Jun 28, 2023 Data from the Department of Public Safety shows that bias incidents against queer people occur at more than four times the rate of all hate crimes. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Virginians Deserve to Have Local Control Over Confederate Monuments

Staff / Truthdig Jan 13, 2020 A bill headed to the Virginia state Legislature would let communities decide what messages they want to convey through their public spaces. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Female Journalists Still Bear the Brunt of Cyberattacks

Katharine Quarmby / Truthdig Jan 9, 2020 Even in countries that value press freedom, women are routinely subjected to threats of rape and other forms of online abuse. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

NYC Ups Policing in Jewish Areas After Spate of Attacks

JENNIFER PELTZ / The Associated Press Dec 27, 2019 Jewish communities are already on edge after a deadly Dec. 10 shooting rampage at a northern New Jersey kosher market. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Media Can’t Tell the Difference Between Fascism and Anti-Fascism

Gregory Shupak / FAIR Oct 13, 2019 Publications refuse to distinguish between those fighting hate crimes and those who commit them. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

White Supremacist in Charlottesville Case Gets Life Sentence

DENISE LAVOIE / The Associated Press Jun 28, 2019 James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into the crowd at a 2017 "Unite the Right" rally, killing one person and injuring over two dozen others. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Rabbi Says Gun ‘Miraculously’ Jammed in Synagogue Attack

AMY TAXIN and CHRISTOPHER WEBER / The Associated Press Apr 28, 2019 Yisroel Goldstein describes the scene after losing one of his fingers in the mass shooting at Chabad of Poway, Congregant Lori Kaye died. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Smollett Reactions Epitomize Polarized State of U.S. Politics

DAVID CRARY / The Associated Press Feb 21, 2019 With the "Empire" actor now accused of staging a racist, anti-gay attack on himself, political tensions seem more inflamed than ever. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Attack on ‘Empire’ Actor Investigated as Possible Hate Crime

DON BABWIN / The Associated Press Jan 30, 2019 Jussie Smollett tells police the men who assaulted him in Chicago yelled he was in "MAGA country," a reference to Trump's campaign slogan. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Republican Islamophobia Is Leading Us Toward a Major Massacre

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Jan 27, 2019 Trump’s rhetoric of hatred creates an atmosphere in which domestic terrorism is likely to thrive. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Houston Wins Praise for Handling of Girl’s Drive-By Shooting

JUAN A. LOZANO / The Associated Press Jan 7, 2019 A tip sends the case in a new direction, away from hate-crime allegations, as a black man is arrested in the death of Jazmine Barnes, 7. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )