the Web Editors 3-18-2016

1. How Kasich’s Religion Is Hurting Him with Conservatives

“The governor’s faith appears to drive his politically moderate stances on immigration, climate change and gay marriage—positions that alienate him from mainstream conservatives whose support Kasich needs to have a chance at the nomination.”

2. Hacker Group Anonymous Declares War on the Trump Campaign

Be on the lookout for said “total war” on April 1.

Betsy Shirley 3-18-2016

The deadly environment for activists is closely tied to recent Honduran history. Following the 2009 coup, in which democratically-elected Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was deposed, the new government declared Honduras “open for business” and granted profitable contracts to transnational companies looking to capitalize on Honduran natural resources — including resources on indigenous land. When leaders like Cáceres demanded the rights guaranteed to indigenous people by the U.N and the International Labor Convention — including the right to determine how indigenous land is used — it wasn’t great for business. The death threats followed.

A chilling, eyewitness account of a deadly attack on a Catholic nursing home in Yemen has detailed how four nuns were sought out by gunmen who then executed them before destroying the Christian symbols in the residence’s chapel. According to the lone surviving nun, the attackers, allegedly Islamic extremists, entered the complex in Aden at around 8:30 a.m. on March 4 and first killed a guard and driver

To protest the anti-Muslim rhetoric of this presidential campaign, high school counselor Martha DeVries decided to wear a hijab in public every Monday. DeVries, 47, attends a Baptist church and identifies as “a follower of Jesus,” but said she felt a responsibility to outwardly display her acceptance of Muslims and refugees.

the Web Editors 3-18-2016

In celebration of International Women’s Day, actress and feminist spokesperson Emma Watson teamed up with the creator and star of the musical Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, for a rap about women's equality. Miranda is famous — in part — for his ability to rap, on the spot, about nearly anything. Watson, the U.N. Women’s Global Goodwill Ambassador, is not famous for beatboxing, but she made an admirable effort nonetheless.

Tim Darragh 3-17-2016

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the decision by Bernards Township authorities to deny a Muslim community’s application to build a mosque in the township, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Newark has confirmed. The investigation will look into whether the township violated the rights of members of the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge over its prolonged, and ultimately failed, application to build a mosque on Church Street, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Abby Olcese 3-17-2016

The last days of Weiner’s mayoral campaign devolve into farce, with anxious aides running around and the candidate’s interactions with voters getting more and more contentious. While watching the ship go down is entertaining, what makes the story so fascinating is the boldfaced dishonesty at its core. Weiner the man misses what Weiner the film understands about his predicament: that being made a fool by trusting in the wrong person is an awfully hard thing to forgive.

the Web Editors 3-17-2016
YouTube / U.S. Department of State

Secretary of State John Kerry said on March 17 that ISIS is responsible for genocide against Yazidis, Christians, and Shiite Muslims.

"Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions," he said.

Erin Wilson 3-17-2016
Sinjar, Iraq

Chlorine gas has been used in Syria's civil war for years, but reports of chemical weapons used inside Iraq have been growing in recent weeks. Chlorine gas, mustard gas, and yellow phosphorous have all been discharged—sometimes against military targets, sometimes against civilians. In each case, the attacks leave telltale patterns of burns and physical damage.

President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, would be the current court’s fourth Jewish justice if confirmed.

For Jews, who represent about two percent of the population, holding 44 percent of the seats on the court might be a point of pride.

But is it anything more than that?