Good morning Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds — we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Responds To Report Judging Her Carbon Footprint
Over the weekend, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to an exposé that criticized her carbon footprint.
The New York Post published a story that detailed Ocasio-Cortez’s travel habits, and how she might not be following the green practices she promotes. The article exposed significant reports of ride-sharing usage, flights, and subway rides, and it compared that to points of the Green New Deal. The congresswoman responded to the claims in multiple tweets.
“I also fly & use A/C,” she tweeted on Saturday, including a link to The New York Post report. “Living in the world as it is isn’t an argument against working towards a better future. The Green New Deal is about putting a LOT of people to work in developing new technologies, building new infrastructure, and getting us to 100% renewable energy.”
I also fly ✈️ & use A/C
Living in the world as it is isn’t an argument against working towards a better future.
The Green New Deal is about putting a LOT of people to work in developing new technologies, building new infrastructure, and getting us to 100% renewable energy. https://t.co/DZGE1WwLbn
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 3, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez responded again to the report on Sunday.
“The Post put the fact that I get into cars (while proposing a plan to invest in better car technology) on their front page,” she tweeted. “Pack it up folks, the Pulitzer’s been decided. No one can rival this kind of hard-hitting journalism.”
The Green New Deal was introduced to the House and Senate on Feb. 7. According to Business Insider, the deal would be commitment by legislators, and it would not be legally binding. The green-friendly goals include replacing power sources with renewable energy, creating eco-friendly public transportation systems, and reducing pollution. It aims to help reverse the effects of climate change.
An Anti-Muslim Poster Of Ilhan Omar Linked Her To The 9/11 & It Sparks Outrage
On Friday, an anti-Muslim poster linking Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar to the September 11 attacks showed up at a Republican-sponsored event at the West Virginia Statehouse, NPR reports. The sign reportedly led to an injury and one official resignation.
The poster was displayed outside the House of Delegates chamber during a ton of events for West Virginia’s GOP Day. The sign depicted Omar under a photo of the burning Twin Towers, and it read, “‘Never Forget’- you said...I am the proof-you have forgotten.”
Omar later responded, blaming the Republican party for the threats she has received.
“No wonder why I am on the ‘Hitlist’ of a domestic terrorist and ‘Assassinate Ilhan Omar’ is written on my local gas stations,” Omar wrote. “Look no further, the GOP’s anti-Muslim display likening me to a terrorist rocks in state capitols and no one is condemning them!”
A number of people have come out in support of Omar.
“It’s ugly; it’s hateful; and there’s absolutely no place for it in American politics,” said Democratic Del. Mike Pushkin, according to WV News.
Yet another display of racism by the GOP. I urge my colleagues to speak up & condemn this. @IlhanMN is being targeted just because of who she is. If folks stay quiet it will only continue.What does the silence say about us? We need political courage right now to help combat this. https://t.co/P48tamj88O
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) March 2, 2019
When racism becomes acceptable on a partisan basis, and official GOP groups begin to use it to demonize communities, it puts real people in danger.@IlhanMN, I am sorry these threats are being targeted on you.
Praying for your safety. https://t.co/G6tCVHOEfS
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 2, 2019
Sacramento Officer Who Shot Stephon Clark Receives No Charges
In March 2018, a Sacramento police officer fatally shot an unarmed black man in his grandmother backyard. One year later, District Attorney Anne-Marie Schubert announced that the two officers who shot Stephon Clark will not face criminal charges, CNN reports.
At the time of the incident, both officers claimed that they thought Clark had a gun. But The New Yorker reported that the authorities didn’t find any weapons near him. There was only a cell phone.
During a press conference on Saturday, Schubert argued that the two officers, Jared Robinet and Terrence Mecadal, “honestly, without hesitation, believed he had a gun,” according to NPR.
“Was a crime committed?” Schubert said, per The New York Times. “There’s no question that a human being died. But when we look at the facts and the law, and we follow our ethical responsibility, the answer to that question is no. And as a result, we will not charge these officers.”
Stephon Clark was fatally shot by Sacramento police last March 18, who fired 20 bullets at him in the dark. He was hit eight times total, and six times in the back. Not one of the bullets struck him in the front of his body. He was unarmed at the time of the shooting. Yet, legal. https://t.co/apJ8t94qde
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) March 2, 2019
According to the Times, the two officers had been dispatched to investigate a vandalism complaint. Schubert argued that the officers had just cause and “are often forced to make split-second decisions.”
CNN reports that Clark’s mother Se’Quette responded: “They executed my son. They executed him in my mom’s backyard and it’s not right.”
Clarks death sparked a ton of protests in Sacramento, where hundreds of people rallied for justice. On Saturday, protestors gathered also outside of Sacramento police headquarters, CNN reports.
His mother plans to continue to fight. According to The Sacramento Bee, the family filed a lawsuit against the city in January, seeking $20 million from the city and the officers. They’ve also filed a wrongful death claim against the city back in September
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