Trump Administration Cuts Funding to Anti-White-Supremacy Group
A group that helps people leave white supremacist organizations recently lost a huge federal grant. Officials with Life After Hate say the news was upsetting but not surprising.
The Department of Homeland Security rescinded a $400,000 grant awarded by the Obama Administration to Life After Hate. DHS is refocusing its efforts on combating terrorism, according to a statement. The department awarded $10 million to 26 police and community organizations, none of which specifically counters activities from the so-called alt-right.
Angela King is deputy director of Life After Hate and she’s been spending a lot of time thinking about how history is in some ways repeating itself.
“We’re living right now in an era very similar to pre-Holocaust sentiment and it’s disturbing,” she says.
Kings says she sees similarities between anti-Semitism during WWII and a rise in anti-minority hate crimes today. It’s what fuels her work with Life After Hate. King is a former neo-Nazi. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports there were more than 1,300 hate or bias-related crimes between Nov. 9 and February 7, and King says President Donald Trump’s administration has been too quiet on the issue.
“Silence on certain things is deafening,” King says. “When we have hate crimes and we actually have to nudge our so-called leader into even commenting on them, that’s a problem.”
In the last year, the group has provided support to hundreds, if not thousands of people including those trying to leave far-right groups, case workers, counselors and family members of people who may be involved in the white supremacist movement, she says. Life After Hate has launched a fundraising campaign to help make up for the loss of the grant.
Mission accepted: Amazon’s ‘James Bond’ series has found its new producers
Producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman have accepted the call to lead the new Bond franchise.
Brazil’s Supreme Court says Bolsonaro must stand trial over alleged coup attempt
The former far-right populist president, Jair Bolsonaro, will face trial for allegedly attempting to overturn his 2022 reelection loss and stage a violent coup.
How NPR covers itself when it’s in the news
When NPR is in the news, its journalists aim to cover what's happening the same way they cover other news or an organization. The newsroom follows a protocol that seeks to ensure only a small number of employees, none of whom are directly involved in the news event, works on the coverage.
Why Amanda Knox returns to Italy — and how she talks with her daughter about injustice
Amanda Knox spent nearly four years in an Italian prison for a murder she didn't commit. After her exoneration, she reached out to the man who prosecuted her case. Knox's new memoir is Free.
What is the ‘state secrets privilege’ invoked by the Trump administration?
The state secrets privilege allows the U.S. government to withhold sensitive evidence in court cases. Both Democratic and Republican administrations have invoked it.
Cleo Sol will see you now
The New York City debut from the British soul singer counters the prevailing narrative around her. As she guided fans in spiritual healing, she did it as she has her whole career: on her own terms.
