Activism

Deadline Hollywood reports: Taylor Swift made history last night at the American Music Awards, earning the most AMA wins ever by a female artist — but she also did something she has never done before: talk about politics during an awards acceptance speech. When Swift won for Artist of the Year during the ceremony she took the opportunity to use …

USA Today reports: Amy Schumer had a hunch she would get arrested protesting Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in Washington. She was right. The comedian, 37, was among dozens of demonstrators detained in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Thursday. Earlier in the day, Schumer attended the #CANCELKAVANAUGH protest outside the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse. In a …

The Daily Beast reports: It was all so spontaneous. Maria Gallagher, 23, had come to the Hart Senate office building on Friday morning to protest the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. And as part of her responsibilities, she’d been tasked with camping out outside of Sen. Jeff Flake’s office to somehow, someway, persuade him to vote no. …

People Magazine reports: Julia Louis-Dreyfus has a message for American citizens ahead of the upcoming midterm election: Don’t just vote — volunteer. PEOPLE can exclusively announce that the actress, who has long been an outspoken Democrat, has partnered with registered Federal PAC Local Majority to put together a PSA — directed by her husband Brad Hall — aimed at getting …

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports: With the noxious odor of red tide hanging in the air and a fresh wave of dead fish washing up on nearby Gulf beaches, a large crowd of people incensed about the devastating algae bloom that has plagued the region for months directed their anger at Gov. Rick Scott during a campaign event in Venice Monday. …

Bloomberg News reports: Ten days after Nike’s new Colin Kaepernick ad provoked calls for boycotts, shares hit an all-time high, closing at $83.47 Thursday. It will likely be months, if not longer, until anyone can fully measure the business impact of Nike Inc.’s controversial partnership with quarterback-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick, but early data from Edison Trends show sales tracking well above …

The Washington Post reports: Russian news reports say a member of Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot has been hospitalized in grave condition for what could be a possible poisoning. Ekho Moskvy radio and online news portal Meduza reported Wednesday that Pyotr Verzilov has been in emergency care since late Tuesday. They quoted a fellow Pussy Riot member, Veronika Nikulshina, …

“We are going to get our country back. I have never seen in my career the kind of grassroots energy and activism like we see today. I really do believe if you fast forward two years, four years, five years, we will look back at this moment and see it as one of the great awakenings of our democracy. Marginalized …

NBC News reports: President Trump’s policy that has resulted in the separation of parents and children along the southern border may have accomplished something Latino activist groups haven’t before: Prompting a long-term voter registration drive uniting progressive and traditional Democratic groups. On Thursday, a new coalition led by the nonprofit advocacy group Voto Latino will launch a three-year, multi-million dollar …

Ad Age reports: Nike is not backing off its polarizing Colin Kaepernick campaign. The company is amping it up with a new call-to-action spot that will air during the NFL opener Thursday night on NBC. The sportswear giant today released a two-minute-long video “Dream Crazy” narrated by Kaepernick as part of its controversial effort. In addition to running during this …

Mediaite reports: Protesters descended on the Capitol Tuesday morning on the first day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Among the many groups, one in particular grabbed eyes and cameras, a Demand Justice organized protest featuring women dressed in garb from the fictional TV show “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The handmaids have arrived at the line to …

The Guardian reports: This hearing is off to a turbulent start. Democrats interrupted Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican of Iowa, the moment he started his opening statement. They’re demanding a delay in the hearing until more documents are released and there is more time to review the documents that have been released. The first request came from Senator Kamala Harris, …

Axios reports: The online fundraising platform ActBlue raised $100 million in August for Democratic candidates, marking their biggest fundraising month since they launched in 2004. Why it matters: Liberal activists and donors are showing no signs of slowing down before the 2018 midterm elections. Some of the candidates who benefit most from ActBlue’s fundraising include Beto O’Rourke running for U.S. …

The Washington Post reports: “The young people will win,” vowed David Hogg, the Parkland activist who has turned the stalled movement for gun control into a plea for political engagement. The change registered far beyond the suburb of South Florida where 17 students and educators died on Feb. 14, Hogg said. Tuesday’s primaries advanced two 39-year-old candidates for governor. The …

Variety reports: Logic delivered another powerful performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Monday, using a backdrop of immigration illustrated by a U.S. Border Patrol graphic and a T-shirt that read “F— the Wall,” referencing President Donald Trump’s proposed border-crossing deterrent. The immigration-themed set featured dozens of advocates for immigrants’ rights and others displaced by Trump’s policies at the …

You may recall the lone Alabama man protesting at a Roy Moore rally with a sign lamenting the suicide death of his lesbian daughter. The man’s sad vigil led to an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show and now, thanks to a wealthy gay couple, a scholarship fund in his daughter’s name. The Birmingham Herald reports: This week, Elliott Mitchell …

Little Rock’s Fox affiliate reports: Dozens attended a rally held by the Satanic Temple at the Arkansas State Capitol on Thursday. The rally comes after the Arkansas legislature approved the placement of a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds. During the Satanic Temple’s Rally for the First Amendment, a more than 8 feet tall Baphomet statue was unveiled. “The …

ESPN reports: Player demonstrations took place during the national anthem at several early NFL preseason games Thursday night. In Miami, Kenny Stills and two other Dolphins players protested during the anthem before their 26-24 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Receivers Stills and Albert Wilson kneeled behind teammates lined up standing along the sideline. Defensive end Robert Quinn stood and …

CBS News reports: Former Vice President Joe Biden is launching an awareness campaign to promote the importance of family acceptance of LGBTQ youth. The vice president’s Biden Foundation kicked off the “As You Are” initiative on Tuesday with a video campaign, featuring Biden, pop singer Cyndi Lauper, former NFL player Wade Davis and numerous LGBTQ advocates and activists. “We’ll use …

The Associated Press reports: Rosie O’Donnell and cast members from some of Broadway’s biggest musicals plan to serenade President Donald Trump on Monday — but from outside the White House in protest. The group will sing “The People’s Song” from “Les Miserables,” Burt Bacharach’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” ″A Brand New Day” from “The Wiz” and “Climb …