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November 9, 2015
Top Stories
Is Ben Carson’s Very Bad Week About To Catch Up With Him?
The Gist: After a week of intense media scrutiny, Carson will face some tough questions during tomorrow’s Fox Business debate.
Mizzou Football Players Join Protests Against Race And Campus Discrimination
The Gist: At least 30 black football players announced they will not participate in team activities until the university system’s president is removed.
John Oliver Talks With Ex-Prisoner About Obstacles Faced On Re-entry
The Gist: The “Last Week Tonight” conducted an in-depth interview with a former prisoner to educate late-night viewers on the harrowing nature of the American prison complex.
From The Reporter’s Notebook
Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson will take the stage at Tuesday’s Republican debate after a very bad week that saw anecdotes from his childhood and college years come under intense scrutiny, too. Carson’s camp recently led the effort to draw up a list of demands for networks hosting debates that included a guarantee that moderators steer clear of “gotcha” questions. TPM’s Catherine Thompson notes that the effort failed to gain traction, though, so expect Carson to face even more questions about his biography tomorrow night.
Agree or Disagree?
Conservatives are defending Ben Carson’s claim that he was offered admission to Wet Point by insisting the simply knew nothing about how tuition in the service academies actually works. As Josh Marshall put it, “ Carson’s apparent cluelessness is now put forward as his saving grace.”
Say What?!
“Trump’s a racist! I heard if I yelled that, they’d give me $5,000.”
– Comedian Larry David interrupted Trump’s SNL monologue on Saturday.
BUZZING: Today in the Hive
From a TPM Prime member: “The lack of clarity about goals has created a big space for the GOP to start smearing BLM. And you can’t have clarity without some sort of leadership. During the civil rights era, you had churches where individual leaders could unite the community and define the message. For millennials, all they have so far is social media, which is inherently diffuse, and makes it challenging for leaders to emerge. I think it was a huge mistake to reject the olive branch1 extended to BLM by the DNC a few days ago. Just a pointless and petulant rejection of the concrete methods of political reform.”
Related: Black Lives Matter asked the DNC to hold a debate devoted exclusively to the topic of racial justice in America.
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What We’re Reading
Photos and evidence that show exactly why NFL star Greg Hardy was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend. ( Deadspin)
A conversation with Aspiring Mogul, the musician behind Ben Carson’s rap song. (Esquire)
Paul Krugman on the grim legacy of austerity. (The New York Times)
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