Who decides the Charlottesville trial verdict? It may depend on attitudes toward antifa.
OCTOBER 26, 2021 THE BIG STORY
The Charlottesville "Unite the Right" white supremacist trial is underway. Jury selection revolved around arguments over antifa. Nine victims of the far-right violence of August 2017 have headed to court to seek damages for physical and psychological injuries.
Many Americans hope a verdict in the plaintiffs' favor will finally deliver justice against the white supremacist figures accountable for the deadly "Unite the Right" rally. But when the trial opened with jury selection on Monday, there was an outsize focus on the decentralized network of antiracist, antifascist protesters known colloquially as antifa.
Far-right extremists and select Republicans (such as former president Donald Trump) have used antifa to explain away criticism and even the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol. Before prospective jurors arrived in court, they were asked to fill out a 16-page questionnaire including questions, "Are you familiar with 'Antifa'?... If yes, how would you describe Antifa?" and "If yes, how would you rate your overall opinion on Antifa?" Other questions focused on jurors' familiarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and their opinion on the removal of statues of Confederate leaders.
The arguments over antifa meant that jury selection got off to a slow start, potentially delaying opening arguments if the court fails to get through the rest of the jury pool before the end of Tuesday. STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
What does "American protest" look like today?  Mel D. Cole "I'm not the same photographer as I was before the pandemic," says photojournalist Mel D. Cole.
For years, Cole was best-known for his music photography; he's photographed SZA, Erykah Badu, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, and more. But in 2020, he emerged as an influential on-the-ground photographer at demonstrations across the country, including the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.
 Mel D. Cole
 Mel D. Cole
 Mel D. Cole SNAPSHOTS
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MOURNING KOBE BRYANT
Vanessa Bryant opened up about first learning of Kobe and Gianna Bryant's deaths from social media alerts  Allen Berezovsky / Getty Images Vanessa Bryant — who is suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for emotional distress and negligence, among other harms — revealed during a deposition that before anyone had personally informed her about the deaths of her family members in Jan 2020, she'd first learned of the fatal helicopter crash from social media notifications.
"I was holding onto my phone, because obviously I was trying to call my husband back, and all these notifications started popping up on my phone, saying, 'RIP Kobe. RIP Kobe. RIP Kobe,'" she revealed.
Vanessa filed the lawsuit in September last year, after it was reported that first responders allegedly shared unauthorized and disturbing pictures of the human remains at the crash site.
"Emotional distress means that not only do I have to grieve to the loss of my husband and child, but for the rest of my life I'm going to have to fear that these photographs of my husband and child will be leaked," she said.
"SOME RESILIENT PEOPLE CAN BE REFORMED"
How a father-daughter TikTok dance sparked a viral discussion about parental incarceration  Justine Tuckett with her dad Bill Lorance. Justine Tuckett After being released from prison after 22 years, Bill Lorance's first dance with his 28-year-old daughter received over 45 million views on TikTok and Instagram.
"I wanted to upstage her," Lorance told BuzzFeed News. "I suck. I'm not even dancing, I looked like a robot that needs grease."
According to the National Institute of Corrections, 7% of all children in the US have had a parent in jail or prison. Following her viral post, Tuckett's DMs have become flooded with people asking for advice on how to maintain a relationship with an incarcerated loved one.
"My Dad put in the work everyday, he is unrecognizable from the person he use to be before prison," she wrote in the video's caption. "Some resilient people CAN be reformed. Some people DESERVE to re-enter society again. Some WILL embrace their children, grandchildren, and family one again. Someone like my Dad. 💕" Be gentle this morning, Alexa 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Alexa Lee and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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