News Information and Media Site: 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.

Cole examines the stark brutality of the last two years of protest in his new book American Protest: Photographs 2020-2021. And while protests have died down in the last several months, Cole told BuzzFeed News, "If the protests happen again, and I say if it happens again, and unfortunately it will happen again, another Black man shot or choked by police — if and when that happens, and people march and protest, I'll be there."

Mel D. Cole

SNAPSHOTS

Apple's new AirPods are pandemic-proof. They also have the longest battery life of all AirPods — 6 hours of listening with 24 hours in a fully charged case, a total of 30 hours.

Jennette McCurdy talked about the "intense" abuse from her mom, who would perform breast exams on her and not let her shower alone. If you or someone you know is being abused, call the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233. You can find more resources, information, and support here.

New records reveal the chain of events on the set of Rust that led to Halyna Hutchins' shooting death. After getting shot in the shoulder by the same round that killed Hutchins last Thursday, director Joel Souza reinforces claims that industry firearm safety protocols weren't followed.

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.

👉 Your support of BuzzFeed's journalism does not constitute a charitable donation, and your contribution is not eligible for a tax-deduction. This is part of an effort to explore a deeper relationship with our most active supporters.

🔔 Want to be notified as soon as news breaks? Download the BuzzFeed News app for iOS and Android (available in Canadian, UK, Australian, and US app stores).

💌 Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up to get BuzzFeed News in your inbox!