Dunce cap: House Speaker Paul Ryan drew the wrath of New York City residents who protested when he decided to "drop in" on the Success Academy charter school in Harlem. People are looking at Ryan and Eva Moskowitz, the founder and CEO of The Success Academy Charter School network, with the side-eye since the GOP has been pushing an agenda that is detrimental to minorities. Critics are calling this a shallow performance, in which Moskowitz, Ryan, and the Republican Party exploited these children for a photo-op that would make them look more favorable on issues affecting people of color. Also, protesters weren't shy about expressing their deep discontent over last week's healthcare bill that many see as a direct threat to the health and well-being of marginalized communities.Trump Fires Comey: The President of the United States unexpectedly fired James Comey, the FBI Director, yesterday who also happens to be leading an investigation into the Trump administration's ties with Russia. Trump claims this largely has to do with Comey's handling of Hillary Clinton's email investigation during the election, which is a bit of a stretch to say the least given that Trump didn't shy away from "lock her up" campaign chants directed at the former Secretary of State. All eyes are on who the former reality TV star appoints to fill the spot, and we'll likely be hearing about this for some time to come. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have expressed deep concerns about the brash move. Left-leaning advocacy groups have already brought out the pitchforks and are aggressively calling for impeachment.The life-gap means building more bridges: Life expectancy in the U.S. is largely determined by class, which means your zip code matters a bit more than your genetic material when it comes to your health. A recent study from researchers at the University of Washington shows that the life gap can be as large as 20 years depending on where someone lives. Results of the study say that contributing factors include poverty, race, smoking, lack of exercise, and quality of healthcare. Worse still, the trend is expected to increase in the future.And the #OOTD is: There's a new t-shirt company in Portland that's run by homeless and LGBTQ youth. The company Dfrntpigeon, pronounced "Different Pigeon," is empowering marginalized youth to gain work experience, create designs and develop their entrepreneurial skills. The organization backing the company is New Avenue for Youth, a nonprofit that offers at-risk teens food, counseling and career prep. The sales from the tees go right back into the program and to the teens that created the designs. We'll take one of everything!That awkward moment: Rep. Rod Blum, a Republican from Iowa, might just be having the worst week of his life after storming out of an interview and into an ambush of angry citizens at a local town hall. Blum represents a swing county that just barely went to the right in this last election despite supporting Obama in 2012. On May 8, Blum got in his feelings when a reporter asked him about contributions to his campaign and he rudely walked out of the interview. Little did he know, he was jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. In a town hall that same night, county residents booed him, criticizing his vote for the ACA repeal and his weak stance on the environment.Don't tread: The ACLU has issued a travel advisory warning anyone who plans to visit Texas that their constitutional rights might be stepped on. State Governor, Greg Abbott, signed a law requiring local law enforcement to comply with federal immigration mandates. This means that cops can stop you based on racial profiling and ask you invasive questions about your citizenship based on how foreign you may appear. If that sounds racist, it's because it is.Over the rainbow: The GLAAD Media Awards, which honors excellence in LGBTQ representation across various forms of media, were held over the weekend. The night was filled with barbs about the Trump administration for its particularly trans and homophobic legislation. Political jokes aside, the night celebrated the accomplishments of queer people of color, including Moonlight, which won Outstanding film, and Billy Porter who won the Vito Russo award.
Advertisement