Virginia kicks off 400th anniversary year (WJLA)

Virginia is officially kicking off its commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the House of Burgesses at Jamestown, the first arrival of African slaves in the British colonies, and other aspects of the state’s colonial past.

Gov. Ralph Northam headlined a kickoff at the state Capitol Wednesday promoting a yearlong series of activities and educational programming about the events of 1619. [Read More]

Racial Preference on Trial as Harvard Goes to Court (The Weekly Standard)

The discrimination lawsuit against Harvard College that goes to trial in federal court on October 15 may well put a momentous choice before the Supreme Court, and the country, within the next few years. Should the Court allow racial preferences in university admissions to continue forever? Or should it ban them as unconstitutional, even though a rigorously enforced ban could dramatically cut enrollments of African Americans and Latinos at selective schools?

Almost all publicity about the case has focused on the powerful, if disputed, evidence that Harvard discriminates in admissions against Asian Americans—an historically oppressed racial minority—to avoid admitting a greatly disproportionate number from a group whose academic excellence far outpaces all others’. [Read More]

Want to deal with D.C.’s after-hours noise and even rats? D.C. is looking for its first ‘night mayor.’ (The Washington Post)

Applications from people vying to become D.C.’s first-ever nightlife director have been pouring into Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s office from across the country and around the world.

Just weeks into the search, the mayor’s office said it has received more applications for this job than any other cabinet position.

The new director of D.C.’s inaugural Office of Nightlife and Culture will be in charge of “the after-hours economy” and all that goes along with it — after-hours noise complaints, crime, street cleanup, traffic congestion and, of course, rats.

“This job, man. People are excited about it. Around the country, across the oceans,” said Lindsey Parker, Bowser’s deputy chief of staff. “We’ve received a very diverse group of résumés.” [Read More]

Mike Pompeo advises Trump: Give Saudis ‘a few more days’ to investigate Jamal Khashoggi disappearance (Washington Examiner)

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday morning that President Trump will wait to make a decision about Saudi Arabia until after the kingdom has completed its own investigation into the disappearance of Saudi dissident and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi.

“I had a chance to brief the president on the travels that I returned from last evening where I traveled both to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. I had a chance to talk with in Riyadh with the king, with the crown prince, foreign minister. All of the United States counterparts there,” Pompeo told reporters outside the White House on Thursday.

“We made clear to them that we take this matter with respect to Mr. Khashoggi very seriously. They made clear to me they, too, understand the serious nature of the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi,” Pompeo continued. “They also assured me that they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and that they’ll do it in a timely fashion.” [Read More]

Disney princess Kristen Bell has some real concerns about ‘Snow White’ and consent (The Washington Post)

As sexual assault survivors continue to share their stories, sparking a worldwide #MeToo reckoning, actress Kristen Bell is publicly expressing concern about “Snow White” and the prince who kissed her without consent.

Bell, who provided the voice of Princess Anna in Disney’s animated film “Frozen,” told Parents magazine that when she reads “Snow White” to her two young daughters, she poses a question: “Don’t you think that it’s weird that the prince kisses Snow White without her permission? Because you cannot kiss someone if they’re sleeping!”

She told the magazine she also warns her 3- and 5-year-old daughters not to take apples — or anything else — from strangers. [Read More]

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