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New York Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
How a Hate Crime in a Southern City Foretold the Rise of the Far Right
CHARLOTTESVILLE: An American Story, by Deborah Baker Charlottesville always seemed like an odd place for Charlottesville to happen. Tucked away in Virginia's Blue Ridge foothills, the city long projected an image of gentility, civility and rationality. In 2017, before everything changed, Charlottesville was home not only to Thomas Jefferson's complicated legacy but also to a Jewish mayor, a substantial Black population and one of the country's elite public universities. Now, however, the site of Jefferson's Monticello and 'Academical Village' is so synonymous with the frightful and portentous Unite the Right rally of August 2017 that no explanatory subtitle was needed for Deborah Baker's searching and personal exploration of her hometown's violent invasion, 'Charlottesville: An American Story.' Baker's vividly detailed reconstruction is a worthwhile addition to a growing canon of narrative nonfiction aimed at documenting and interpreting the outburst of race- and hate-driven violence in America between 2015 (the massacre at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C.) and 2020 (the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis). Charlottesville, with its indelible video of torch-wielding Nazis and a careening Dodge death mobile, fell squarely in the middle of this stretch, an inevitable allegory for the rightward swerve of American politics under Donald Trump. Baker left Charlottesville for New York after graduating from the University of Virginia in 1981 but was drawn back to examine how such a shockingly regressive act could take place in her seemingly progressive hometown. She is transparent from the get-go about her bewilderment that the storm troopers who gathered in Charlottesville might represent something enduring in American politics. 'Were they, like the election of Donald Trump, a harbinger of some future I was too old or ill-equipped to grasp?' she asks in her introduction. Many Americans — perhaps just under half — can likely relate. Baker is clearheaded, however, about the 'direct path' between Charlottesville and the insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and, implicitly, the revival of Trumpism in 2024. She is equally clear that there were not 'very fine people on both sides,' as President Trump asserted three days after one of those people accelerated his car into a crowd, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring at least three dozen others. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
7 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Book Review: 'Charlottesville' a dramatic account of deadly 2017 rally and history behind it
Decades before the violent Unite the Right rally in 2017 in Charlottesville that drew white nationalists protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue, the city was targeted by a white supremacist who hoped to ignite a race war. To understand the 2017 Unite the Right rally, Deborah Baker writes in 'Charlottesville: An American Story,' readers have to go back to 1956 and John Kasper's trip to Charlottesville to protest school integration.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Book Review: 'Charlottesville' a dramatic account of deadly 2017 rally and history behind it
Decades before the violent Unite the Right rally in 2017 in Charlottesville that drew white nationalists protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue, the city was targeted by a white supremacist who hoped to ignite a race war. To understand the 2017 Unite the Right rally, Deborah Baker writes in 'Charlottesville: An American Story,' readers have to go back to 1956 and John Kasper's trip to Charlottesville to protest school integration. That historical context combines with a vivid narrative of the 2017 demonstrations to give readers a better understanding of the combustible atmosphere that converged on Charlottesville. The narrative is the heart of Baker's comprehensive history, including details of Heather Heyer's killing by James Alex Fields Jr. — who kept a framed photograph of Adolf Hitler by his bedside and drove his car into a crowd of counter protesters. Baker's writing style delivers an on-the-ground feel of what it was like in Charlottesville, including a harrowing account of the night torch-wielding white nationalists marched through the University of Virginia's campus. But Baker also dives into the history of key players in the events that day, including white nationalist leader Richard Spencer and Zyahna Bryant, who initiated the petition to remove the statues of Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the city's parks. She also explores the shortcomings by authorities, including officials who credulously took white nationalist organizers at their word. Baker's research and eye for detail give 'Charlottesville' the historical authority necessary for understanding the tragic events that occurred over those two days. ___ AP book reviews:
Newsweek
24-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Top Democratic Lawyer, 3 Others Leave Paul Weiss To Start New Firm: Reports
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Months after Paul Weiss reached a settlement with the Trump administration, four senior partners at the firm are leaving to start their own practice, according to The New York Times and Bloomberg Law. Why It Matters The partners' exit comes several months after Paul Weiss settled with the Trump administration to avoid having to face the consequences—legal or otherwise—of Trump's March executive order terminating all federal government contracts with the firm and revoking the security clearances of its lawyers. Trump's executive order targeting the firm specified that it was being singled out because one of its lawyers, Mark Pomerantz, investigated Trump's business dealings when he was in the Manhattan district attorney's office. Demonstrators outside the law offices of Paul Weiss in New York on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, are protesting the firm's agreement to do free legal services for the Trump administration. Demonstrators outside the law offices of Paul Weiss in New York on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, are protesting the firm's agreement to do free legal services for the Trump administration. Ted Shaffrey/AP What To Know One of the four partners leaving is Karen Dunn, a top Democratic lawyer who helped then Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with debate preparation during their presidential campaigns, according to The New York Times. Dunn also spearheaded a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the organizers of the far-right "Unite The Right" protest in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, Bloomberg reported. Another partner exiting Paul Weiss is Jeannie Rhee, who worked as a prosecutor on the special counsel Robert Mueller's team, which investigated Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government in its efforts. The other two partners leaving the firm are Bill Isaacson, a well-known antitrust lawyer, and Jessica Phillips, who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, The Times reported. Paul Weiss came under fire after it settled with Trump to sidestep fighting his March executive order. As part of the arrangement, the firm agreed to scrap its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, as well as provide $40 million worth of pro bono services to support Trump's agenda. Trump subsequently rescinded his executive order. In the wake of the settlement, Paul Weiss faced a firestorm of criticism and the head of the firm's pro bono arm, Steven Banks, resigned. More than 170 alumni of the firm also signed an open letter to the firm's chairman, Brad Karp, calling the decision to settle "cowardly" and adding that "the very independence of lawyers and the legal profession is at stake." In total, the nine major law firms that settled with the Trump administration have agreed to provide about $1 billion in legal work, according to Bloomberg. What People Are Saying Dunn, Rhee, Isaacson and Phillips said in an email to the firm on Friday both Bloomberg and The Times reported: "We were disappointed not to be able to tell each of you personally and individually the news that we have decided to leave Paul, Weiss to start a new law firm." Brad Karp, the chairman of the firm, told The Times in a statement: "We are grateful to Bill, Jeannie, Jessica and Karen for their many contributions to the firm. We wish them well in their future endeavors." Neera Tanden, a prominent Democratic activist, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Proud of these legal leaders. They are putting principle first. Hope all lawyers at Paul Weiss of conviction join them." Jason Kint, a digital media veteran and the CEO of Digital Content Next, wrote on X: "Wow. Paul Weiss just lost the top attorneys representing Google in its adtech antitrust case just as remedies are getting underway. It will be interesting to see how Google handles this since this is fallout for the law firm being first to do a Trump deal." What Happens Next At least three law firms—Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block—have fought Trump's executive orders in court. On Friday, a federal judge appointed by George W. Bush blocked Trump's order targeting Jenner & Block after finding that it violated the Constitution.
