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Racism, Islamophobia, and some light nudity at far-right Utah conference
One of the top-billed speakers at the far-right Western Conservative Action Network conference in Salt Lake City was British conservative provocateur Katie Hopkins.
Hopkins has been accused of racist and anti-muslim bigoted speech several times, and she did not disappoint when she took the stage Saturday night.
After a joke about Meghan Markle ruining Prince Harry, she launched into racially-tinged language.
“I am a straight, white, Christian, conservative, married mother of three children under the age of 16. Where I come from, I’m virtually an endangered species. I am right up there with the black rhino,” Hopkins said.
“But, he has an advantage because he’s black,” she quickly added to peals of laughter from the audience.
Hopkins, who has invited controversy several times for Islamophobic language, continued.
“I have three children under the age of 16. My Muslim friends have 16 children under the age of three. I’m kidding. I’m kidding. I don’t have any Muslim friends,” Hopkins said to laughs.
“No. I do, I do,” Hopkins quickly added. “Forgive me.”
Hopkins also told a story about buying a fake negative COVID test in Mexico to enter the U.S. and how she got deported from Australia for defying that country’s COVID lockdown, which she commemorated with a tattoo while she was visiting Arizona.
“I went in and got ‘deported,’ the stamp from my passport tattooed on my ass,” Hopkins said.
She then turned around, lifted her skirt, and flashed her derriere at the audience (she was wearing shorts) as they went wild.
You can read my account of day one of the conference here. I also posted highlights from both days on Twitter.
Here’s what you need to know for Monday morning
🚨 Two planners involved in the January 6 pro-Donald Trump rallies in Washington, D.C., who are cooperating with Congressional investigators, say multiple members of Congress were involved in Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and the January 6 rally that turned violent. Arizona Republican Paul Gosar reportedly offered planners a blanket pardon ahead of the attempted coup. [Rolling Stone]
🚨 Former President Donald Trump’s team used the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., as a command center ahead of January 6. [WaPo]
💻 This is going to be a bad week for Facebook. Multiple news organizations are publishing stories based on hundreds of pages of internal documents provided by whistleblower Frances Haugen. [CNN]
A whistleblower’s power: Key takeaways from the Facebook Papers. [WaPo]
The case against Mark Zuckerberg: Insiders say Facebook’s CEO chose growth over safety. [WaPo]
Facebook whistleblower documents offer new revelations about Jan. 6 response. [ABC News]
Facebook’s internal chat boards show politics often at center of decision making. [WSJ]
💉 Dr. Anthony Fauci predicts children aged 5 to 11 will start to be vaccinated against COVID in early November. [WaPo]
➡️ Sudan’s military takes power in a coup. Protesters have taken to the streets of the capital, Khartoum, amid reports of gunfire. [BBC]
🗳 Allegations from 2020 are dogging Bluffdale mayoral candidate John Roberts who resigned as the city’s fire chief. [Tribune]
🗳 An incident in 2020 where police clashed with protesters is hanging over the Cottonwood Heights mayoral race. [Tribune]
Monday morning’s Utah news roundup
Utah
Survivors see a link between Indigenous boarding schools’ harsh discipline and later domestic violence. [Tribune]
Which season ski pass is right for you? Here’s a guide to help you decide. [Tribune]
On the third anniversary of Lauren McCluskey’s murder, her parents announce initiatives to prevent similar cases. [Tribune]
Utah’s jobless rate drops again, to 2.4%, second lowest in the U.S. [Tribune]
Man-made islands could change Utah Lake forever. Here are 6 things you need to know. [Deseret News]
Is Utah’s drought over? Water year is off to a banner start, but don’t get your hopes up. [Deseret News]
Utah Muslim Civic League connects refugees with supplies, resources. [Fox 13]
COVID-19
Boosters have been approved for most Americans. Should you get one? And which one? Andy Larsen gives answers. [Tribune]
Politics
Could obsession with election fraud sink the GOP? [Deseret News]
Education
How to help girls stick with STEM? Utah teachers normalize science careers early. [Tribune]
Opinion
Make Utah history teachers post their material online? Sounds like stalking, George Pyle writes, [Tribune]
Utah owes a debt it can never repay to downwinders, Robert Gehrke says, but we should do what we can. [Tribune]
🎂 You say it’s your birthday?!!
Happy birthday to Rep. Paul Ray and former Reps. James Gowans and Curt Webb.
Got a birthday you’d like us to recognize in this space? Send us an email.
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