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crime, typically one involving violence, that is motivated by prejudice on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or other grounds.

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This is important because it happens everyday and some people live in fear of potentiality being a victim of hate crime/speech themselves.

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BIPOC,LGBTQ+, women, some people that practice religion.

For example, the article down below. A man was charged with killing 8 Asian American women in a massage parlor because he wanted to get rid of a temptation. Though the man said it wasn't racially motivated, evidence proves other wise.

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ATLANTA (AP) - A white gunman was charged Wednesday with killing eight people at three Atlanta-area massage parlors in an attack that sent terror through the Asian American community, which has increasingly been targeted during the coronavirus pandemic.

A day after the shootings, investigators were trying to unravel what might have compelled 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long to commit the worst mass killing in the U.S. in almost two years.

Long told police that Tuesday's attack was not racially motivated. He claimed to have a "sex addiction," and authorities said he apparently lashed out at what he saw as sources of temptation. But those statements spurred outrage and widespread skepticism given the locations and that six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent.

The shootings appear to be at the "intersection of gender-based violence, misogyny and xenophobia," said state Rep. Bee Nguyen, the first Vietnamese American to serve in the Georgia House and a frequent advocate for women and communities of color.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said that regardless of the shooter's motivation, "it is unacceptable, it is hateful and it has to stop."

Authorities said they didn't know if Long ever went to the massage parlors where the shootings occurred but that he was heading to Florida to attack "some type of porn industry."

"He apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction, and sees these locations as something that allows him to go to these places, and it's a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate," Cherokee County sheriff's Capt. Jay Baker told reporters.

Baker drew criticism for saying Long had "a really bad day" and "this is what he did." A Facebook page appearing to belong to Baker promoted a T-shirt with racist language about China and the coronavirus last year.

The Facebook account featured numerous photos of Baker going back months, including one of him in uniform outside the sheriff's office. The account was deleted Wednesday night, and Baker did not immediately respond to voicemails and an email seeking comment. The sheriff's office also did not respond to a message.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Frank Reynolds said it was too early to tell if the attack was racially motivated - "but the indicators right now are it may not be."

The Atlanta mayor said police have not been to the massage parlors in her city beyond a minor potential theft.

"We certainly will not begin to blame victims," Bottoms said.

The attack was the sixth mass killing this year in the U.S., and the deadliest since the August 2019 Dayton, Ohio, shooting that left nine people dead, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

It follows a lull in mass killings during the pandemic in 2020, which had the smallest number of such attacks in more than a decade, according to the database, which tracks mass killings defined as four or more dead, not including the shooter.

The killings horrified the Asian American community, which saw the shootings as an attack on them, given a recent wave of assaults that coincided with the spread of the coronavirus across the United States. The virus was first identified in China, and then-President Donald Trump and others have used racially charged terms to describe it.

The attacks began when five people were shot at Youngs Asian Massage Parlor near Woodstock, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Atlanta, authorities said. Four died: 33-year-old Delaina Ashley Yaun, 54-year-old Paul Andre Michels, 44-year-old Daoyou Feng and 49-year-old Xiaojie Tan, who owned the business.

Yaun and her husband came to the spa on a date, her mother, Margaret Rushing, told WAGA-TV. Yaun leaves behind a 13-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter.

Her half-sister, Dana Toole, said Yaun's husband locked himself in a room and wasn't injured.

"He's taking it hard," Toole said. "He was there. He heard the gunshots and everything. You can't escape that when you're in a room and gunshots are flying - what do you do?"

The manager of a boutique next door said her husband watched surveillance video after the shooting and the suspect was sitting in his car for as long as an hour before going inside.

They heard screaming and women running from the business, said Rita Barron, manager of Gabby's Boutique.

The same car was then spotted about 30 miles (48 kilometers) away in Atlanta, where a call came in about a robbery at Gold Spa and three women were shot to death. Another woman was fatally shot at the Aromatherapy Spa across the street.

Long was arrested hours later by Crisp County deputies and state troopers. He refused to stop on a highway and officers bumped the back of his car, causing him to crash, Sheriff Billy Hancock said.

Officers found Long thanks to help from his parents, who recognized him from surveillance footage posted by authorities and gave investigators his cellphone information, which they used to track him, said Reynolds, the Cherokee County sheriff.

"They're very distraught, and they were very helpful in this apprehension," he said.

President Joe Biden called the attack "very, very troublesome."

"We don't yet know the motive, but what we do know is that the Asian-American community is feeling enormous pain tonight. The recent attacks against the community are un-American. They must stop," Biden tweeted Wednesday.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black and South Asian woman in that office, expressed support to the Asian American community, saying, "We stand with you and understand how this has frightened and shocked and outraged all people."

Over the past year, thousands of incidents of abuse have been reported to an anti-hate group that tracks incidents against Asian Americans, and hate crimes in general are at the highest level in more than a decade.

"While the details of the shootings are still emerging, the broader context cannot be ignored," Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta said in a statement. "The shootings happened under the trauma of increasing violence against Asian Americans nationwide, fueled by white supremacy and systemic racism."

Nico Straughan met Long when he moved to the area in seventh grade, saying Long brought a Bible to school every day and was "super nice, super Christian, very quiet."

"I don't know what turn of heart he might have had, but he went from one of the nicest kids I ever knew in high school to being on the news," Straughan said. "I mean, all my friends, we were flabbergasted."

The American Psychiatric Association does not recognize sex addiction in its main reference guide for mental disorders. While some people struggle to control their sexual behaviors, it's often linked to other recognized disorders or moral views about sexuality, said David Ley, clinical psychologist and author of "The Myth of Sex Addiction."

"These sexual behaviors getting this label are a symptom, not a cause," Ley said.

___

Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul; Colleen Long and Zeke Miller in Washington; Sudhin Thanawala in Woodstock, Georgia; Michael Warren, Jeff Amy, Ben Nadler and R.J. Rico in Atlanta, Jeff Martin in Marietta, Georgia; Anila Yoganathan in Cherokee County, Georgia; and Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City contributed to this story.

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Man charged with killing 8 people at Georgia massage parlors

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ATLANTA (AP) - A white gunman was charged Wednesday with killing eight people at three Atlanta-area massage parlors in an attack that sent terror through the Asian American community, which has increasingly been targeted during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. The Bureau investigates hundreds of these cases every year, and we work to detect and prevent incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and partnerships with community groups.

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Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI's civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. The Bureau investigates hundreds of these cases every year, and we work to detect and prevent incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and partnerships with community groups.

Traditionally, FBI investigations of hate crimes were limited to crimes in which the perpetrators acted based on a bias against the victim's race, color, religion, or national origin. In addition, investigations were restricted to those wherein the victim was engaged in a federally protected activity. With the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, the Bureau became authorized to also investigate crimes committed against those based on biases of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or gender.

History

The FBI investigated what are now called hate crimes as far back as World War I. Our role increased following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Before then, the federal government took the position that protection of civil rights was a local function, not a federal one. However, the murders of civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney, near Philadelphia, Mississippi, in June 1964 provided the impetus for a visible and sustained federal effort to protect and foster civil rights for African Americans. MIBURN, as the case was called (it stood for Mississippi Burning), became the largest federal investigation ever conducted in Mississippi. On October 20, 1967, seven men were convicted of conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of the slain civil rights workers. All seven were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to 10 years.

Defining a Hate Crime

A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. For the purposes of collecting statistics, the FBI has defined a hate crime as a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity." Hate itself is not a crime-and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.

The FBI's Role

As part of its responsibility to uphold the civil rights of the American people, the FBI takes a number of steps to combat the problem of hate crimes.

Investigative Activities: The FBI is the lead investigative agency for criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes. The Bureau works closely with its local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners around the country in many of these cases.

Law Enforcement Support: The FBI works closely with state/local/tribal authorities on investigations, even when federal charges are not brought. FBI resources, forensic expertise, and experience in identification and proof of hate-based motivations often provide an invaluable complement to local law enforcement. Many cases are also prosecuted under state statutes such as murder, arson, or more recent local ethnic intimidation laws. Once the state prosecution begins, the Department of Justice follows the proceedings to ensure that the federal interest is vindicated and the law is applied equally among the 95 U.S. Judicial Districts.

Prosecutive Decision: The FBI forwards results of completed investigations to local U.S. Attorneys Offices and the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, which decide whether a federal prosecution is warranted. Prosecution of these crimes may move forward, for example, if local authorities are unwilling or unable to prosecute a crime of bias.

Public Outreach: Outreach is a critical component of the FBI's civil rights program. The FBI engages with various local and national organizations to identify violations of federal law designed to protect the civil rights of individuals in the United States. Many FBI's field offices participate in working groups with state and local law enforcement partners, as well as community groups within their area of responsibility. These working groups combine community and law enforcement resources to develop strategies to address local hate crime problems.

Training: The FBI conducts hundreds of operational seminars, workshops, and training sessions annually for local law enforcement, minority and religious organizations, and community groups to promote cooperation and reduce civil rights abuses. Each year, the FBI also provides hate crimes training for new agents, hundreds of current agents, and thousands of police officers worldwide.

Hate Crime Statistics

The FBI has gathered and published hate crime statistics every year since 1992. Our latest reports:

For more information please visit ucr.fbi.gov.

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Hate Crimes | Federal Bureau of Investigation

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Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI's civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. The Bureau investigates hundreds of these cases every year, and we work to detect and prevent incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and partnerships with community groups.

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Hirono told reporters she's tried reaching out to Republicans to discuss the bill and “they basically don't respond.”

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Good Tuesday morning. Nikki Haley's changing her tune on Donald Trump; "Salvator Mundi" has been found; and we're interviewing Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) this morning at 9 a.m. - join us!Thanks for waking up with the Power Up newsletter.

DIVIDED WE STAND: No Republicans have yet signed on to a measure requiring the Justice Department to speed up reviews of hate crimes related to the coronavirus pandemic.

That's according to one of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who doubts her proposal will garner the support necessary to be considered on the Senate floor. Democrats describe the measure as "unobjectionable," "modest," and "noncontroversial," meaning a GOP decision to block it could intensify a simmering debate over eliminating the filibuster, which effectively means most Senate bills need 60 votes for passage.

"You would think that all the Republicans would condemn the hate crimes that are being targeted against [Asian American Pacific Islanders] but not enough of them have spoken up," Hirono added.

The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), would assign a DOJ official to review and expedite all hate crime reports related to the coronavirus, expand support for local and state law enforcement agencies responding to these hate crimes, and issue guidance on mitigating racially discriminatory language to describe the pandemic.

"We just want to get more information about who's reaching out - data collection - working with the state and county law enforcement on hate crimes," Hirono told reporters.

Hirono told reporters she's tried reaching out to Republicans to discuss the bill and "they basically don't respond."

President Biden urged Congress to "swiftly pass"the legislation as anti-Asian violence has risen during the pandemic. Senate Republicans have yet to make an official decision whether to support the bill.

"Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), who said he had not yet read the bill, said it 'doesn't do anything' and is a 'messaging bill' and then told reporters he needed to read it," our colleague Paulina Firozi writes.

"Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said there are 'members who are interested in finding out more about what's in it, and perhaps having an opportunity to engage in a discussion about how to make it better, how to improve it, so we'll see what happens,'" Paulina reports.

"I'd love to see a bipartisan result here. But in some ways it goes too far, in our view," Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said of the bill.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told Wu, Levine, and Everett the bill has "drafting problems that I hope can be corrected. For example, it seems to say that the hate crime has to be linked to covid, which is rather odd."

Democrats are poised to call out Republicans for obstructionism if they choose to employ the filibuster on such a sensitive topic.

" (D-Ill.) told Who can't say that hate crimes against Asian Americans and others [are] reprehensible?" Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin Politico's Nicholas Wu, Marianne Levine, and Burgess Everett.

But even some Democrats, notably Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), questioned why the bill didn't go through committee. "It's not a b***s*** topic, it's a really serious topic," Kaine told Politico. "Why wouldn't we have a committee hearing and have witnesses to talk about the trauma this is visiting upon Asian Americans because there's a real fear out there. Why wouldn't we do that? Have a markup in committee? We control the committees."

"Because anything ... the Democrats are putting forward as important, the Republican tend to not to support," Hirono surmised.

The "racialization" of the pandemic: "Terms including 'China,' 'Wuhan' and 'flu' surged on far-right forums on Telegram, 8kun and TheDonald.win as former president Donald Trump pushed baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud, according to data tracked by the Network Contagion Research Institute, which monitors misinformation and online extremism," our colleagues Drew Harwell, Craig Timberg, Razzan Nakhlawi and Andrew Ba Tran reported last month in the wake of the fatal shooting of six Asian women in Georgia.

"The terms were used on those platforms 44 percent more in January than in the average month last year."

"Charissa Cheah, a University of Maryland Baltimore County professor who has studied Asian American discrimination, said the 'racialization' of the pandemic as the 'China flu' has led to Asian Americans being targeted for real-world abuse."

An analysis of police department statistics by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, examining hate crimes in 16 of America's largest cities showed a "significant hike in anti-Asian hate crimes last year," NBC News's Kimmy Yam reported."It revealed that while such crimes in 2020 decreased overall by 7 percent, those targeting Asian people rose by nearly 150 percent."

Domestic terrorism incidents have soared to new highs in the United States, driven chiefly by white-supremacist, anti-Muslim and anti-government extremists on the far right, according to a Washington Post analysis of data compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies," our colleagues Big picture: " Robert O'Harrow Jr., Andrew Ba Tran and Derek Hawkins report.

Coming soon: Hirono told reporters the White House will soon announce the appointment of a senior adviser on AAPI issues. After Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Hirono said they'd block votes on Biden's nominees until he more deeply engaged on the uptick of hate crimes and incidents targeting Asian Americans, the White House made assurances to do more to elevate AAPI voices.

On Thursday, Biden will meet with members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus at the White House.

In the agencies

KRISTEN CLARKE POISED TO INHERIT DOJ'S 'CROWN JEWEL': Tomorrow, "Clarke will appear at a Senate confirmation hearing as Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department's civil rights division," our colleague David Nakamura reports this morning."If confirmed, she would become the first Black woman to helm what former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. called the agency's 'crown jewel.'"

"Her confirmation path is expected to be contentious. At the Lawyers's Committee, Clarke was at the forefront of legal efforts to sue the Trump administration on voting rights, immigration, changes to the U.S. Census, and the teargassing of protesters outside the White House last summer."

"Now, conservatives fearful that Clarke and Vanita Gupta- another civil rights lawyer who is awaiting a Senate vote on her nomination to the Justice Department's No. 3 position -will seek to quickly ramp up federal efforts to restructure local police departments, bolster prosecutions of hate crimes and expand voting access for minorities have sought to cast them as radical and extreme."

"Clarke's supporters dismissed the attacks as a bad-faith effort to discredit her ... 'She genuinely cares about people, is serious about her business and believes in justice and equality for all people,'" Ernest Montgomery, a Black council member in Calera, Ala, told our colleague.

The campaign

INSIDE TRUMP'S PRIVATE, REVISIONIST, GRIEVANCE-LADEN SPEECH: The Post obtained audio of former president Donald Trump's speech to a private Republican National Committee event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate resort in Palm Beach, Fla., our colleague Aaron Blake reports.

Most of what was in it has basically been reported, but "a udio of the speech reviewed by The Post reveals that Trump at times went even further in going after his foes and revising electoral history, even lodging a suggestive attack involving former first lady Michelle Obama's appearance."

A McConnell "sir" story:"Mitch McConnell comes to see me," Trump claimed. "'I need your help, sir.' 'What do you need, Mitch?' 'I'm losing.' And he was losing. Every poll - the fake news doesn't talk about this - every poll said he was losing."

On Georgia, where the president falsely claimed he won in 2020, Trump said "'Oprah Winfrey camped out in Atlanta' in support of [Gov. Brian] Kemp's 2018 opponent Stacey Abrams, Trump claimed, wrongly saying that Winfrey was there for 'months.' Trump added: "Barack Hussein Obama and the very beautiful Michelle Obama were there for At this point, the audience laughed uproariously. Michelle Obama's appearance has often served as a punchline in some portions of the conservative Internet."

Outside the Beltway

MINNEAPOLIS KILLING ADDS TO ANGUISH: "Long before [Officer Kim Potter] raised her gun and fired at 20-year-old Daunte Wright, Minneapolis was braced for a turbulent spring. But the killing of Wright on Sunday - shot by a [26-year] veteran officer who, the police chief said, had apparently intended to use her Taser - instantly added anger and combustibility in a region already on edge from the highest-stakes trial to date," our colleagues Griff Witte and Mark Berman report.

"People haven't healed from last year's events, or the ones before that," Jamar Nelson, outreach specialist for A Mother's Love, a Minneapolis-based anti-violence group, told our colleagues. "We've been going through this for a long, long time. Each event is triggering."

"Wright is at least the 262nd person shot and killed by police so far this year, according to a Washington Post database tracking such shootings. He also appears to be the latest person fatally shot by a police officer who said they intended to pull their Tasers but accidentally drew their firearms instead."

The shooting also raises the stakes of the Chauvin murder trial, which"hurtled toward its conclusion on Monday, with final arguments in the case against former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin expected next week," per Witte and Berman.

What we know about Wright: "He was a happy-go-lucky kid with a smile that could light up a room, a young man with personality oozing from every pore. A devoted son, brother and father, Daunte Wright had a rare spark," the Minneapolis Star-Tribune'sJohn Reinan writes.

"Wright, who had a two-year-old son, dropped out of high school about two years ago because of a learning disability. Since then, he worked in retail and fast-food restaurants to support his son. He planned to go back to school to get his GED," our colleagues Kim Bellware, Andrea Salcedo, Sheila Regan, Jared Goyette and Meryl Kornfield report.

"He had a smile that was angelic," his mother, Katie Wright, said, sobbing at a vigil attended by hundreds. "My heart is literally broken in 1,000 pieces."

STUDENT DEAD, OFFICER WOUNDED AFTER GUNFIRE EXCHANGE AT TENNESSEE HIGH SCHOOL: "A teenage boy was killed and a police officer wounded Monday afternoon in a shootout at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville," the Knoxville News Sentinel's Tyler Whetstone reports.

CDC DIRECTOR WARNS MICHIGAN AGAINST VACCINATING ITS WAY OUT OF THE OUTBREAK: "The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that, to stem the rampant spread of coronavirus in Michigan, the state needs to 'shut things down,' rather than hope the federal government will send the extra doses of vaccine that the governor has sought," our colleague Amy Goldstein reports.

"Michigan's outbreak - driven by a highly infectious virus variant, loosened restrictions, travel, youth sporting events and uneven compliance with the remaining rules - is by far the worst in the country," the New York Times's Noah Weiland and Mitch Smith report.

The policies

BIDEN WILLING TO BUILD BRIDGES: "Biden vowed Monday that the size and scope of his $2.25 trillion jobs plan - as well as how to pay for it - is up for negotiation, setting the stage for what is likely to be months of congressional wrangling on one of the White House's chief legislative priorities," our colleagues Seung Min Kim and Tony Romm report.

"Despite the president's appetite for bipartisanship, the infrastructure bill has received little interest from Republicans so far, particularly with Biden's proposal to finance it by raising taxes on corporations from the current 21 percent to 28 percent."

"Whether a bipartisan deal ultimately materializes is far from clear, however, a top GOP senator told Biden in a private Oval Office meeting Monday that it would be 'almost impossible' to win over Republicans if the plan envisions boosting the corporate tax rate, as it currently does."

Meanwhile, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) appears okay with some corporate tax increase:

Global power

U.S., IRAN STEAMROLL AHEAD, DESPITE ATTACK: "U.S. negotiators [are] prepared to resume indirect talks with Iran this week in hopes that an attack on a key Iranian nuclear facility, widely attributed to Israel, would not derail the nascent effort at diplomacy," our colleagues Karen DeYoung, Shira Rubin and Kareem Fahim report.

"There was no way to know how Iran [will] react until they return to the European Union-sponsored talks [tomorrow]. After last week's initial meeting, both sides labeled the negotiations as constructive and businesslike."

"The operation raised the question of whether Israel was acting on its own to strike Iran and undermine American diplomacy. Or, alternatively, whether Israel was operating in concert with American interests, carrying out dirty work that would weaken Iran's negotiating position in the talks," the New York Times's Patrick Kingsley, David E. Sanger and Farnaz Fassihi report.

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Analysis | Power Up: No Republicans have yet signed on to a bill targeting Asian hate crimes

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Good Tuesday morning. Nikki Haley's changing her tune on Donald Trump ; "Salvator Mundi" has been found ; and we're interviewing Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) this morning at 9 a.m. - join us !Thanks for waking up with the Power Up newsletter.

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"But the legislation could still face a difficult path forward. Republicans only supported the procedure on the agreement they could add amendments to the bill after it advanced: They added 20.  Hirono told Huff Post reporter Igor Bobic, some of the amendments added, "have absolutely nothing to do with the bill."

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The Senate overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to advance a bill addressing the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Led by Democrats Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Rep. Grace Meng of New York, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act will require federal officers to "facilitate the expedited review" of hate crimes.

"It defines COVID-19 hate crime as a violent crime that is motivated by two things: (1) the actual or perceived characteristic (e.g., race) of any person, and (2) the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19 of any person because of that characteristic," according to the bill's summary.

In a rare bipartisan effort, a vast majority of senators voted 92-6 to advance the bill - bringing it one step closer to passing.

But the legislation could still face a difficult path forward. Republicans only supported the procedure on the agreement they could add amendments to the bill after it advanced: They added 20.

Hirono told HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic, some of the amendments added, "have absolutely nothing to do with the bill."

Senate leaders will now have to agree which amendments to consider in order to pass the bill through the Senate, "very, very soon," Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech Wednesday.

Here are the six Republicans who voted "no."

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These are the 6 Republicans who voted against a bipartisan bill on anti-Asian hate crimes

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The Senate overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to advance a bill addressing the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Democrats Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Rep. Grace Meng of New York, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act will require federal officers to "facilitate the expedited review" of hate crimes.

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Ahead of a vote Wednesday on whether to open debate, some in the GOP argued that the bill is unnecessary and a potential government overreach, but following their weekly lunch meeting Republicans opened the door to beginning debate and amending the legislation.

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she would join Democrats in voting to proceed with the bill and hoped other Republicans would join her.

"I think it's an important issue and one that's worthy of our consideration," she said.

"There's gonna be some bipartisan support to at least get on the bill and start the debate and have the amendments on the floor," said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who added that he's not yet decided how he would vote on the legislation.

Earlier Republican objections to the legislation had raised concerns about a formal filibuster, which would have further stoked an already simmering debate within Biden's party over whether to try to weaken or kill the l60-vote threshold required to pass most bills. If the GOP agrees to start debate on the hate crimes bill, as is now expected, both parties are discussing an amendment that would attach separate, bipartisan legislation on the issue, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday.

"We are open to strengthening the bill," he said, adding later he would introduce the first amendment to Hirono's bill and attempt to add the bipartisan legislation.

The current effort could lead to a spark of bipartisan collaboration in the 50-50 chamber, with Schumer's encouragement, after a long period of cross-aisle frustration over the lack of opportunities for open floor debate. Republicans are increasingly inclined to get on the bill, according to one GOP source.

Republicans may seek "an opportunity to engage in a discussion about how to make it better, how to improve it," Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said of the bill.

The potential amendment would improve hate crimes reporting at the state and local level and is spearheaded by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). A version of that proposal also has bipartisan backing in the House.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a pivotal moderate, said Tuesday that she would support the bill if the bipartisan amendment were attached and the bill was adjusted with language not explicitly linking hate crimes to Covid.

Schumer told reporters Tuesday that Democrats would be open to "germane" amendments, including those addressing Collins' concerns.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged that any hate crimes legislation would likely have to go to conference given the changes made in both chambers of Congress. The House Judiciary Committee is set to mark up its companion to Hirono's legislation next week and then will pass the measure soon after, Pelosi said.

Asian American lawmakers see the legislation as a modest but important step in condemning the recent spike in hate incidents against their community.

"I really do believe that next few weeks will determine the next few decades of how Asian Americans are treated and understood and accepted in this country," said Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), at a Tuesday morning press conference on the legislation.

Hirono told reporters she hoped to see members on both sides of the aisle "speaking out, condemning these kinds of targeted crimes." Her legislation did not compel states to improve their hate crime reporting and was "voluntary," she said, but "one would hope that there will be universal condemnation" given the fear and violence experienced by Asian Americans.

Hirono added that she has preferred to walk around while listening to audio books, but given the current uptick in bias crime, "as an AAPI person, I guess it does give me pause ... I would never do that now."
Burgess Everett contributed to this report.

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GOP edges back from filibuster cliff on hate crimes bill

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she would join Democrats in voting to proceed with the bill and hoped other Republicans would join her. "I think it's an important issue and one that's worthy of our consideration," she said.

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Democrats pressure republicans to sign a bill the make it considered violent to use hate speech.

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Top congressional Democrats are calling on their Republican colleagues to support legislation introduced by Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Grace Meng that addresses the rising number of hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans.

"For more than a year, the Asian American community has been fighting two viruses, the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Asian hate," Meng told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday. "We've heard about and seen videos of both young and elderly Asian Americans being shoved to the ground, stomped on, being spat on and shunned. These heinous acts have been outrageous, unconscionable and they must end."

"Combating hate should not be a partisan issue," the New York Democrat added. "We must all as Democrats and Republicans stand together against this racism and violence and say enough is enough."

The AAPI community has experienced a dramatic spike in the number of hate crimes in the past year. The organization Stop AAPI Hate documented at least 3,795 attacks from last March to February of this year, and leaders say the true number is much higher as many attacks go unreported. Community-led programs in major cities have grown to help AAPI residents commute safely.

Meng and Hirono's COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act would instruct the Department of Justice to designate a point person to expedite the review of COVID-related hate crimes, expand public reporting efforts, and provide guidance on how to make the reporting of hate crimes more accessible at the local and state level, including ensuring online reporting processes are available in multiple languages.

Sixty votes are required to advance such legislation, which means getting some Republican support is crucial for the bill to be debated and brought to a final Senate vote.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate has a "moral imperative to take action."

The top Democratic leader told reporters he is "open to strengthening the bill" and referenced an effort to add an amendment with bipartisan sponsors that would boost resources to law enforcement for training on how to identify hate crimes, establish hate crime hotlines and provide rehabilitation for perpetrators of hate crimes through community service.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Capitol Hill reporters he hopes to work out an agreement to "get on the bill in a normal way, have some amendments and move to final passage."

"As a proud husband of an Asian American woman, I think this discrimination against Asian Americans is a real problem," said McConnell, who is married to Elaine Chao, the former Bush and Trump-era Cabinet secretary.

On Tuesday, GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas echoed McConnell's comments, saying a discussion of the bill at the GOP luncheon "generally was in favor of getting on it and seeing if we could then get some amendments."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she hopes her Republican colleagues will join her in supporting Hirono's bill.

"I certainly hope so," she said. "I think it's an important issue and one that's worthy of our consideration."
"Words matter"
Hirono praised President Biden for his support in passing the legislation.

"Words matter," the Hawaii Democrat said. "When you have a president who deems the virus to be the 'China virus' or to have members of his administration refer to it as 'kung flu,' you create an environment where people will be motivated because of whatever reasons they have to commit these kinds of crimes."

Former President Donald Trump frequently used racist phrases like "kung flu" to describe the coronavirus.

During Tuesday's press conference, lawmakers described personal experiences with discrimination this past year.

"Before, if I was walking around outside I would have my earbuds on, I'd be listening to books on tape," Hirono described. "I would never do that now because of the incidents of totally unprovoked hate crimes against AAPIs."

Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said he has never before felt this "level of fear and vulnerability."

"Over the last month, I've shared stories I've never shared before, I've opened up in ways that I never had before because the moment calls upon [you]," he said. "When I worked at the State Department as a diplomat, I was banned from working on issues related to Korea, because I'm Korean American."

He said his 5-year-old son came home and told him "a bigger kid kept calling him 'Chinese boy, Chinese boy' over and over again."

"I really do believe that the next few weeks will determine the next few decades of how Asian Americans are treated and understood and accepted in this country," Kim said.

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'Enough Is Enough': Democrats Push For GOP Support On Asian American Hate Crimes Bill

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subscribe to The NPR Politics Podcast podcast Top congressional Democrats are calling on their Republican colleagues to support legislation introduced by Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Grace Meng that addresses the rising number of hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans.

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The Senate will take up a bill addressing hate crimes against Asian Americans this week amid a spike in anti-Asian discrimination and violence during the corona virus pandemic. Although some Republicans have raised concerns about the bill, it is expected to advance on the Senate floor, allowing time for debate and adding amendments.

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Washington - The Senate will take up a bill addressing hate crimes against Asian Americans this week amid a spike in anti-Asian discrimination and violence during the coronavirus pandemic. Although some Republicans have raised concerns about the bill, it is expected to advance on the Senate floor, allowing time for debate and adding amendments.

The bill introduced by Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono, which currently lacks any Republican co-sponsors, would expedite the federal government's response to hate crimes against Asian Americans and strengthen guidance for state and local government hate crime reporting. Democrats have a narrow 50-seat majority in the Senate, and 60 votes are required to limit debate on legislation and then bring it to the Senate floor for a full vote.

GOP Senator Chuck Grassley told reporters on Tuesday that the bill would receive enough support from Republicans to advance, but said that he was hoping it could be amended.

According to a Senate Democratic aide, there is a bipartisan effort to strengthen the Hirono bill by adding the bipartisan bill by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Republican Senator Jerry Moran to provide grants to state and local governments to help improve hate crime reporting - but only if Senate Republicans choose not to block the bill on Wednesday.

"We are opening to strengthening the bill," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday, referring to an amendment based on the Blumenthal and Moran bill. But including the bipartisan amendment cannot occur unless Republicans allow the bill to advance with floor debate.

"Combating hate in the Asian-American community can and should be bipartisan," Schumer said. "Who would oppose this very simple but necessary legislation?"

Congresswoman Grace Meng, one of the sponsors of the bill in the House, told reporters on Tuesday that the bill would "help all communities before and after COVID."

Without support from 10 Republican senators, the bill would stall - and provide opponents of the filibuster with further evidence that the rule is preventing Democrats from implementing their priorities. Many Democrats have pressed for eliminating the filibuster, which would allow legislation such as this bill to advance with a simple majority.

Hirono told reporters on Monday that she did not believe a sufficient number of Republicans would support the bill. "Anything to do with the Democrats are putting forward as important, the Republican tend to not to support. There you have it," she said.

Republican senators have expressed skepticism about the bill. GOP Senator John Cornyn told reporters Monday that he still needed to review the bill, but criticized Democrats for putting it to the Senate floor immediately instead of having it go through committee hearings first.

"My understanding is it doesn't really do much," Cornyn said, calling it a "messaging vote."

However, by Tuesday afternoon, Republicans appeared to be backing off from the threat of a filibuster as long as amendments are considered. Cornyn later told reporters on Tuesday that if there is an "open amendment process," then he expects the Senate will "produce a product." GOP Senator Josh Hawley told reporters that he expected Republicans to offer "a number of amendments."

Moran told reporters that he believed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was supportive of his and Blumenthal's potential amendment.

"I'm trying to see if we can't get this resolved and take this up tomorrow," Moran said, adding that he would expect a final vote on Thursday.

President Biden released a statement last month urging Congress to pass Hirono's bill, saying that "every person in our nation deserves to live their lives with safety, dignity, and respect."

The legislation comes after mass shootings in the Atlanta area last month which killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent. There has also been a significant uptick in anti-Asian hate crimes over the past year.
Jack Turman contributed to this report.

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Democrats pressure Republicans to support Asian-American hate crimes bill

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Washington - The Senate will take up a bill addressing hate crimes against Asian Americans this week amid a spike in anti-Asian discrimination and violence during the coronavirus pandemic. Although some Republicans have raised concerns about the bill, it is expected to advance on the Senate floor, allowing time for debate and adding amendments.

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"Hate crimes send messages to members of the victim’s group that they are unwelcome and unsafe in the community, victimizing the entire group and decreasing feelings of safety and security.vi,vii Furthermore, witnessing discrimination against one’s own group can lead to psychological distress and lower self-esteem."

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A hate crime is a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity." i

What Are the Effects of Hate Crimes?

People victimized by violent hate crimes are more likely to experience more psychological distress than victims of other violent crimes. ii Specifically, victims of crimes that are bias-motivated are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress, safety concerns, depression, anxiety and anger than victims of crimes that are not motivated by bias. iii,iv,v

Hate crimes send messages to members of the victim's group that they are unwelcome and unsafe in the community, victimizing the entire group and decreasing feelings of safety and security. vi,vii Furthermore, witnessing discrimination against one's own group can lead to psychological distress and lower self-esteem. viii

What Leads to Hate Crimes?

Hate crimes are an extreme form of prejudice, made more likely in the context of social and political change. Public and political discourse may devalue members of unfamiliar groups, ix and offenders may feel that their livelihood or way of life is threatened by demographic changes. x Offenders may not be motivated by hate, but rather by fear, ignorance or anger. These can lead to dehumanization of unfamiliar groups and to targeted aggression. xi,xii

How Prevalent Are Hate Crimes?

The FBI reported 7,145 hate crimes in 2017; xiii however, the majority of hate crimes are never reported, so these data underestimate the true pervasiveness. xiv

Reported hate crimes in 2017 were motivated by hostility based on race/ethnicity (58.1 percent), religion (22.0 percent), sexual orientation (15.9 percent), gender identity (.6 percent) and disability (1.6 percent). Hate crimes targeted Jewish, African-American and LGBT communities at high rates.

Psychological research has shown that prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination can have adverse effects on both the targets and the perpetrators.

-Antonio E. Puente, PhD, 2017 APA President

The American Psychological Association Condemns All Hate Crimes

APA supports the efforts of researchers, law enforcement, clinicians, teachers and policy-makers to reduce the prevalence of hate crimes and to alleviate their effects upon victims. xix We can address hate crimes through the following prevention and intervention policies and programs:

Support implementation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and full funding for the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, Office for Victims of Crime and Community Relations Service.

Enact hate crime laws in states lacking legislation and strengthen laws in others, incorporating race, religion, ethnicity/national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.xx

Follow law-enforcement and community guidelines outlined by campaigns such as 'Building Stronger, Safer Communities' and 'Not in Our Town.'

Recent APA Actions and Resources

Related

The content I just read:

Is Helpful Is Not Helpful

Interpersonal Violence Prevention

APA takes a public health approach to violence prevention advocacy, using psychological research to inform policies and programs.

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A hate crime is a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity." i People victimized by violent hate crimes are more likely to experience more psychological distress than victims of other violent crimes.

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Hatred fueled by prejudice and bias has motivated criminal acts throughout history and hate crimes continue to challenge the safety and well-being of people in the United States.

A hate crime is defined as a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole, or in part, by the offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

The U.S. Department of Justice is dedicated to combating hate crimes and providing services to victims of hate crimes.

The following resources provide information on hate and bias crimes.

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Hatred fueled by prejudice and bias has motivated criminal acts throughout history and hate crimes continue to challenge the safety and well-being of people in the United States. A hate crime is defined as a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole, or in part, by the offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

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The good news is, all over the country people are fighting hate, standing up to promote tolerance and inclusion. More often than not, when hate flares up, good people rise up against it — often in greater numbers and with stronger voices.

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Download the PDF
A presidential candidate wins election after denigrating Muslims, Latinos, women and people with disabilities. A young white man opens fire and kills nine African Americans who welcomed him into Bible study at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, telling his victims, "I have to do it." A Muslim woman is seated on a bench in front of a coffee shop in Washington, D.C., when a woman begins screaming anti-Muslim epithets. A swastika and other anti-Semitic graffiti appear at an elementary school in Stapleton, Colorado. A lone gunman carrying an assault rifle and a handgun storms a well-known gay club in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others.

Bias is a human condition, and American history is rife with prejudice against groups and individuals because of their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. As a nation, we've made a lot of progress, but stereotyping and unequal treatment persist.

When bias motivates an unlawful act, it is considered a hate crime. Most hate crimes are inspired by race and religion, but hate today wears many faces. Bias incidents (eruptions of hate where no crime is committed) also tear communities apart and can escalate into actual crimes.

Since 2010, law enforcement agencies have reported an average of about 6,000 hate crime incidents per year to the FBI. But government studies show that the real number is far higher - an estimated 260,000 per year. Many hate crimes never get reported, in large part because the victims are reluctant to go to the police. In addition, many law enforcement agencies are not fully trained to recognize or investigate hate crimes, and many simply do not collect or report hate crime data to the FBI.

The good news is, all over the country people are fighting hate, standing up to promote tolerance and inclusion. More often than not, when hate flares up, good people rise up against it - often in greater numbers and with stronger voices.

This guide sets out 10 principles for fighting hate in your community.

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Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide

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Download the PDF A presidential candidate wins election after denigrating Muslims, Latinos, women and people with disabilities. A young white man opens fire and kills nine African Americans who welcomed him into Bible study at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, telling his victims, "I have to do it."

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rallies, street marches, writing letters to newspapers,spreading info on social media

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Another way to fight against hate crime on campus is to make support groups for students.

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Here are 10 things you can do to fight hate on campus.

1. Rise Up

Inaction in the face of hate will be viewed as apathy or, worse yet, as support for bigotry itself. Do something. Don't let hate go unchallenged. In cases of bullying, bystanders do just as much to contribute to the problem, because they enable the bully to use hatred to make other students think less of themselves. Step up.

2. Pull Together

Bias incidents and hate crimes can divide communities. Don't let hate tear people apart on your campus; pull together instead. The more our campus community works together, the less likely it will be that those who teach hatred will succeed. Keep our community strong.

3. Speak Out!

When hate strikes, don't remain silent. Join with others; use your voices to denounce bigotry. Also, help guide the administration in its role. By providing positive voices for those who are ridiculed for being different, you show the need our community has to make a change, to respect all people because of their difference.

4. Support the Victims

Make sure that any planned response to a hate crime or bias incident takes into account the victims' needs and wishes. Too often, decisions are made on behalf of victims, but without their actual input.

5. Name It, Know It

Are you dealing with a hate crime or a bias incident? Hate crimes are a matter for the criminal justice system; bias incidents are governed by campus policy.

6. Understand the Media

What happens if the media descend on our campus during a bias crisis? And what happens if they don't? Prepare yourself to understand and work with the media. In regards to dealing LGBT Issues, Glaad Media offers a number of resources to train individuals to provide clear concise talking points for media outlets.

7. Know Our Campus

Before, during and after a bias crisis, examine institutional racism and bigotry on our campus. Be prepared to negotiate your way through these problem areas for effective change. Make sure that there is consensus, and that no one feels isolated, or left out of the conversation. You might miss out on the award winning view point.

8. Teach Tolerance

Bias crises often bring pain, anger and distrust to campus. They also present an opportunity for learning. Don't miss the chance to eradicate ignorance. Further, aim to teach acceptance; through acceptance a community can become closer.

9. Maintain Momentum

The immediate crisis has passed. You've got two papers due and a midterm coming up. No one seems interested in follow-up meetings. What happens now? Keep the discussion alive among your peers.

10. Pass the Torch

What happens when you leave campus? Will you leave behind a record of activism that will inspire incoming students to pick up the fight? Make sure you do. This is key to sustainability. In addition to keeping good notes about the events and resources you have on your belt, also consider training other people to take your place.

These are just short descriptions of some of the steps that you can take to fight hate on our campus. For more details, please download the publication by Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Many of these steps have been adapted to more aptly address the needs of the LGBT community, but these steps can be used any area where hate might be a problem.

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Here are 10 things you can do to fight hate on campus. Inaction in the face of hate will be viewed as apathy or, worse yet, as support for bigotry itself. Do something. Don't let hate go unchallenged.

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Senate votes to advance anti-Asian hate crimes bill

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Man Threatened to Stab Undercover Asian NYPD Officer: Police | NBC New York