The Duck comes to #nerdland. Melissa Harris-Perry sat down with the outgoing U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, to discuss everything from voter suppression, to sentencing reform, and why we like to refer to him as “The Duck.”
But first, the latest on claims by ISIS that an American woman held hostage in Syria – was killed in a Jordanian airstrike. On Tuesday, ISIS released a video of a Jordanian fighter pilot being burned alive inside a cage. The video prompted a swift response from Jordan; two prisoners convicted of terrorism were executed, including a woman ISIS had been trying to free. By Thursday, Jordan had launched an extensive air attack on targets in Syria and Iraq. ISIS claims 26-year-old aid worker Kayla Mueller was buried in the rubble of a building hit by Jordanian aircraft. U.S. officials are unable to verify the terror group’s claims. Our experts will discuss the responses to these events as well other pressing international developments, including the growing unrest in Ukraine and Iran’s nuclear program. Panelists include:
- Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News correspondent
- Hillary Mann Leverett, author of “Going to Tehran”
- Nina Krushcheva, professor of International Affairs at The New School University
- Clarence Lusane, professor of Political Science and International Relations at American University
Then, who owns hip-hop? Many hip-hop fans are upset about Australian rapper Iggy Azalea’s inclusion in The Grammys’ Best Rap Album category and the exclusion of other rappers like Compton rapper YG. Rapper Wale said, “You’re omitting something that’s 100% authentic in favor of something that really is a caricature of what you interpreted or what you heard from our culture. So you’re basically telling me anybody can discover a voice or a character and be that person and make an album that’s Grammy-worthy?” Our guests will discuss ownership of the art form and culture and how people inside and outside of the Black community consume, create, and change it. Guests include:
- Michael Skolnick, editor-in-chief of GlobalGrind.com
- Toure, host of MSNBC’s “The Cycle”
- Jaeki Cho, music journalist, co-producer of the documentary “Bad Rap”
- FM Supreme, humanitarian rap artist
All that, plus, we’ll catch up with Betsy Hodges, the Minneapolis mayor at the center of #Pointergate, and get the latest on her plans for the city. And, Zach Roth brings us an MSNBC original report on disenfranchised voters in Iowa.
Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 10am ET on msnbc. Join the conversation—share your thoughts about these issues on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.
Victoria Asbury