As the territorial tug-of-war over Crimea continues to intensify, some politicians in this country have shifted their focus from Ukrainian sovereignty and international law to how President Obama’s personal style compares to that of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Some who oppose the president’s handling of the situation in Ukraine have called attention to his pensive nature and sartorial choices which, in their opinion, indicate weakness when compared to President Putin who poses with leopards, rides horses shirtless, and flies fighter jets. Descriptions of President Obama wearing “mom jeans” suggest a feminized view of him, while President Putin is portrayed as the embodiment of manly strength. On Sunday’s Melissa Harris Perry, we’re talking all about the perception of power.
In West Virginia, there are still many questions regarding the safety of the water that was contaminated in January when the chemical MCHM spilled into the Elk River. While officials claim the water is safe to use, complaints of odors and sickness have some residents still feeling skeptical. So, some West Virginians are looking to the skies for a solution to their water woes, collecting rain water as a substitute for using the tap.
We’ll also take a look at the current state of America’s housing market. On the surface, the statistics look promising. National home prices rose nearly 12% from January 2013 to January 2014 (the strongest gain since 2005), there were more than five million existing home sales (the highest numbers since 2006), and foreclosure filings were the lowest since 2007. But could the numbers be hiding a disturbing trend that could lead us to yet another collapse?
Lastly, #nerdland, it’s time to take out your notebooks and pencils because on Sunday it’s time for class – hip hop class! Grammy award winning producer and DJ 9th Wonder (also known as Patrick Douthit) will join us to about his teaching fellowship at Harvard and his new documentary The Hip Hop Fellow.
We will also continue to keep you updated on the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 as that story develops.
Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 10 a.m. EST on msnbc! Ari Melber, co-host of The Cycle, will be in for host Melissa Harris-Perry. Also, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.
Rachel Zuckerman