All things shutdown, plus the Justice Department's bold move against North Carolina's voter suppression and more -- all coming up on Saturday's fresh edition of "Melissa Harris-Perry"!
If you haven’t already heard, the government officially shutdown as the clock struck midnight on October 1st. Who’s to blame? Well, that depends on which side of the aisle you find yourself. What we do know is that the American people are paying the price for Congress’ failure and there seems to be no resolution in sight. Join us Saturday when host Melissa Harris-Perry and her panel will break down everything you need to know about the shutdown.
Of course, no conversation on government inefficiency would be complete without understanding the major actors involved. Playing a leading role in the shutdown debacle is House Speaker John Boehner. We all recognize him–sometimes he cries, sometimes he looks a bit too tan–but do we really know John Boehner? On Saturday’s MHP, our host and panel will uncover the mystery behind the man from his fledgling days in Congress right up to his speakership. And Melissa will also bring you the latest updates on the Obamacare rollout from how many people have already signed up, to what Obamacare means for you and your state.
While Washington D.C. remains shut down, there is news out of the Justice Department. Attorney General Eric Holder filed a lawsuit against North Carolina on Monday on the grounds that some of the provisions of its new voting laws are unconstitutional. Specifically, the lawsuit cites strict voter ID requirements, cutbacks in early voting days, the elimination of same-day registration, and a ban on provisional ballots cast outside a voter’s home precinct. In addition, the Justice Department wants to require North Carolina to get federal pre-clearance before changing its voting laws. Virginia is also being challenged in federal court over plans to strike 57 thousand voters from the rolls during a “voter purge” meant to weed out fraud –just a month before the gubernatorial election. The suit is being filed by The Virginia Democratic Party which claims some voters will be wrongfully kept from voting in November because of the purge. On Saturday, MHPwill bring you the latest from both states.
Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10 a.m. EST on MSNBC! Also, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.