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WASHINGTON - The premise of the upcoming Fox series "Shots Fired" is certainly ripped from the headlines: It's about two racially charged murders in a Southern town, including the killing of a white student by a black police officer.

But we learned at the D.C. screening of the show at the Newseum on Tuesday night that there is even more real-life inspiration at work: the character played by actor Stephan James - an idealistic young prosecutor at the Justice Department - is based in part on former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr., who offered guidance to the show's creators and to James.

Much of the TV show has been shot in Kannapolis and other areas around Cabarrus and Rowan counties.

The show's co-creators, husband-and-wife team Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood, consulted with the top lawyer in the Obama administration, as well as conducting interviews with Wanda Johnson, the mother of Oscar Grant - whose shooting was dramatized in the film "Fruitvale Station" - as well as former New York City Police Department commissioner Raymond Kelly. "Some of the things (Holder) gave us ended up being a template for Stephan's character," Reggie Bythewood said.

"Probably a lot of Eric Holder," James said when asked about the inspiration for his character. "He was so helpful to me in the beginning stages of creating this character. He's had so much success in his career, and Preston Terry (James' character) is on that same trajectory."

James described his on-screen persona in a way that might sound familiar to those who know the former AG: "He's this young, confident lawyer who comes in and thinks he's going to change this community, and maybe even change the world." It seems James is developing a pattern of playing Washington types - he portrayed Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., in the 2014 film "Selma."

Stars Mack Wilds and Sanaa Lathan also strutted the crimson gantlet at the Newseum, chatting about the show and posing for the cameras - but it was veteran actor Richard Dreyfuss who broke the red-carpet routine.

The "American Graffiti" actor appeared disheveled compared with his polished and well-coiffed co-stars (his necktie was completely outside his V-neck sweater, and he wore a heavy overcoat). Dreyfuss appeared buoyant, first attempting to lead the reporters lining the red carpet in an inexplicable chant of "Nazi b---es!"

"If this show does what it should, it will be the most current show you've imagined in your life," he boasted. In "Shots Fired," Dreyfuss plays the owner of a private prison, and Dreyfuss reminded us that he's quite comfortable playing newsworthy men.

"I've played Dick Cheney; I've played Alexander Haig," he said. "This is like rolling off a log."

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Eric Holder inspired a character in Fox's police-shooting drama 'Shots Fired' - Independent Tribune

The premise of the upcoming Fox series Shots Fired is certainly ripped from the headlines: Its about two racially charged murders in a Southern town, including the killing of a white student by a black police officer.

But we learned at the Washington screening of the show at the Newseum on Tuesday night that thereis even more real-life inspiration at work: the character played by actor Stephan James an idealistic young prosecutor at the Justice Department is based in part on former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr., who offered guidance to the shows creators and to James.

The shows co-creators, husband-and-wife team Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood, consulted with the top lawyer in the Obama administration, as well as conducting interviews withWanda Johnson, the mother of Oscar Grant whose shooting was dramatized in the film Fruitvale Station as well asformer New York City Police Department commissioner Raymond Kelly. Some of the things [Holder]gave us ended up being a template for Stephans character, Reggie Bythewood said.

Probably a lot of Eric Holder, James said when asked about the inspiration for his character. He was so helpful to me in the beginning stages of creating this character. Hes had so much success in his career, and Preston Terry [Jamess character] is on that same trajectory.

James described his on-screen persona in a way that might sound familiar to those who know the former AG: Hes this young, confident lawyer who comes in and thinks hes going to change this community, and maybe even change the world.It seems James is developing a pattern of playing Washington types he portrayed Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) in the 2014 film Selma.

Stars Mack Wilds and Sanaa Lathan also strutted the crimson gantlet at the Newseum, chatting about the show and posing for the cameras but it was veteran actor Richard Dreyfuss who broke the red-carpet routine.

The American Graffiti actorappeared disheveled compared with his polished and well-coiffed co-stars (his necktie was completely outside his V-neck sweater, and he wore a heavy overcoat). Dreyfuss appeared buoyant, first attempting to lead the reporters lining the red carpet in an inexplicable chant of Nazi b-rd!

If this show does what it should, it will be the most current show youve imagined in your life, he boasted.In Shots Fired, Dreyfuss plays the owner of a private prison, and Dreyfuss reminded us that hes quite comfortable playing newsworthy men.

Ive played Dick Cheney; Ive played Alexander Haig, he said. This is like rolling off a log.

Continued here:
How Eric Holder inspired a character in Fox's police-shooting drama 'Shots Fired' - Washington Post

Democrats in Maryland may be heartened to hear this piece of news about former President Barack Obama from his close friend, Eric Holder: "He's ready to roll."

Specifically, the former president is looking into ways to support Mr. Holder's nationwide effort to end gerrymandering, the former attorney general said recently. Mr. Holder is heading the new National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which will pursue legislative action, ballot initiatives or court cases to ensure fairer drawing of congressional and legislative district lines. The rationale is that more fairly drawn districts will produce elected officials who better represent their constituents and, not so incidentally, that Democrats will have a much better chance of recapturing the House of Representatives under such a system than they do now.

But that puts Democrats in the General Assembly in a bit of an awkward position, as they again greet with skepticism Gov. Larry Hogan's proposal to end Maryland gerrymandering and vest redistricting powers in the hands of an independent, non-partisan commission. The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the governor's proposed constitutional amendment last week, and most Democrats on the panel appraised the idea with something just short of hostility.

The issue is not that the Democrats made a pro-gerrymandering argument. On the contrary, they generally acknowledged the governor's basic point that voters should get to pick their representatives, not the other way around. Their objection, though often couched in gentler terms, was a nakedly partisan one: Why should Maryland give up the ability to draw districts to advantage Democrats when other states controlled by Republicans aren't doing the same?

The Democratic alternative to Governor Hogan's proposal is a bill calling for a multi-state, regional compact to adopt such commissions. Maryland would adopt a process more or less like the one Governor Hogan is proposing if and only if Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina do the same. It has 26 co-sponsors in the Senate. Supporters say that Maryland would be exercising leadership in passing such a bill and that it would pressure other states to follow.

In reality, that's a recipe for nothing changing here or elsewhere. Maryland was a leader in establishing a national compact to award electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote. Ask Hillary Clinton how well that turned out.

Democrats in the hearing also complained that Governor Hogan has not formally supported U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen's effort to set national standards limiting gerrymandering. Fair enough; there's no reason why he shouldn't. But clearly, the governor recognizes the same thing that President Obama and Mr. Holder do, which is that the chances of national redistricting reform passing Congress are virtually nil and that any progress must be made on a state-by-state level. If Democrats aren't willing to take a principled stand in a state where, realistically, one or two seats are on the line, what makes them think Republicans in a more populous and equally gerrymandered state like North Carolina will do so?

In a recent speech at the Center for American Progress discussing his initiative, Mr. Holder couched his opposition to gerrymandering in the same terms as his efforts to fight restrictive voter ID laws, attacks on the Voting Rights Act and other attempts to limit the franchise. "Fairer maps aren't just good for the Democratic Party," he said. "They are good for our democracy. They are good for the American people." Changing the status quo is "an effort we want all 50 states involved in," he said.

To be sure, there is a partisan edge to his work. The premise of his effort is that Republicans have been more successful in drawing the lines to their advantage than Democrats have, owing largely to the resources they poured into controlling state houses and governors' mansions in the lead-up to the last round of redistricting after the 2010 census. Consequently, his immediate strategy involves getting more Democrats elected to those offices in the next few years. "Our goal is to make sure that Democrats are in a position to ensure fair and representative electoral districts," he said.

Of course, that assumes Democrats would create a system to produce such districts if given the chance. It's up to the members of his party in Annapolis to prove him right.

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The progressive case for redistricting reform - Baltimore Sun

The actors of Saturday Night Live mocked Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the weekend as Forrest Gump in their cold open skit, ridiculing him in a way theyd never do to a Democratic attorney general like Eric Holder or Loretta Lynch, who both served under former President Barack Obama.

Sessions was portrayed by SNL actress Kate McKinnon.

The skit begins with Sessions sitting on a park bench at a bus stop in a scene very familiar to that in the hit 1990s movie Forrest Gump.

Im the attorney general of the whole United States. I got to meet the president and everything, Sessions tells actress Leslie Jones on the park bench, eating from a box of chocolates.

I always say life is like a box of chocolates, Sessions said, quoting a famous like from the movie. Then, they implied that the real-life Sessions in a racist.

Sure are a whole lot of brown ones in there, he continued.

The actors didnt leave the scene without getting a dig at White House counselor Kellyanne Conway.

Holding up the now infamous picture of Conway on her knees on a couch in the Oval Office, Sessions said: This is my best good friend Kellyanne she aint got no legs. Were about as close as peas and carrots. Shes the best talker you ever heard. They say she could sell stink to a skunk, but they dont let her talk anymore.

As the skit rolls on, Sessions speaks to several other people on the bench at the bus stop, where he openly admits wrongdoing in talking to the Russians.

At one point, Sessions tells another man that he was on the front page Wall Street Journal, except it was a story about Sessions allegedly committing perjury.

Yeah, I had a bad week, Sessions said.

Later, Russian President Vladimir Putin shows up portrayed by Beck Bennett and fist bumps Sessions.

This meeting never happened, Putin says.

I wasnt gonna remember it anyway, Sessions replied.

At the end of the skit, actress Octavia Spencer, who famously played Minny in the hit 2011 movie The Help, arrives at the bus stop holding what appears to be a pie.

Are you Jeff Sessions, the one Coretta Scott King wrote that letter about? Minny asks.

Oh, wow, that was 40 years ago. You still remember that? Sessions replied.

Ohhhhh, a lot of people in Alabama remember that, sir, Minny follows up.

And I have a pie I made especially for you, she adds, implying that it is the famous pie she served up in The Help, which she made from human feces.

That is a mighty kind gesture, Sessions tells Minny. Hey, is this what I think it is?

It is, Minny replies with a sly smirk.

Mmmm, my favorite! Session says, taking a big bite of the pie.

Watch the full skit below:

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Watch: SNL mocks Jeff Sessions in a way they'd never do to Eric Holder or Loretta Lynch - TheBlaze.com

Published March 02, 2017 | FoxNews.com

Former President Obama is getting ready to jump back into the political pool, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.

Holder said he has been talking with Obama about different ways to help the new National Democratic Redistricting Committee, according to Politico. Obama asked Holder to be chairman of the group last year.

He's ready to roll, Holder told reporters at a briefing.

Obama and other top Democrats are focusing efforts on state-level races and ending the reconfiguring of voting districts through the politically-laded process known as gerrymandering a combined effort to end Trump-ism and help their party regain control of Congress and legislatures across the country.

Politico reported that the group seeks to direct resources into winning certain state elections, push ballot initiatives for nonpartisan district-drawing commissions and wage legal wars to existing maps.

By accomplishing their goals, the group hopes it would put Democrats at a better advantage in state legislatures and the House of Representatives.

Obama indicated before leaving the White House last fall that his short-term, post-presidency focus will be on General Assembly races and redistricting after the 2020 Census. Voting districts are redrawn after a federal Census to reflect the changes in population and other demographic. Much of the redistricting across the country is done by the political party that controls the state legislature.

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Eric Holder: Obama Preparing to Get Back Into Political Spotlight - Fox News