Topic of the day: celebrities getting political. Hollywood is busy during the award season, but many celebrities have taken the opportunity to speak out about their political views. ICYMI, check out the speeches by the “Stranger Things” cast and “Moonlight” star Mahershala Ali from the SAG Awards on Sunday night.

Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

President Trump Fires the Acting U.S. Attorney General for Defying Immigration Ban

Last night, President Donald Trump fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates for defying his executive order on immigration. Trump and White House spokesman Sean Spicer said that Yates “betrayed the Department of Justice” when she refused to comply with Trump’s order. In a statement, the White House said that Yates is “weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration” and also made sure to point out that she was an Obama Administration appointee.

Yates wrote in a letter on Monday that she is responsible for making sure that the positions the Justice Department takes are right. “At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful,” she wrote. Republicans harshly condemned Yates, calling her a traitor and saying that the AG’s responsibility is to carry out the president’s orders. But she is a hero to many on the left.

Sally Yates was a career prosecutor for more than 2 decades & prosecuted Olympic bomber prior to being named Deputy AG. She exits DOJ a hero

— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) January 31, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post RantCrush Top 5: January 31, 2017 appeared first on Law Street.

A shooting at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada on Sunday evening left six people dead, and over a dozen people injured; at least five are in critical condition. Witnesses said two gunmen, both dressed in black, entered the mosque and began firing indiscriminately into the crowd of worshippers. Early Monday morning, police said they took two men into custody, but a few hours later, said one of the suspects was a witness, and the other is now considered the sole gunman. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident a “terrorist attack on Muslims” in a statement on Monday. “It is heart-wrenching to see such senseless violence. Diversity is our strength, and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear,” he said. “Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country.”

Tonight, Canadians grieve for those killed in a cowardly attack on a mosque in Quebec City. My thoughts are with victims & their families.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 30, 2017

Soon after the two alleged attackers were arrested on Monday morning, their identities were released: Alexandre Bissonnette and Mohamed Khadir. According to a witness, the two men entered the mosque at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Center, and yelled “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great” in Arabic, as bullets whizzed over the heads of worshippers. But by the afternoon, police confirmed that only one of the men is being considered a perpetrater of the attack; the other was a witness. The identity of the attacker has not been officially revealed by the police.

“Please wait for the preliminary result before spreading rumors. The situation is very critical, but inshallah, we’re ready to endure it,” said a statement on the mosque’s Facebook page. “All our thoughts are with the children, whom we must tell about the death of their fathers,” another message said. “May Allah give them patience and endurance.”

This is not the first time this mosque was targeted. Last summer, a bloody pig’s head wrapped in cellophane was left at the front door of the mosque, along with a note that said “Bonne appétit.” In Islam, the consumption of pork is forbidden. South of the Canadian border, in America, protests raged in cities like New York, Washington D.C., and Boston over President Donald Trump’s executive order banning refugees from seven predominately Muslim countries.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the police department will bolster security at the city’s mosques. “Our prayers tonight are with the people of Quebec City as they deal with a terrible attack on a mosque,” he said in a tweet. In another, he wrote: “To my fellow New Yorkers who are Muslim: New York City will protect you. The NYPD will protect you. We will fight all hatred and bias.”

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Attack at Quebec Mosque Leaves Six Dead, Five in Critical Condition appeared first on Law Street.