A shooter killed at least five people at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland. Plus the impact of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement, the debate over political “incivility,” and more.
Annapolis Shooting: A gunman killed at least five people and seriously injured several others at the offices of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. Local authorities say a suspect is in custody. Here is the Baltimore Sun’ s report on what we know so far.
Kennedy’s Retirement: The former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens once told the scholar Jeffrey Rosen that the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy could lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned. Now, Kennedy is stepping down, and activists for and against abortion rights are preparing for an intense battle over his replacement. Kennedy’s departure could also have a major impact on environmental policy. Already this term, the court has ruled along ideological lines on several cases related to the Republican Party’s agenda; with Kennedy gone, Ron Brownstein writes, it will be even less likely to act as a check on President Trump.
Civil Discourse: What’s the best way to stand up for your beliefs? Proponents of political “civility” have criticized a call from Representative Maxine Waters to “harass” members of the Trump administration through protest as overly confrontational. Yet such tactics of “incivility” have been used throughout American history—and neither meaningful protest nor change may be possible without them.
— Rosa Inocencio Smith
John Kerry, the former U. S. Secretary of State, shares his advice for the Democratic Party.
Deborah Tannen, a linguistics professor at Georgetown University, explains what she learned about the dynamics of women’s friendships by reconnecting with the grade-school friend who abruptly cut her off more than 50 years ago.
Stephen Metcalf on the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat:
Keep reading, as Metcalf describes how Basquiat, while defying artistic convention, grappled with his own rising fame.
On June 24, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was re-elected president of Turkey, a position that has become more powerful since his April 2017 referendum to expand presidential authority. Earlier this year, Erdogan’s government implemented significant election changes, some targeted at Kurdish-majority districts, that critics say may have helped him cheat his way back into office by weakening ballot fraud protections and making it harder for Kurds to vote. What exactly are Erdogan’s political philosophies?
Can you remember the other key facts from this week’s global coverage? Test your knowledge below:
1. In 1964, Congress passed a resolution declaring ____________ a distinctive American product.
Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.
2. Every time he scores a goal, the Egyptian soccer star Mo Salah performs ____________, a religious act of prostration.
Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.
3. People who live near ____________ are 10 percent more likely to be happy than people who don’t.
Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.
— Mara Wilson
Our partner site CityLab explores the cities of the future and investigates the biggest ideas and issues facing city dwellers around the world. Gracie McKenzie shares today’s top stories:
For more updates like these from the urban world, subscribe to CityLab’s Daily newsletter.
In the July/August issue of The Atlantic, Jesse Singal wrote about the experience of people who have reversed their medical gender transitions. Susan Knoppow, whose adult child has a nonbinary gender identity, responds:
Read more letters from the parents of trans and nonbinary kids, and write to us at letters@theatlantic.com.
Baleen forensics, shattering drama, gaming disorder, geopolitical schadenfreude .
