U.S. Navy Could Fight Pirates With Lasaaarrrrs

Despite Trump’s vows of vengeance against the Georgia governor, he cannot find a top-tier candidate to run against him.

6/12/2021

covid-19

The Implications of the Lab-Leak Hypothesis

By David Wallace-Wells

The epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch explains the risks of the virus research done at the Wuhan Institute.

Most Popular

6/12/2021

A whale of a tale

Licensed commercial lobster divers literally pluck lobsters off the sandy bottom, and as [Michael] Packard, 56, dove down Friday morning, he saw schools of sand lances and stripers swimming by. The ocean food chain was in full evidence, but about 10 feet from the bottom Packard suddenly knew what it truly felt like to be part of that chain. In something truly biblical, Packard was swallowed whole by a humpback whale.

“All of a sudden, I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew it was completely black,” Packard recalled Friday afternoon following his release from Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. “I could sense I was moving, and I could feel the whale squeezing with the muscles in his mouth.”

'I was completely inside': Lobster diver swallowed by humpback whale off Provincetown

—Cape Cod Times

6/12/2021

the national interest

Biden’s Biggest Danger is Congressional Democrats Afraid to Tax the Rich

By Jonathan Chait

Behind the scenes, Democrats are knifing the administration’s legacy.

Darnella Frazier, Who Filmed George Floyd’s Murder, Gets Pulitzer Nod

awards

By Nia Prater

The Pulitzer board awarded her a special citation, saying her video showed ”the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quest for truth and justice.”

Merrick Garland Unveils Plan B for Protecting Voting Rights

politics

As new congressional legislation stalls, the Justice Department will utilize the powers it already possesses to fight voter-suppression measures.

What’s Driving the Surge in Ransomware Attacks?

explainer

By Matt Stieb

From gas to meat, hackers keep disrupting large sectors of the economy. Here’s why the attacks are getting easier and what’s being done to stop them.

Maya Wiley and Eric Adams Trade Jabs Over Cops and Guns

nyc mayoral race

By Nia Prater

During the most recent NYC mayoral debate, Wiley declined to say whether she would disarm NYPD officers. Adams called her answer “alarming.”

Johnson & Johnson Must Toss 60 Million Vaccine Doses Made at Troubled Plant

covid vaccines

By Chas Danner

Only ten million J&J doses produced by Emergent BioSolutions’ Baltimore facility have been cleared for use.

2021 california recall election

Why Recall Fever Is Sweeping California

Easy rules, intense reaction to COVID-19 restrictions, and a Republican Party with nothing better to do have all fueled a wave of recall drives.

Will Women Be Required to Register for the Military Draft?

poltiics

After the Supreme Court dodged the question, Congress could move to include women — or abolish registration altogether for the first time since 1940.

Trump DOJ Seized Adam Schiff’s Records in Search for Leaks

department of justice

By Matt Stieb

Prosecutors seized metadata of the top House Intelligence Democrat, Eric Swalwell, and a minor in a failed hunt to find those leaking to reporters.

CDC Flags Rare Cases of Heart Swelling in Young People After COVID Jab

side effects

By Paola Rosa-Aquino

Reported myocarditis cases make up a tiny fraction of the nearly 130 million Americans who have had both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Why It’s So Hard to Hire Restaurant Workers Right Now

intelligencer chats

By Chris Crowley and Benjamin Hart

For one thing, the pandemic allowed servers, cooks, and others to reevaluate their place in a precarious industry.

6/11/2021

Doubles as a pretty good album cover

Photo: @justinsink/Twitter

The Limits of Wealth-Tax Populism

inequality

By Eric Levitz

Safeguarding democracy from inequality will require much more than soaking the superrich.

Key Moments From the Third NYC Mayoral Debate

nyc mayoral race

By Matt Stieb

Highlights from a shorter and arguably more contentious contest.

Ilhan Omar Backs Down In Latest Blowup With Democrats

politics

The congresswoman’s remarks about Israel, Hamas, the U.S., and the Taliban were taken out of context, and she was forced to issue a “clarification.”

Rafael Nadal Is an Artist Too

sports

By Caira Conner

Federer gets all the odes. But there’s beauty in the King of Clay’s game — and in his foibles.

Jeffrey Toobin Returns From ‘Zoom Dick’ Exile

media

By Nia Prater

CNN welcomed him back eight months after he was fired by The New Yorker, which he called “excessive punishment.”

Republicans Are Furious Fast-Food Workers Are Getting a Raise

the national interest

By Jonathan Chait

It’s almost as if they object to any outcome that gives low-wage workers more money.

6/10/2021

Say what?

Feinstein, asked about some Dems saying they’d choose democracy over the filibuster: “If democracy were in jeopardy, I would want to protect it. But I don’t see it being in jeopardy right now.”

—@AndrewSolender