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2024’s Strongest ‘Anti-Woke’ Crusader May Not Be What It Seems One Of The Most Sacred Premises Of American Law Is Bunk What’s Next For Zooey Zephyr Why Are Mass Shootings On The Rise This Year?
Vivek Ramaswamy wants you to believe he’s the next Donald Trump in the making, another brash apolitical businessman who’s taken up the mantle of “America First,” but who also offers a younger, sleeker alternative to the original.
And while his poll numbers aren’t that great, Ramaswamy is defying expectations so far: He’s currently in third place, behind DeSantis if he entered the race (what’s going on, Ron?).
But scratch the surface, and there are some contradictions in Ramaswamy’s image as an anti-awakening crusader. What exactly is your deal? Nitish Pahwa investigates and tells you everything you need to know.
(Wait, who else is running for president, again? It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Shirin Ali has you covered with a recap.)
Also: In case you missed it, Jim Newell warns that Democrats might need to check their excitement over the possibility of Trump being the GOP nominee.
And What Next asks: Is the media ready for Trump’s return? Or are we about to see a whole lot of bad journalism?
Election flashbacks, anyone?
Last night’s episode of Succession brought its characters to a new kind of breaking point, where they may finally have to face the consequences of their actions, writes Sam Adams, and the way is playing with the events of the 2020 election is really creepy.
Also: Help! Someone wrote to Prudie for advice, but Karl from Succession answered.
And Richard L. Hasen explains what the courts would do if this episode’s scenario played out in real life.
What E. Jean won
Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.
Now that the E. Jean Carroll trial has concluded, Christina Cauterucci reflects on the biggest lesson we can take from it. It’s satisfyingly simple.
Innocent until proven guilty
One of the most sacred premises of American law may not ring true to most people: Opinion polls suggest that Americans don’t think it’s all that bad that an innocent man goes to jail. prison Brandon Garrett and Gregory Mitchell explain what to make of this and what it could mean for the criminal justice system.
Censored but not silenced
Montana House Rep. Zooey Zephyr may have been banned from the state legislature, but she’s keeping an eye on the bigger issue: speaking out against the wave of anti-trans legislation in her state and across the country. He spoke to Shirin Ali about what it was like to be censored and what he’s focused on now.
“Ugh,” says the forest spirit
Nintendo
Players of the new Legend of Zelda game are discovering all kinds of ways to torture the Koroks, the game’s friendly forest spirits.
“What is it about these guys that makes Zelda players want to abuse them in almost medieval fashion?” Dan Kois writes. “Maybe it’s the funny noises they make when something happens to them.”
He has collected the most creative methods of torture in one comprehensive guide.
Today, Slate is… HANDLING AN ALMOST IMAGINABLY DIFFICULT INQUIRY*
*… just like Google’s new search engine with artificial intelligence, writes Alex Kantrowitz, which is about to give the online news industry a big blow (and, well, it’s been a rough year as is).
On that cheerful note, thank you so much for reading! See you tomorrow.
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