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At a school board meeting in Michigan last fall, Hassan Aoun had a sudden political awakening. He became angry that people were advocating LGBTQ+-themed books in schools and went viral when he joined a group of protesters who shut down the meeting. Now he has become a particularly vocal Muslim advocate against what he calls an attempt to indoctrinate children.
Aymann Ismail tells Aoun’s story and looks at how rhetoric about LGBTQ+ advocates’ alleged “grooming” of children through books and other media is bringing new voters into the Republican fold.
Budget bluster
The Freedom Caucus is at it again. Jim Newell explains what they have to show to upset Kevin McCarthy all week, and the budget drama that awaits us all.
Location, location, location
Jack Smith looks down in front of the flags.
The Supreme Court just made a decision that Jack Smith could have used a week ago! It is about the constitutional consequences of a misplaced criminal trial. Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern find out what it could mean for the Trump documents case.
Plus: Stern tells us the surprising reason why Judge Neil Gorsuch has been so good with Native rights.
Goodbye to a whistleblower
More than 50 years ago, Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, the Defense Department’s secret history of the Vietnam War, and changed the course of American history. He died on Friday at the age of 92.
Fred Kaplan, who has known Ellsberg for 43 years, shared some thoughts on his life and legacy, including some words of life advice from his last Zoom call. It’s worth your time.
Cormac McCarthy’s rubbish
Yes, their garbage. On a few occasions in the 1990s, Debbie Nathan rooted through the garbage can of the local literati. She is here to share what she found.
A unique GOP challenger
What’s Happening at Starbucks and Target Is Much More Serious Than It Looks Amy Coney Barrett Scored a Massive Victory for Native Rights The Surprising Reason Neil Gorsuch Has Been So Good About Native Rights The Amazing Women Fighters Who Set the prime minister of india
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is one of the most interesting GOP presidential candidates, writes Nitish Pahwa. (It’s kind of like Ronald Reagan with a crypto wallet. YMMV!) Join Pahwa as he takes a closer look at what Suarez has that the rest of the primary field doesn’t.
cone of shame
Dan Kois’ dismay at the state of Pixar Studios continues!
Not only is Elemental pretty bad, so is the short that plays right before it.
Today, Slate is… FAR RICHER AND RANGER THAN THE MOST COMPLEX ONLINE DATABASE*
… like the imagination of Wes Anderson as he tackles existential questions about our place in a vast and chaotic universe.
Thank you so much for reading! We hope your weekend feels pleasantly extended and not so chaotic.
This newsletter will be off on Monday for Juneteenth, and back again on Tuesday (but Slate dotcom is here for you all weekend).
In the meantime, here’s some Juneteenth-related reading:
From our archives
* Mary Harris talks with Adam Serwer about the history and meaning of Juneteenth.
* Jonathan Coleman recounts how, in 1981, a Juneteenth celebration in Texas ended in a very American tragedy.
* Rebecca Onion recalls how even northern “sympathizers” made emancipation a painful process.
