Featured
Beyoncé, Democrats, and the Fight for ‘Freedom.’ By Brandon Tensley / Capital One
A 2016 song by the musician reflects Democrats’ effort to draw a connection between marginalized communities and the freedom they’re too often denied.
For the past month, the track, which is a propulsive blend of hip-hop, gospel, and R&B, has been Harris’ unofficial campaign anthem. And with good reason: It neatly reflects Democrats’ effort to draw a connection between marginalized communities and the freedom they’re too often denied. During her keynote address, Harris referenced “freedom” a dozen times, always to stress the kinds of rights and liberties — including reproductive freedom — that are at risk in November, especially for vulnerable Americans.
“In this election, many other fundamental freedoms are at stake: the freedom to live safe from gun violence in our schools, communities, and places of worship; the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride; the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis; and the freedom that unlocks all the others — the freedom to vote,” Harris said. Read more
Political / Social
How the Presidential Election Got This Close. By Thomas B. Edsall / NYT
Just as the overwhelming majority of Harris’s supporters won’t flip to Trump, Trump’s support is firmly entrenched, effectively creating a ceiling on Harris’s ability to extend her current modest lead.
The American electorate, as Lynn Vavreck, a political scientist at U.C.L.A., and her co-authors wrote, has “calcified.” Polarization doesn’t just pull us apart; it holds coalitions together. Barring an unanticipated development, the Nov. 5 election will be close, just as 2016 and 2020 were, with the outcome very likely to be determined by seven battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona and North Carolina. Read more
Related: Harris and Trump Begin Final Sprint: Where the Race Stands. By Ed Kilkgore / New York Intelligence
Related: Kamala Harris widens lead over Donald Trump among women in new poll. By Miranda Nazzaro / The Hill
To Keep The Senate, Democrats Need A Surprise Victory In At Least One Of These Three States. By and
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stood on stage at the Democratic National Convention and made a very bold prediction. “We’re going to hold the Senate again, and we’re poised to pick up seats,” he told the delegates in the United Center.
Trump aims to drag down Harris as he scrambles to keep up in tight race. By Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey and Marianne LeVine / Wash Post
The Republican nominee’s advisers and allies are clear-eyed about the unlikelihood of improving his standing. That leaves one option: damaging hers.
As another adviser told reporters last month: “If you think this race is going to be decided on likability, you’re making a grave error because neither one of them is going to be liked at the end of this race.” Like others, the advisers spoke on the condition of anonymity to more candidly discuss strategy. Read more
JD Vance’s dark vision of a “common good conservatism.” By Chauncey Devega / Salon
Bradley Onishi explores Vance’s conversion to Catholicism and the belief that big government could be good
Donald Trump’s selection of Sen. JD Vance as his vice-presidential running mate is both an attempt to secure the support of right-wing plutocrats and “Christian” right-wing authoritarians and a means of expanding his fake populist appeal among disaffected, alienated, racially resentful white voters who feel left behind. Read more
Murderer whose life sentence was commuted by Trump convicted of domestic violence. By Judd Legum / Popular Information
Davidson, who was convicted in the murder of a federal law enforcement officer in 1990, shared an attorney with Donald Trump Jr.
A drug kingpin convicted in the murder of a federal law enforcement officer had his life sentence commuted by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2021, the last day of Trump’s term. Now, the man set free by Trump, Jaime A. Davidson, was accused by authorities of strangling his wife during a 2023 dispute, convicted by a jury of domestic violence, and, in July 2024, sentenced to three months in jail, according to court records obtained by Popular Information. Read more
Black voters, Latino voters and other voters of color show solidarity at the ballot box. By Ehren Perez / The Conversation
In a presidential election that is expected to be close, turning out voters of color is once again crucial to victory in many battleground states, much like the 2020 election that Biden won. Biden won by fewer than 45,000 total votes across Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin, the three states that put him over the top in the Electoral College.
To win in 2024, Harris and Trump must mobilize communities of color that are already inclined to vote for Harris in large numbers – despite the slight inroads that Trump has made in this often fragile political coalition. We have also explored the factors that undermine these shared perspectives in two additional large-scale studies. Our evidence suggests that despite their many political and social differences, communities of color tend to vote for candidates who support policies that help remedy racial injustices against all groups, not just their own. Read more
DEI policies work best when they are designed to include everyone and are backed by evidence. By Henry Tran / The Conversation
Ironically, critics say that DEI efforts fail to include diverse perspectives – for example, by emphasizing certain backgrounds while neglecting others. Some argue that these programs actually worsen the problems they’re intended to solve.
While it’s easy to dismiss the backlash as purely a result of bigotry – as not all criticisms of DEI are made in good faith – it’s important to consider how DEI efforts themselves can be made to be more inclusive, in order to garner the support necessary to help society as a whole progress. Read more
World News
As furious protesters take to the streets, Netanyahu may well have reached his political dead-end. By Alon Pinkas / The Guardian
Israelis have kept their contempt for the prime minister in check for the sake of the war effort. Is his time finally up?
Despondent and livid Israelis, exuding deep anger and fury, have taken to the streets. Once it became known on Saturday that Hamas had executed six hostages, Israelis staged the largest demonstration against the government since the war in Gaza began. Those hostages could have been saved had Benjamin Netanyahu assented to a hostage deal. But he didn’t. In fact, he actively undermined the possibility for months, evading and reneging constantly. Read more
Shortages and delays hit morale of Kenyan officers in Haiti. By By Edwin Okoth and Aaron Ross / Reuters
Pay issues and shortages of equipment and manpower have sapped morale among Kenyan police officers deployed to Haiti and hampered their ability to confront heavily armed gangs, four officers told Reuters.
After three years of rampant killing, rape and extortion by gangs that control most of the capital Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s transitional government and its international allies are counting on the Kenyan-led mission to restore enough security to hold elections by February 2026. The Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission was authorised by the U.N. Security Council last October, but the initial deployment was delayed by political turmoil in Haiti, court challenges in Kenya, and difficulties mobilising funds. Read more
Maduro’s government orders arrest of candidate who U.S. says won more votes. By Samantha Schmidt / Wash Post
Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González greets supporters at a campaign rally in El Hatillo in June. (Adriana Loureiro Fernández for The Washington Post)
A Venezuelan judge has ordered the arrest of presidential candidate Edmundo González, who the United States and other governments say clearly beat the country’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, in its July 28 election. Maduro’s attorney general filed a warrant Monday for the arrest of the 75-year-old former diplomat as part of what he said was an investigation into the opposition’s publication of voting machine receipts showing their candidate won more than twice as many votes as the authoritarian socialist.
Ethics / Morality / Religion
Republicans pushing Christianity into public schools are hitting resistance — even in red states. By Andrew Atterbury and Juan Perez Jr. / Politico
New policies in places like Florida, Louisiana and Oklahoma are rekindling the debate over the separation of church and state.
Florida now allows chaplains in public schools. Oklahoma and Texas are looking to infuse Bible lessons into curricula. And Louisiana wants to set up Ten Commandments displays in classrooms. But these efforts to push Christianity into public schools are hitting a wall of hostility in conservative-led states, including lawsuits, protests and resistance from local officials. Read more
National Baptist Convention faces high-stakes meeting in Baltimore. By Liam Adams / USA Today
The nation’s largest group of Black Protestants is meeting this week for a high-stakes gathering that could thrust the denomination into an unprecedented leadership crisis − just as it faces major challenges in attracting a new generation of members.
The National Baptist Convention, USA, is one of four major Black Baptist denominations in the U.S. and is the oldest and largest of the four. The denomination, with between 5.2 million and 7.5 million members nationwide, has long been active on a host of high-profile issues, such as affordable housing, health disparities, education and criminal justice. Read more
Millions who left U.S. churches seek spiritual homes. By Marc Ramirez / USA Today
Brad Ruggles had already begun wrestling with his evangelical faith when he was called to launch a small church in a north Indianapolis suburb. As he pastored over his 200-member congregation, he found himself struggling with members’ resistance to issues of LGBTQ inclusion or questions raised by the murder of George Floyd.
Eventually, in 2021, he stepped down and away from his faith – but ultimately craved the brotherhood he’d enjoyed as part of a congregation. Then he found C3, an inclusive Sunday collective in west Michigan that had undergone its own transformation and now describes itself not as a church but a home for the spiritually homeless, dedicated to pondering existential questions and living out shared values. Read more
“Becoming a Whole Man” with Rasool Berry. Christianity Today
There’s a growing crisis many of us are facing, but are afraid to speak up about. Well, now it’s time to start talking. Sit down to hear our personal experiences, favorite conversations, and profound moments had with the newly released The Whole Man Project.
Get another chance to hear encouraging words from contributing voices of The Whole Man Project! We’re sharing some of the powerful moments from this past season of Where Ya From? with pastor James White, Dr. Nii Addy, Dr. Maliek Blade, and pastor Jerome Gay. Explore some of perspective-changing conversations and moments, while hearing some personal stories of struggles with pursuing wholeness in God that we all can relate to. Listen here
Historical / Cultural
The lessons of America’s deadliest presidential election in 1872. By David Martin Davies / The Source
In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War turning the American nation into a functional and peaceful political body proved to be almost impossible. For example the presidential election of 1872 was one of the most contentious and deadly in American history.
The election occurred during the Reconstruction era, a period characterized by deep divisions in the United States as the nation grappled with the consequences of the Civil War and the integration of formerly enslaved African Americans into the political system with the power of the vote. Just as the 1872 election exposed the fragility of American democracy during Reconstruction, the current political climate highlights the challenges of maintaining a stable and functioning democracy amid profound ideological divisions. Read more
University of Virginia suspends tours that had come under fire for mentioning Thomas Jefferson’s ties to slavery. By Daniel K. Li / NBC News
The Jefferson Council alumni group had opposed University Guide Service volunteers for mentioning that the school’s founder was a slaveowner.
Neale insisted his group doesn’t want a whitewashing of Jefferson’s status as a slaveowner, but a greater contextualization of America’s third president and Declaration of Independence author. He insisted that it should be taught that Jefferson signed into law, in 1807, the prohibition against the importation of slaves. The prohibition was poorly enforced, doing little to end the institution of slavery until the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Read more
New York Cemetery for Enslaved People Reclaimed. By
A centuries-old cemetery in Kingston, New York, once forgotten and buried beneath urban development, is being reclaimed as a site of historical significance.
The graveyard, now known as the Pine Street African Burial Ground, served as a resting place for enslaved African Americans from the mid-18th century through the late 19th century. Today, a committed community effort is working to restore dignity to those interred there and to preserve the memory of their lives. Located on a quiet residential block, this cemetery was uncovered after years of being obscured by modern expansion. Read more
John Coltrane’s criminally underrated record. By Matt Phillips / Everything Jazz
The saxophone legend’s often overlooked album gem “Crescent” celebrates its 60th anniversary. It’s so much more than just the precursor to “A Love Supreme”.
What emerged was quite unlike anything else he’d recorded and one of the most underrated gems in his catalogue. Wistful, introspective, melancholic but intense, and strongly foregrounding his three collaborators, “Crescent” was also obviously a sketchbook for the impending “A Love Supreme”, though arguably better-recorded, warmer and more welcoming. Coltrane also revealed that at least three tracks – “Wise One”, “Lonnie’s Lament” and “The Drum Thing” – were inspired by poems that he would often leave around the house for Alice to read. Read more
LL Cool J Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop. (And Why Would He?). Melena Ryzik / NYT
At 56, the hip-hop eminence and TV star can slip into Russian, stun arenas and delight executives. With Q-Tip as a producer, he’s returning to his first love: rap.
“I do it because I love it,” he said. “I love a fresh beat. A new lyric, a chord, the feeling — and then sharing that. Putting that on the easel of life, so to speak, for people to walk through the sonic gallery and listen to this, these vibes. I love that. I wanted my voice to be heard, and I wanted to share.” Read more
Earth, Wind & Fire Reflect on Late ‘Mentor’ Maurice White: ‘We Know What That Standard Is’ Because of Him. By Chris Barilla / People
The legendary musicians pay homage to the group’s late founder , who died in 2016, in conversation with PEOPLE
Despite achieving virtually all of the possible successes one could in the music world, the members of Earth, Wind & Fire are quick to point out that they wouldn’t be here today if not for the band’s late founder, Maurice White, who died in 2016 at 74 years old from Parkinson’s disease. In conversation with PEOPLE amid their headlining Heart & Soul Tour alongside Chicago, the group’s primaries, Verdine White, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson, reflect on Maurice’s role as the “architect” of the legendary ensemble. Read more
Sports
Simone Biles Bids Farewell To 1 Of Her Greatest Moves In The Most Iconic Way. By
The move was named the Biles II in 2023 after she became the first to pull it off in an international competition. Biles said at the Paris Olympics last month that she would sunset the extremely difficult maneuver after she performed it in the all-around and vault finals, securing gold in both events. Read more
Welcome to the Era of the Black Quarterback. By Jason Reid / AndscapeFor years, sportswriters contacted Black quarterback pioneers James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams, seeking comment each time a young, African American passer led a team to the NFL playoffs for the first time. Aware of the cultural significance of Black men thriving at the most important position in sports – a position that, historically, was off limits to them – the journalists gained insight and context from Harris and Williams about a seismic shift occurring on the field. Then, suddenly, reporters stopped calling. So many Black men have become star QBs, Williams explained, their rise to the top of the league is no longer a novelty. Read more
Nick Kyrgios offers to take over coaching Coco Gauff amid her recent struggles, disappointing US Open finish. By Chantz Martin / Fox News
While Kyrgios did not participate in this year’s U.S. Open, he did make his way to Flushing Meadows to play in exhibition mixed doubles a week before the official competition got underway.
But, it appears that watching Coco Guaff come up short in her pursuit of a second consecutive U.S. Open women’s title motivated Kyrgios to offer his expertise to the young tennis star. Gauff became visibly frustrated in the fourth round of her match with Navarro and appeared to say, “Tell me something!” as she looked toward her box inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The 20-year-old was charged with 60 unforced errors in the match. Read more
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