Extra, Extra
Iranian Helicopter Crash: “Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.” Arash Azizi in The Atlantic (Gift Article) on Who Would Benefit From Ebrahim Raisi’s Death? “For Khamenei, what mattered was that Raisi could be counted on to toe the regime’s line. Although competition is tight, Raisi may have more blood on his hands than any other living official of the Islamic Republic.” And from Time: Why Some Iranians Refuse to Mourn President Ebrahim Raisi. (The nickname the butcher of Tehran provides some clues.)
+ Gunning for Bibi: “While Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, do not face imminent arrest, the announcement by the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor was a symbolic blow that deepened Israel’s isolation over the war in Gaza.” War crimes prosecutor seeks arrest of Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu. “President Biden said the effort to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant over the war in Gaza was ‘outrageous,’ adding ‘whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas.'”
+ Riddled America: Columbus, OH, is “a city considered so typically American that fast-food chains use it as a test market.” It’s also typically American when it comes to gun violence numbers. That wasn’t always the case. NYT (Gift Article): How Gun Violence Spread Across One American City. (Spoiler alert: Policies matter.)
+ Diddy Said, She Said: “Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt. When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.” Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs says he is ‘truly sorry’ for physically assaulting Cassie Ventura in 2016. The apology only came after the leak of a horrific assault.
+ The Upside Down “The sheer pettiness of these gripes—the fact that these men continue to filter justice through their small, round, grudge-colored glasses—is what is breathtaking here … Apparently the life-altering principle of self-soothing your small injuries matters above all things.” Dahlia Lithwick in Slate on Alito’s upside down flag. The Smallest Justice Who Ever Lived. This story is a big deal. Don’t miss my coverage from Friday. We’re living in the upside down: Danger Things.
+ Mike Drop: Michael Cohen is off the witness stand and the prosecution has rested in the Trump hush money case. The defense has called their first witness. Here’s the latest from CNN and NBC. Whatever the verdict, we already know a group of winners in the Trump trial. Professional line-standers.
+ A Chart Apart: “With a mix of prolific artistic output and relentless business savvy, plus cultural dominance as a celebrity, Swift, 34, has created such a swell of momentum that she is probably more popular — more omnipresent — 19 years into her professional music career than she ever has been. That is not normal. But just how big is Taylor Swift, in terms of the all-time pop pantheon?” NYT (Gift Article) with an interesting look at the music stats of the biggest artists ever. How Big Is Taylor Swift? (In my car during the commute to and from my daughter’s school … BIG.)
+ Taking the Long Way: “More than 60 years after he was denied an opportunity to become America’s first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight finally traveled into space Sunday with five other passengers on a 10-minute flight inside a Blue Origin capsule.”
