But Ted is more concerned right now with what it all means. This is the critical window to solidify how we as a country think of Juneteenth, lest it go the way of end-of-summer-bash Labor Day.
Ted sees in the red, black and green party supplies early signs of the holiday turning into nothing more than a “summer Kwanzaa.” It’s a concern columnist Michele Norris picked up on two years ago when she noticed all the “tchotchkes, doodads and gewgaws” but none of the lesson plans.
Ted proposes a better option: Juneteenth shouldn’t take on the Pan-African colors, but rather the red, white and blue of America. Rooted in Blackness, it’s also a holiday for all — because it’s this country’s story.
America is about every last person’s battle for inclusion, Ted writes, and “Juneteenth has the potential to represent that shared narrative better than any other civic observance.”
So it’s okay if you missed this Juneteenth; that just means you have a whole year to get ready for next summer’s celebration.
Republicans doing the most (and least)
The Senate has always protected minority power, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) seems to have brushed up enough on his institutional knowledge to be taking full advantage of this fact. Columnist Max Boot reports that the senator has single-handedly stalled a slew of top-level military confirmations for months.
Tuberville says he won’t assent to unanimous consent until the Pentagon rescinds its assistance to service members who need to travel to another state for an abortion. Max argues that this “devotion to fighting culture wars imperils America’s ability to fight actual wars.”
While Coach Tommy has been making the most of his minority, columnist Paul Waldman writes that Republicans in the House are squandering their majority.
They could be assembling a sensible platform that — even if unpassed — appeals to enough Americans to hand the government back to the GOP in 2024. Instead, Paul writes, their agenda consists of “silly obsessions, weird conspiracy theories and embarrassing defenses” of former president Donald Trump.
His column runs through their “messaging bills,” but the top-line message, as he writes, is: “Have you ever wondered what an episode of ‘Hannity’ would look like in the form of legislation?”
Chaser: How is President Biden spending his time? Columnist E.J. Dionne explains why the president’s summer performance could sway many a vote in 2024.
From Catherine Rampell’s column on the effect of conservatives boycotting Bud Light — and why she’s okay with it.
“We’re all free to shop where we want and to ditch brands whose decisions offend our sensibilities,” she writes. So, conservatives, go ahead and BB-gun your beer cans; liberals, eschew deliciously crispy chicken. Cathy says, “That’s capitalism for you.”
She explains that the trouble starts only when government gets in on the action, and boy does it. Because that’s not capitalism; it’s authoritarianism.
Chaser: Columnist Megan McArdle explains how Dylan Mulvaney, the trans influencer at the center of the Bud boycott, could actually be a role model for conservatives.
Smells like marine spirit
Did you know orcas love fads? Of course you did; everyone remembers when the killer whales were all wearing high-waisted jeans a few years ago.
Orca expert David Neiwert explains that, seriously, the newsy spate of orca boat attacks might just be the latest craze for juveniles of the species, which are known to engage temporarily in anomalous — you might say “delinquent” — behaviors.
That means the whole “ ‘nature fighting back’ narrative simply isn’t grounded in science,” Neiwert writes, “and might encourage retaliation by humans.”
Instead, Neiwert says, vessels should just avoid the attack zone for a while, until the young orcas lose interest. Or, put as any parent would understand: Tell these teenage orcas they’ve lost their boat privileges.
- Columnist Jennifer Rubin explains why cameras in courtrooms will be essential for the cases against Trump.
- In upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act, columnist George Will says, the Supreme Court actually multiplies Native Americans’ “broken hearts and bodies.”
- Attorney General Merrick Garland needs to explain the timing of the Trump indictment, columnist Hugh Hewitt writes.
It’s a goodbye. It’s a haiku. It’s … The Bye-Ku.
Try to join the attack fad
Have your own newsy haiku? Email it to me, along with any questions/comments/ambiguities. See you tomorrow!
