Because Donald Trump is the president and because he is not up to the current pandemic moment in American history, he has recently taken to conspiracy theories about MSNBC host and former congressman Joe Scarborough. The incident in question—the death of then 28-year-old Lori Klausutis, who collapsed from an undiagnosed heart condition at Scarborough’s Florida office in 2001—quite literally has nothing to do with President Donald Trump, other than that Scarborough has since morphed into a prominent critic of Trump, the president from the center of American political life. Trump doesn’t like...…Because Donald Trump is the president and because he is not up to the current pandemic moment in American history, he has recently taken to conspiracy theories about MSNBC host and former congressman Joe Scarborough. The incident in question—the death of then 28-year-old Lori Klausutis, who collapsed from an undiagnosed heart condition at Scarborough’s Florida office in 2001—quite literally has nothing to do with President Donald Trump, other than that Scarborough has since morphed into a prominent critic of Trump, the president from the center of American political life. Trump doesn’t like...WW…

President Donald Trump began Memorial Day with a threat, warning that he was seriously considering if there are no guarantees that the state will have lifted any restrictions on how many people can gather in closed spaces by late August. In a series of tweets on Monday, Trump said he needed guarantees from the Democratic governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, that Republicans would be able to fill Charlotte’s Spectrum Center to capacity during the convention.Trump wrote that he was the one who had “insisted” on holding the convention in Charlotte at the end of August. But the state’s...…President Donald Trump began Memorial Day with a threat, warning that he was seriously considering if there are no guarantees that the state will have lifted any restrictions on how many people can gather in closed spaces by late August. In a series of tweets on Monday, Trump said he needed guarantees from the Democratic governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, that Republicans would be able to fill Charlotte’s Spectrum Center to capacity during the convention.Trump wrote that he was the one who had “insisted” on holding the convention in Charlotte at the end of August. But the state’s...WW…

The nation’s most powerful anti-LGBTQ law firm took the extraordinary step on Friday of demanding the recusal of a federal judge—because he insisted that its attorneys respect transgender people’s gender identity in court proceedings.That firm, Alliance Defending Freedom, is the rights of LGBTQ people in court. In February, it challenging Connecticut’s policy of allowing trans athletes to compete with cisgender students. On behalf of three cisgender student athletes, ADF alleged a violation of Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs. Per ADF policy,...…The nation’s most powerful anti-LGBTQ law firm took the extraordinary step on Friday of demanding the recusal of a federal judge—because he insisted that its attorneys respect transgender people’s gender identity in court proceedings.That firm, Alliance Defending Freedom, is the rights of LGBTQ people in court. In February, it challenging Connecticut’s policy of allowing trans athletes to compete with cisgender students. On behalf of three cisgender student athletes, ADF alleged a violation of Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs. Per ADF policy,...WW…

After his , it seems the president went back home and started scrolling Twitter. President Donald Trump then proceeded to go on a spree that was bizarre even for his standards as he retweeted posts mocking several big-name female Democrats all while he peddled baseless conspiracy theories regarding MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough. In one particularly shocking message, the president shared a tweet by John Stahl, a conservative who got a in the 2012 open primary to represent California’s 52nd District, thatThe president just retweeted someone calling the first woman nominee of either major political...…After his , it seems the president went back home and started scrolling Twitter. President Donald Trump then proceeded to go on a spree that was bizarre even for his standards as he retweeted posts mocking several big-name female Democrats all while he peddled baseless conspiracy theories regarding MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough. In one particularly shocking message, the president shared a tweet by John Stahl, a conservative who got a in the 2012 open primary to represent California’s 52nd District, thatThe president just retweeted someone calling the first woman nominee of either major political...WW…

Adviser to the president Ivanka Trump reached out to leading business executives and representatives from the entertainment industry on Sunday to convene an impromptu summit, as the federal government continued its difficult work of stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus while keeping the economy from collapsing. As unemployment soars and American deaths from COVID-19 near the 90,000 mark, Trump is leveraging her years of experience in entrepreneurship to forge bold new alliances between the government and the industrialists and cultural leaders whose support—and tax dollars—will be...…Adviser to the president Ivanka Trump reached out to leading business executives and representatives from the entertainment industry on Sunday to convene an impromptu summit, as the federal government continued its difficult work of stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus while keeping the economy from collapsing. As unemployment soars and American deaths from COVID-19 near the 90,000 mark, Trump is leveraging her years of experience in entrepreneurship to forge bold new alliances between the government and the industrialists and cultural leaders whose support—and tax dollars—will be...WW…

As President Donald Trump urges states to reopen their economies, he also seemed to want to send a message of normalcy on a long weekend by doing something he hasn’t done in a while: Go to one of his golf clubs. On Saturday, the commander in chief . It marked the first time the president traveled to one of his golf courses in 75 days, by far the longest stretch since he moved into the White House.On a day when the number of deaths in the United States from the coronavirus got close to reaching the 100,000-mark, the presidential motorcade arrived at the Sterling club at 10:27 a.m. Reporters...…As President Donald Trump urges states to reopen their economies, he also seemed to want to send a message of normalcy on a long weekend by doing something he hasn’t done in a while: Go to one of his golf clubs. On Saturday, the commander in chief . It marked the first time the president traveled to one of his golf courses in 75 days, by far the longest stretch since he moved into the White House.On a day when the number of deaths in the United States from the coronavirus got close to reaching the 100,000-mark, the presidential motorcade arrived at the Sterling club at 10:27 a.m. Reporters...WW…

Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.Florida seemed headed for disaster: In the earliest days of the coronavirus epidemic in the U.S., throngs of rowdy spring breakers flocked to the state’s and bars. Disney World, which draws visitors from around the globe, seemed a uniquely dangerous breeding ground. And the state’s demographics were worrying, given that Florida is chock-full of retirees in populous senior communities (Gov. Ron DeSantis has recently joked that Florida is “”).DeSantis, for his part, spouted off false...…Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.Florida seemed headed for disaster: In the earliest days of the coronavirus epidemic in the U.S., throngs of rowdy spring breakers flocked to the state’s and bars. Disney World, which draws visitors from around the globe, seemed a uniquely dangerous breeding ground. And the state’s demographics were worrying, given that Florida is chock-full of retirees in populous senior communities (Gov. Ron DeSantis has recently joked that Florida is “”).DeSantis, for his part, spouted off false...WW…

Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.If you’ve read any recent dispatches from states that have begun to reopen their economies, you might be under the impression that restaurants are quickly filling back up as diners cast away concerns about the coronavirus for the sake of a meal out. Here’s how the Washington Post, , recently described the packed scene at a luxury development in Alpharetta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. “Along Avalon Boulevard, people were clustering at restaurants for their first dinners out, and at...…Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.If you’ve read any recent dispatches from states that have begun to reopen their economies, you might be under the impression that restaurants are quickly filling back up as diners cast away concerns about the coronavirus for the sake of a meal out. Here’s how the Washington Post, , recently described the packed scene at a luxury development in Alpharetta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. “Along Avalon Boulevard, people were clustering at restaurants for their first dinners out, and at...WW…

During a briefing on Friday, Donald Trump’s press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, wanted to tell a feel-good story of where the president had decided to . So she held up the $100,000 check that she said Trump would donate to the Department of Health and Human Services to “support the efforts being undertaken to confront, contain and combat the coronavirus.” In the process, she displayed the president’s private bank account and routing numbers.The check that McEnany held up “appeared to be a real check from Capital One, complete with the relevant details,” . An administration official said that...…During a briefing on Friday, Donald Trump’s press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, wanted to tell a feel-good story of where the president had decided to . So she held up the $100,000 check that she said Trump would donate to the Department of Health and Human Services to “support the efforts being undertaken to confront, contain and combat the coronavirus.” In the process, she displayed the president’s private bank account and routing numbers.The check that McEnany held up “appeared to be a real check from Capital One, complete with the relevant details,” . An administration official said that...WW…

The pro-life movement has always loved a conversion story. People who reject their are some of the most prominent voices in the movement, and the existence of —a woman changing her mind after it’s too late—is a key legislative and rhetorical tactic. So when the real-life “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade announced two decades after that landmark Supreme Court case that she had realized abortion ought to be illegal after all, she became an instant star within the pro-life movement.A bombshell documentary airing Friday night on FX adds a final shocking twist to Norma McCorvey’s ideologically eventful...…The pro-life movement has always loved a conversion story. People who reject their are some of the most prominent voices in the movement, and the existence of —a woman changing her mind after it’s too late—is a key legislative and rhetorical tactic. So when the real-life “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade announced two decades after that landmark Supreme Court case that she had realized abortion ought to be illegal after all, she became an instant star within the pro-life movement.A bombshell documentary airing Friday night on FX adds a final shocking twist to Norma McCorvey’s ideologically eventful...WW…

On Friday, the New York Times reported that attorney Douglas Wigdor would Tara Reade, who has accused presumptive 2020 democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden of sexual assault.Wigdor said in a statement that the decision is “by no means a reflection on whether then-Senator Biden sexually assaulted Ms. Reade.” The move comes, however, following a series of investigative reports questioning Reade’s general credibility or weakening the previous corroboration of the alleged attack.Last year, Reade was one of seven woman who accused Biden of touching them in ways that made them feel...…On Friday, the New York Times reported that attorney Douglas Wigdor would Tara Reade, who has accused presumptive 2020 democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden of sexual assault.Wigdor said in a statement that the decision is “by no means a reflection on whether then-Senator Biden sexually assaulted Ms. Reade.” The move comes, however, following a series of investigative reports questioning Reade’s general credibility or weakening the previous corroboration of the alleged attack.Last year, Reade was one of seven woman who accused Biden of touching them in ways that made them feel...WW…

Joe Biden believed he had something to say. His Friday appearance on The Breakfast Club, a nationally syndicated Black radio show, was ending, his handler was rushing him off the call, and the former vice president and apparent Democratic presidential nominee wanted to get across a message.“If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black,” Biden said. He had a look of accomplishment on his face as if he had just done something noteworthy.And he had, but not in the way he thought. Instead, he’s unleashed a fury against his own halting campaign to beat...…Joe Biden believed he had something to say. His Friday appearance on The Breakfast Club, a nationally syndicated Black radio show, was ending, his handler was rushing him off the call, and the former vice president and apparent Democratic presidential nominee wanted to get across a message.“If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black,” Biden said. He had a look of accomplishment on his face as if he had just done something noteworthy.And he had, but not in the way he thought. Instead, he’s unleashed a fury against his own halting campaign to beat...WW…

On Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court’s new conservative majority allowed the state to resume executing individuals who may be intellectually disabled, shredding a precedent no one asked them to destroy. Its 4–1 decision carves a loophole in state law and grants Florida the authority to kill disabled prisoners who were sentenced under an unconstitutional law. Remarkably, Florida did not even ask the court to overturn this precedent; the conservative justices did so on their own initiative. That astounding breach of judicial protocol has sent shockwaves through the state, further...…On Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court’s new conservative majority allowed the state to resume executing individuals who may be intellectually disabled, shredding a precedent no one asked them to destroy. Its 4–1 decision carves a loophole in state law and grants Florida the authority to kill disabled prisoners who were sentenced under an unconstitutional law. Remarkably, Florida did not even ask the court to overturn this precedent; the conservative justices did so on their own initiative. That astounding breach of judicial protocol has sent shockwaves through the state, further...WW…

Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.During a visit to a Ford plant in Michigan Thursday, President Donald Trump made very clear that he doesn’t want to be seen wearing a face mask. The government that Trump leads, however, all Americans to wear face coverings in public; it’s even tens of millions of dollars’ worth of them. Most states now require, , people to wear masks in public spaces to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It’s one of the concessions of trying to reopen parts of the economy and restart daily life....…Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.During a visit to a Ford plant in Michigan Thursday, President Donald Trump made very clear that he doesn’t want to be seen wearing a face mask. The government that Trump leads, however, all Americans to wear face coverings in public; it’s even tens of millions of dollars’ worth of them. Most states now require, , people to wear masks in public spaces to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It’s one of the concessions of trying to reopen parts of the economy and restart daily life....WW…

Slate has relationships with various online retailers.If you buy something through our links,Slate may earn an affiliate commission.We update links when possible,but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.All prices were up to date at the time of publication.The greatest country on earth. It’s a label assigned to the United States frequently by politicians, pundits, and average Americans. The most prosperous, the greatest democracy, the mightiest military, a singular world power. And yet, here we are, proving an abysmal failure, both relatively and absolutely, in...…Slate has relationships with various online retailers.If you buy something through our links,Slate may earn an affiliate commission.We update links when possible,but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.All prices were up to date at the time of publication.The greatest country on earth. It’s a label assigned to the United States frequently by politicians, pundits, and average Americans. The most prosperous, the greatest democracy, the mightiest military, a singular world power. And yet, here we are, proving an abysmal failure, both relatively and absolutely, in...WW…

Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.As the U.S. begins to restart portions of what was daily life before the arrival of the coronavirus, a on the virus’s spread estimates that if the country had responded more quickly—even by a single week—in shutting down and social distancing, tens of thousands of lives could have been saved. The Columbia University shows the importance of timing in containing the exponential growth of a virus; it also implicitly reaffirms the need for decisive leadership from engaged and informed...…Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.As the U.S. begins to restart portions of what was daily life before the arrival of the coronavirus, a on the virus’s spread estimates that if the country had responded more quickly—even by a single week—in shutting down and social distancing, tens of thousands of lives could have been saved. The Columbia University shows the importance of timing in containing the exponential growth of a virus; it also implicitly reaffirms the need for decisive leadership from engaged and informed...WW…

Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed a new coronavirus relief bill for patients and medical providers affected by COVID-19. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “dead on arrival.” McConnell he feels no “urgency” to spend more money mitigating the pandemic. But he does feel an urgent need to confirm as many federal judges as possible before the 2020 election. The Senate has confirmed eight judges since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the United States. And on Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings for another: Cory Wilson, Donald Trump’s nominee to...…Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed a new coronavirus relief bill for patients and medical providers affected by COVID-19. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “dead on arrival.” McConnell he feels no “urgency” to spend more money mitigating the pandemic. But he does feel an urgent need to confirm as many federal judges as possible before the 2020 election. The Senate has confirmed eight judges since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the United States. And on Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings for another: Cory Wilson, Donald Trump’s nominee to...WW…

Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.In 2017, Donald Trump something called the “Forever GI Bill” at his company’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. The law expanded the educational benefits that had been made available under the “Post-9/11 GI Bill,” which was passed in 2008, and which supplemented various benefits that can be traced back to the original 1944 GI Bill. The White House would later the “Forever GI Bill” as an example of how Trump was “working tirelessly to provide the benefits and services that our...…Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism.In 2017, Donald Trump something called the “Forever GI Bill” at his company’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. The law expanded the educational benefits that had been made available under the “Post-9/11 GI Bill,” which was passed in 2008, and which supplemented various benefits that can be traced back to the original 1944 GI Bill. The White House would later the “Forever GI Bill” as an example of how Trump was “working tirelessly to provide the benefits and services that our...WW…

As the details of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder and the initial refusal of local authorities to prosecute his killers have come further to light this month, my thoughts have been turning more and more to my grandmother.As a child of the Great Depression and the granddaughter of enslaved people, Wanda Crow was born into a family that survived the worst of America. My grandmother’s stories of my family’s survival in the midst of tribulation—including one dating back the late 1800s, describing how my grandfather’s uncle was nearly lynched by the KKK—resonate even more whenever another modern American...…As the details of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder and the initial refusal of local authorities to prosecute his killers have come further to light this month, my thoughts have been turning more and more to my grandmother.As a child of the Great Depression and the granddaughter of enslaved people, Wanda Crow was born into a family that survived the worst of America. My grandmother’s stories of my family’s survival in the midst of tribulation—including one dating back the late 1800s, describing how my grandfather’s uncle was nearly lynched by the KKK—resonate even more whenever another modern American...WW…

The allegations against Sen. Richard Burr, who was chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, go something like this: While he was telling his constituents that the U.S. response to this novel coronavirus was under control, he was actually . This was back in February, when most Americans were still going to work or riding trains and buses. Burr is under suspicion for insider trading because around the time he cashed out that stock, he was saying remarkably different things about the coronavirus in public and in private: He co-wrote an saying that the Trump administration’s coronavirus...…The allegations against Sen. Richard Burr, who was chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, go something like this: While he was telling his constituents that the U.S. response to this novel coronavirus was under control, he was actually . This was back in February, when most Americans were still going to work or riding trains and buses. Burr is under suspicion for insider trading because around the time he cashed out that stock, he was saying remarkably different things about the coronavirus in public and in private: He co-wrote an saying that the Trump administration’s coronavirus...WW…

There is a scene in The Last Dance, ESPN’s documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls, that has stuck with me. It was 1993, and the Bulls had just won the NBA Finals again. In a dark and quiet corner of the America West Arena in Phoenix, Jordan took a seat and rested his chin in one of his famously large hands, nearly alone in his triumph for a fleeting moment (or as alone as Michael Jordan can ever be). He wore a white cap and an oversize white T-shirt decorated with caricatures of himself and his teammates in celebration of their first three-peat, but he didn’t seem particularly...…There is a scene in The Last Dance, ESPN’s documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls, that has stuck with me. It was 1993, and the Bulls had just won the NBA Finals again. In a dark and quiet corner of the America West Arena in Phoenix, Jordan took a seat and rested his chin in one of his famously large hands, nearly alone in his triumph for a fleeting moment (or as alone as Michael Jordan can ever be). He wore a white cap and an oversize white T-shirt decorated with caricatures of himself and his teammates in celebration of their first three-peat, but he didn’t seem particularly...WW…

Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. .It was a big weekend for President Donald Trump’s sons. First, Donald Trump Jr. made waves with a and then his younger brother characterized the coronavirus-related shutdowns as part of a Democratic strategy to win in November. That was the message from Eric Trump night in which he predicted that concerns over COVID-19 would “magically all of a sudden go away” after Election Day.As the death toll from the coronavirus in the United States crossed the 90,000-mark, the president’s son was asked...…Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. .It was a big weekend for President Donald Trump’s sons. First, Donald Trump Jr. made waves with a and then his younger brother characterized the coronavirus-related shutdowns as part of a Democratic strategy to win in November. That was the message from Eric Trump night in which he predicted that concerns over COVID-19 would “magically all of a sudden go away” after Election Day.As the death toll from the coronavirus in the United States crossed the 90,000-mark, the president’s son was asked...WW…

There is a scene in The Last Dance, ESPN’s documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls, that has stuck with me. It was 1993, and the Bulls had just won the NBA Finals again. In a dark and quiet corner of the America West Arena in Phoenix, Jordan took a seat and rested his chin in one of his famously large hands, nearly alone in his triumph for a fleeting moment (or as alone as Michael Jordan can ever be). He wore a white cap and an oversize white T-shirt decorated with caricatures of himself and his teammates in celebration of their first three-peat, but he didn’t seem particularly...…There is a scene in The Last Dance, ESPN’s documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls, that has stuck with me. It was 1993, and the Bulls had just won the NBA Finals again. In a dark and quiet corner of the America West Arena in Phoenix, Jordan took a seat and rested his chin in one of his famously large hands, nearly alone in his triumph for a fleeting moment (or as alone as Michael Jordan can ever be). He wore a white cap and an oversize white T-shirt decorated with caricatures of himself and his teammates in celebration of their first three-peat, but he didn’t seem particularly...WW…

He was joking, but not really. That seems to be the message from Donald Trump Jr. after he that called former Vice President Joe Biden a pedophile. The meme that the president’s eldest son posted for his 2.8 million followers includes a picture of Biden saying, “See you later, alligator” while an alligator below replies, “In a while, pedophile.”When he was asked about it , Trump Jr. borrowed from his father’s tactics and wrote on Twitter , telling his five million followers that the three laughing emojis in the caption of his post “should indicate to anyone with a scintilla of common sense”...…He was joking, but not really. That seems to be the message from Donald Trump Jr. after he that called former Vice President Joe Biden a pedophile. The meme that the president’s eldest son posted for his 2.8 million followers includes a picture of Biden saying, “See you later, alligator” while an alligator below replies, “In a while, pedophile.”When he was asked about it , Trump Jr. borrowed from his father’s tactics and wrote on Twitter , telling his five million followers that the three laughing emojis in the caption of his post “should indicate to anyone with a scintilla of common sense”...WW…

When Kevin Vesey, a reporter with News 12 Long Island, posted a video of what he experienced an anti-lockdown protest in Commack, N.Y. earlier this week, he likely would have never imagined that none other than the president of the United States would tweet it approvingly. And not just once, but twice, pretty much endorsing the way his supporters all too often harass reporters at protests. If you haven’t seen it yet, is shocking in its rawness. The reporter films as demonstrators, many of whom are wearing Trump paraphernalia, take part in the small protest and repeatedly heckle him and...…When Kevin Vesey, a reporter with News 12 Long Island, posted a video of what he experienced an anti-lockdown protest in Commack, N.Y. earlier this week, he likely would have never imagined that none other than the president of the United States would tweet it approvingly. And not just once, but twice, pretty much endorsing the way his supporters all too often harass reporters at protests. If you haven’t seen it yet, is shocking in its rawness. The reporter films as demonstrators, many of whom are wearing Trump paraphernalia, take part in the small protest and repeatedly heckle him and...WW…