The Atlantic Daily: The Collective Struggle
A shooting at YouTube’s offices, an EPA payroll scandal, what Chinese tariffs mean for Iowa farmers, and more
What We’re Following
Silicon Valley Shooting: A shooter reportedly attacked the headquarters of YouTube, in San Bruno, California. Here’s what we know. The initial reports of the shooting came from employees who described the events on Twitter in real time—while observers followed an all-too-familiar sequence of shock at the news, hope for a false alarm, and dread of the final outcome.
In Washington, D.C.: Documents and sources from within the Environmental Protection Agency say Administrator Scott Pruitt increased the salaries of two of his closest aides by tens of thousands of dollars, contrary to White House instructions. Read Elaina Plott and Robinson Meyer’s report. As Special Counsel Robert Mueller moves forward with his Russia investigation, he has yet to issue any public indictments for the hacking of emails from the Democratic National Committee. Here’s what that might mean.
Around the World: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised the world on Monday by reversing a decision to deport about 40,000 African asylum-seekers—and then, hours later, by reversing that reversal. Meanwhile, China is levying heavy tariffs on a number of U.S. products in retaliation for President Trump’s aggressive tariffs on aluminum and steel. Iowa’s pork farmers could be among the people who will be most affected.
Snapshot
Evening Read
Lena Felton retells her grandfather’s story of treating Martin Luther King Jr. as a black doctor at Harlem Hospital:
I am still unsure of exactly what kept my grandfather silent about the discrimination he faced in his own life—whether it was his reserve, or the etiquette with which he was raised, or perhaps some sort of shame. But when he spoke of King, and what he achieved for African Americans, he was reverential, animated. I remember him telling the story of King’s visit to the hospital a handful of times, usually around the big mahogany dining table in his Palisades, New York, home, where we visited every Christmas. In my mind, the story was an exception: It broached a topic otherwise not discussed, offered a glimmer of how my grandfather conceived of his own racial identity. There could be no shame in his background in relation to King, because King was such a hero himself.
I see now that it is often easier to talk about race in that way: to frame the collective struggle for equality by focusing on one great man.
Keep reading as Lena describes her new understanding of her grandfather’s work.
What Do You Know … About Family?
Some parents counter the overbearing style of “helicopter” moms and dads by allowing kids to take care of themselves, but whether society treats this “free-range” approach as virtue or neglect can depend on the parents’ race and class. In the 50 years since Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, both black and white Americans have used his memory to chide black youth more often than to inspire them. And a 1939 Atlantic essay about navigating interfaith relationships found its modern counterpart in a recent, much-criticized Washington Post piece.
Subscribe to “The Family Weekly” to receive more on American family life in your inbox each Saturday morning.
Can you remember the other key facts from this week’s family coverage? Test your knowledge below:
1. A forthcoming study finds that the household chore that causes the most relationship strain is ____________.
Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.
2. Practitioners say that ____________, the Mormon tradition of gathering family members on Monday nights, can be a slow-paced antidote to hectic modern life.
Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.
3. In 1970, President Richard Nixon derided college students protesting war as “____________.”
Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.
Answers: doing the dishes / family home evening / bums
Urban Developments
Our partner site CityLab explores the cities of the future and investigates the biggest ideas and issues facing city dwellers around the world. Gracie McKenzie shares today’s top stories:
“There’s something so striking about a meme that says, ‘bae come over,’ and it’s a photo of a train.” The 62,000-plus members of one urbanist Facebook group just might be the future of city planning.
In Santiago, Chile’s capital, artists have occupied a temporarily closed road. Their literal street art, seen in this photo, creates a bright pedestrian promenade—but its future is uncertain.
The Fruitvale neighborhood in Oakland, California, has shown all the economic signs of gentrification without losing its majority-Latino population. How? Thoughtful, inclusive urban design.
For more updates from the urban world, subscribe to CityLab’s Daily newsletter.
Reader Response
When Caroline Kitchener wrote about the relationship discord caused by dishwashing responsibilities, Tiffany shared how her family handles the task:
Our rule: If you cook, you’re off dish duty. Since I come home around dinner time and my husband works from home, this often means he cooks and I do clean up. I have come to enjoy washing dishes as a stress reliever. I buy dishes I like, use a dish soap with a scent I like and I try to use a fresh sponge and pretty dish towel. I also have a shrine on the kitchen windowsill that I can see while washing dishes, with an image of the Buddha, a candle, some plants, and a stone that says “Find Peace.” I’ve discovered I’m often able to do just that while washing dishes (and it’s a great respite from family bickering). Our kids (8 and 5) are now old enough to help periodically, and it’s my hope they learn to do it mindfully—two skills in one.
Join the dish discussion in our Homebodies Facebook group, or write to us at letters@theatlantic.com.
Verbs
Science-fraud catching, dragon-tail tickling, rock stars aging, trees “tree-ing.”
Time of Your Life
Happy birthday to Mary Lou (a year younger than Little House on the Prairie); to Jean’s mom (a year younger than motels); to Beverly’s son Matthew (two years older than NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission); to Carol’s daughter Jennifer (a year younger than VCRs); to Vicki (twice the age of The Oprah Winfrey Show); to Mahesh’s daughter Smita (twice the age of the euro); to Michelle’s husband, Justin (a year younger than Microsoft Windows); to Jan’s son Will (twice the age of Harry Potter); to Cynthia’s friend Sheri (a year younger than T-shirts); and to Jennifer’s husband, Jack, who shares a birthday with Ryan’s father (both are the same age as the Atomium building, in Brussels).
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