The Atlantic Daily: Bloody Sunday
Plus: A Chinese company sues the U.S. government, a dispatch from Ireland weeks before the Brexit deadline, why some people eat the same lunch every day, and more
What We’re Following
Thursday marks the 54th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” the violent clash between civil-rights demonstrators marching from Selma, Alabama and armed state police. The pivotal day eventually opened avenues for the passage of the Voting Rights Act—until the Supreme Court defanged that law in 2013. Senate Democrats are pushing back, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hoping to catapult voting rights into top tier of campaign issues heading into 2020. Schumer’s newly unveiled voting-rights plan is three-pronged: Bring back the VRA from the dead, establish automatic voter registration nationwide, and push for Washington, D.C. statehood. The goals are lofty, and politicized—unless Democrats capture the White House and both chambers of Congress, the chances of these proposals becoming law are virtually zilch.
Twenty-two days remain until Britain’s deadline to leave the European Union (barring total chaos, or potential postponement, or both). David Frum went to Ireland, where the potential reinstatement of a hard border—checkpoints, surveillance, and all—between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is at the heart of stalling Brexit negotiations. Here is his dispatch from Belfast on the hard-won, but still-fragile, stability on the island.
+ What is the significance of March 29, anyway?
China wants to position itself as a technology powerhouse, and that goal in large part hinges on the future success of Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms equipment supplier (and second-largest smartphone maker). The company is pioneering cutting-edge, highly sought-after 5G-network technology, and it’s not just the U.S. that is concerned about potential security risks: The Czech Republic had courted Huawei to roll out 5G technology across the country, but in recent months intelligence officials in the country have warned that could pose national-security risks. The company had also previously been banned from operating in the U.S. amid concerns that its services could be a spying ruse for Chinese authorities; it’s now suing the U.S. government over that ban.
Evening Reads
(Yuriy Golub / Shutterstock)
Lunch loyalists—people who eat the exact same thing for lunch every day—are out there, and they’re eager to espouse the life efficiencies such a habit can bring.
“‘Lunch variety doesn’t really matter to me,’ Chloe Cota, a computer engineer in New York City, says. “I would be perfectly happy to eat the same Caesar salad or peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich every day.” Similarly, she has devised a standard ‘work uniform’ (one of her many pairs of black leggings, plus a T-shirt), which helps streamline her morning routine. She says she took inspiration from tech moguls such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, who essentially automated their own daily attire decisions in the name of reducing cognitive overhead.”
But what does bringing the same foods each day for lunch each day say about your personality?
What’s lunch to you? Do you eat the same PB&J every day, or do you find joy in varying your midday meals?
As always, we want to hear from you: Write to us at letters@theatlantic.com, and we may feature your response on our website or in future editions of The Atlantic Daily.
Over the past two weeks, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has attacked the basis of press freedom in the U.S. and suggested that James Madison, the father of the Constitution, was an “extremist.” Garrett Epps makes the case that Thomas’s I-know-best approach to jurisprudence is a bad attitude for a judge of his stature to have.
“Judges must have the self-discipline to respect the limits of their role. Deciding only the case before you—whether that changes the law or simply reaffirms it—is a key judicial virtue. ‘God has a terrible problem,’ runs the old joke. ‘He thinks he’s a federal judge.’ But a judge is not God, just a public employee elected by nobody. Judges who don’t limit their ambitions accordingly betray the oath.”
Urban Developments
Our partner site CityLab explores the cities of the future and investigates the biggest ideas and issues facing urban dwellers around the world. Gracie McKenzie shares today’s top stories:
It’s easy to see why Paris’s Rue Crémieux—filled with small pastel-painted houses, weathered cobblestones, and blooming window boxes—is such a hit on Instagram. But the street’s popularity is making it hell for residents.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has come under fire for using cars instead of the subway. Some of those critics are right, CityLab’s Laura Bliss writes. Still, how much should her transportation choices matter?
A new map visualizes micro-level segregation in Boston to show that, as the researchers write, “economic inequality isn't just limited to neighborhoods … It’s part of the places you visit every day.” Among the most equal places are museums and airports. Here’s what space they say is least equal.
Keep up with the most pressing, interesting, and important city stories of the day. Subscribe to the CityLab Daily newsletter.
Looking for our daily mini crossword? Try your hand at it here.
Concerns, comments, questions, typos? Email newsletters editor Shan Wang at swang@theatlantic.com
Did you get this newsletter from a friend? Sign yourself up. We have other other free email newsletters on a variety of other topics, and at different frequencies. Find the full list here.