The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: A Historic Hearing
During a tense hearing on sexual-misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor, delivered an emotional testimony detailing the night she says she was sexually assaulted by the Supreme Court nominee.
Written by Olivia Paschal (@oliviacpaschal), Madeleine Carlisle (@maddiecarlisle2), and Priscilla Alvarez (@priscialva)
Today in 5 Lines
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During a tense hearing on sexual-misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor, delivered an emotional testimony detailing the night she says she was sexually assaulted by the Supreme Court nominee. Ford fielded questions about the assault and what happened thereafter from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a sex-crimes prosecutor.
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Following Ford’s testimony, Kavanaugh, at times choking back tears, delivered a fiery statement in which he vehemently denied the sexual-assault allegations against him and furiously attacked Democrats. Senator Lindsey Graham also lashed out at Democrats, calling the proceedings an “unethical sham.”
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President Trump postponed his meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein until next week to avoid interfering with the Kavanaugh hearing, said White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Tesla CEO Elon Musk with fraud, alleging that he misled investors.
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The flu killed about 80,000 people last winter, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Today on The Atlantic
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Breaking Down the Kavanaugh Hearing: Here are the most striking moments from the more than seven-hour Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. (Madeleine Carlisle and Olivia Paschal)
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Where Were You When Ford Testified?: Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony had the feeling of history in the making, writes Elaina Plott.
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Where’s Mark Judge? Christine Blasey Ford identified Judge as the other person in the room when she was sexually assaulted. His absence on Thursday reveals a Senate hearing held in bad faith, argues Adam Serwer.
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‘Pretty Likable, Pretty Believable’: When American women testify, they carry an extra burden of proof. In order for Christine Blasey Ford to be reliable, she also had to be likable, writes Megan Garber.
Snapshot
What We’re Reading
Transfixed: Business as usual came to a standstill as people from Wall Street offices to Florida retirement homes watched Christine Blasey Ford testify. (Lori Rosza, Steven Burkholder, and David A. Fahrenthold, The Washington Post)
The Cost of Silence: The culture that keeps women from speaking out about their experiences with sexual assault can also keep them from moving up in the workplace. (Rebecca Greenfield and Janet Paskin, Bloomberg Businessweek)
Addicted in Jail: The Marshall Project profiled two sisters as they attempted to recover from a heroin addiction inside a Virginia jail. (Julia Rendleman)
Visualized
How Cable News Networks Carried the Kavanaugh Hearing: Here are the captions—also known as chyrons—CNN, MSNBC, and Fox used throughout the day to summarize Thursday’s events. (The Washington Post)
How They Reacted: See the expressions of lawmakers as Christine Blasey Ford delivered her opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Molly Olmstead, Slate)