Welcome to the weekend. If you are an American, you are most likely having a quieter July Fourth celebration than last year. If you’re in Britain, you might finally be able to have a pint at the pub. Whatever you are doing, take care and make some time for some fantastic journalism.
Three words, 70 cases: the tragic history of ‘I can’t breathe’
The deaths of Eric Garner in New York and George Floyd in Minnesota created national outrage over the use of deadly police restraints. There were many others you didn’t hear about.
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In the Covid-19 economy, you can have a kid or a job. You can’t have both.
The struggles of working parents are not an emotional concern. They are not burned out. They are being crushed by an economy that has declared them inessential, the food blogger Deb Perelman writes.
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How the world missed Covid-19’s silent spread
Symptomless transmission makes the coronavirus far harder to fight. But health officials dismissed the risk for months, pushing misleading and contradictory claims in the face of mounting evidence. Dr. Camilla Rothe, above, and her colleagues were among the first to warn about asymptomatic transmission.
[Also read: “What a Family That Lost 5 to the Virus Wants You to Know.”]
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The fall of Jeff Sessions, and what came after
The former attorney general is fighting for his political life in Alabama’s Senate race, in the shadow of a president who still despises him.
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A W.N.B.A. star’s role in freeing a man from prison
Largely outside of the limelight, athletes like Maya Moore, who helped win the freedom of Jonathan Irons in a questionable conviction, have led the charge for social change. Above, Ms. Moore, in mask, exulted as Mr. Irons celebrated his release from prison.
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Carl Reiner, multifaceted master of comedy
Mr. Reiner, who died at 98, was a gifted comic actor, but he spent most of his career slightly out of the spotlight — writing, directing and letting others get the laughs. Above, Mr. Reiner in 2002.
[Also read: “Carl Reiner Knew TV Like the Back of His Head.”]
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Another young leader is taken. Afghans ask: How many more?
Fatima “Natasha” Khalil, 24, was a human rights worker shaped by two decades of struggle. She joins a painfully long list of young Afghans who died trying to help their country. Above, a photo of Ms. Khalil on her grave.
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The shaman of Instagram
Durek Verrett, friend of Gwyneth Paltrow and consort of the Princess of Norway, wants to bring spiritual healing to the masses.
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A white gatekeeper of Southern food faces calls to resign
John T. Edge, above, the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, is being urged to step down after longstanding concerns about his leadership.
[Also read: “Black Wine Professionals Demand to Be Seen.”]
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Swimming with the sea lions of Los Islotes
Sea lions are often referred to as “dogs of the sea.” On a small island off the Baja coast, where the playful animals populate every rocky outcropping, they live up to their nickname.
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