Summits Favor Autocrats. Putin Is No Exception.
Shay Khatiri on what Biden should hope for in his meeting with Putin.
Leading The Bulwark…
Summits Favor Autocrats. Putin Is No Exception.
SHAY KHATIRI: If history is any guide, the most Biden should hope for from his meeting with the Russian leader is nothing.
🎧 On the Pods… 🎧
Tom Nichols: When Did Being Stupid Become Cool?
On today's Bulwark podcast, Tom Nichols joins Charlie Sykes to discuss how conservatism has gone from Edmund Burke to Charlie Kirk, why COVID has turned the GOP into the party of big government, and how Joe Manchin has offered the Democrats a marshmallow test.
ATMA: 'The Woman in the Window' Review
Plus: The popcorn dividend is real, but could it backfire on AMC?
For Bulwark+ Members… 🔐
MORNING SHOTS: Unlearning "Tyranny" 🔓
CHARLIE SYKES: Conservatives used to understand the concept.
THE TRIAD: The Bipartisanship Fetish 🔐
JVL: Only one side is held to the standard of being required to bring the other side along.
ATMA: What Movies Best Represent Their Cities? 🔐
On this week’s special bonus episode, we discuss which movies best represent some of our favorite cities
From The Bulwark Aggregator…
The Scandal Rocking the Evangelical World – Peter Wehner, The Atlantic
Capitol Police had intelligence indicating an armed invasion weeks before Jan. 6 riot, Senate probe finds – Karoun Demirjian, The Washington Post
The Case for (and Against) Worrying About Inflation – Eric Levitz, Intelligencer
QAnon at a Crossroads: Leaders Try to Rein In the Crazy – Will Sommer, The Daily Beast
This Professor Shared Body Camera Footage of Cops Strip-Searching a Minor. Now, Prosecutors Want To Throw Him in Jail for It. – Billy Binion, Reason
Coronavirus, Checkpoints, and the Beach of Death – Belén Fernández, Current Affairs
Senate Republicans hold up Biden personnel nominee over ‘critical race theory’ and abortion rights – Lisa Rein and Seung Min Kim, The Washington Post
In Today’s Bulwark...
The AR-15 Is ‘Like the Swiss Army Knife,’ Says Federal Judge
KIMBERLY WEHLE: Ruling mows down California’s assault weapons ban, while the Supreme Court prepares to hear a concealed-carry case.
U.S. Set to Discuss Ransomware with European Allies
BRIAN KAREM: And other highlights of the first full White House press briefing in 819 days.
🚨OVERTIME 🚨
WASHINGTON— It’s been a long while since I’ve used a dateline for a story or a newsletter. Because, for the last 16 months, I’ve largely been writing to you from my basement office in exurban Virginia. But today? I’m at The Bulwark office.
And what are we doing here at the office?
This special episode of THE NEXT LEVEL drops tomorrow, and it is going to be amazing.
Much of the food I had in my drawer at my desk had expired, but thankfully some of my soups have a few months left on them. It’s good, and sort of weird! to work around people who aren’t my children or my wife.
I parked in Alexandria and took the train in (D.C. parking is kind of a pain if you’re not a regular commuter) and caught Metro in with an old neighbor of mine. It was great to catch up. For all of these think pieces out there wondering: WILL WE BE ABLE TO SOCIALIZE AGAIN? I can tell you, at least for me, not an issue! We’ll be fine.
Jon Rahm’s COVID disaster… Is actually a great PSA for getting the vaccine, Will Leitch writes in Intelligencer.
The Federalist / NLRB case continues. An interesting thread.
How America Fractured Into Four Parts… Writing at The Atlantic, wonders “Is reconciliation possible?” for people who “no longer agree on the nation’s purpose, values, history, or meaning.”
What is pandemic Disney like? Ken White takes us on a tour.
Sometimes, sanctions work! At least, that’s what Russia is saying about our sanctions on their space program. You want to quit the ISS? Fine. Stop coming.
A lone exception among GOP electeds:
Speaking of voting… I voted today in Virginia’s Democratic primary (you may recall my item on the crazy GOP convention) and… it was easy as heck… As Virginia’s elections usually are. In and out in 2 minutes. And my voting location was a drop off location for ballots, and they had curbside voting for folks with disabilities. It didn’t have to be this way, Virginia GOP.
And…. of course Mitch McConnell comes out against the John Lewis bill, fresh off the death of H.R. 1.
That’s it for me for today. We’ll see you back here tomorrow. Tech support questions? Email support@substack.com. Questions for me? Drop me a line: swift@thebulwark.com
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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.