Stranger Than Fiction

A brief daily note of things you might find interesting or useful

You can support the newsletter that you’re reading right now using PayPalVenmoCashApp, or purchase a subscription on Substack.Don’t forget to join us in the Stranger Slack for access to source documents and a running feed of news throughout the day.

TOP NEWS

  • Floyd memorial followed by 10th night of protest. “The family of George Floyd stood in front of thousands in and around the chapel at North Central University here for a memorial service Thursday, as calls from the podium to change the American justice system were echoed by protesters across the country.” - WSJ

  • High ranking military continue to show distance from Trump’s public statements. “The nation’s highest-ranking U.S. military officer, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reminded leaders of the armed forces of their oath to uphold the values of the Constitution, an admonition that came amid concern that President Trump may order active-duty troops onto American streets for the first time in nearly 30 years.” - WSJ

  • One of America’s oldest retailers is set to close their three remaining U.S. factories. “Brooks Brothers plans to lay off nearly 700 employees this summer at the factories, in Massachusetts, New York and North Carolina. The company is also trying to find buyers for the factories by mid-July, and expects to close them if it can’t.” - NYTimes

  • With White House effectively a fortress, Trump’s backers see strength while critics see weakness “The White House is now so heavily fortified that it resembles monarchical palaces or authoritarian compounds. The resulting picture is jarring and distinctly political — a Rorschach test for one’s view of the Trump presidency.” - WaPo

  • Judge gives green light in Ahmaud Arbery case. “A judge ruled Thursday that there was probable cause to try three white men on murder charges in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man who was fatally shot while out running in southeast coastal Georgia.” - WSJ

WHAT I’M READING + WATCHING + LISTENING TO

THE COMMENT

It’s important to understand what the people around the president are thinking. But if they’re honest about what they’re thinking, it’s usually too disgusting to engage with. This creates a crisis for traditional understandings of how the so-called marketplace of ideas functions. It’s a subsidiary of the crisis that has the country on fire.” - Michelle Goldberg

THE STRANGEST

THE AV ROOM