Evening Roundup, June 15
What happened at the Kennedy Center, RFK Jr screw-wormed us, bet big on THIS type of organizing, U.S.A review, Texas & the NFL, midterm math, & more!
Spotlight Story
Hot Mic
The Screwworm is the Cost of RFK Jr. All But Killing Public Health
By Jeff Nesbit
Once eliminated in the U.S., the screwworm's return is a menacing reminder of the cost of an anti-science agenda.
After Callais, Democrats Must Bet Big on the Black-led Organizing in the South
The Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court ruling has set the cause of voting rights back decades. Black Americans, particularly in the South, have had to wage a historic struggle against disenfranchisement in our country — and this anti-democratic decision strips crucial protections against voter suppression and discrimination. As Justice Elena Kagan
What Brendan Sorsby Asks Society — and the NFL — to Decide
By Carron J. Phillips
A Texas judge’s decision to allow an admitted gambler to play college football reflects the absurdity of 2026.
Culture Corner
America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries
“America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries” by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is the Princeton professor’s attempt to trace the moments when the United States has marked its founding — and who has been left out of these commemorations. Each chapter begins with a fragment of sheet music from composer Joel Thompson, forming a work written for the …
Election Epicenter
What 'the Math' Says About the Midterms
How do news outlets know when a race can be called on election night? How confident are they that they’re right when they do? How much can be predicted ahead of time? Luckily, Zachary Donnini, Head of Data Science at VoteHub, is joining us to answer all those questions — as well as whether there was anything unusual about California’s primary election results, and how…
Will Katie Pfang subpoena the Nipplegate EPSTEIN file conspiritors?
A lot of excellent writing today Contrarians. Keep it all coming.