The Trump Case We’ve Been Waiting For

Plus: bears in your back yard; ice cream is good for you; and Gay Talese on Tony Bennett. View in browser | Update your preferences Friday, July 21, 2023 In today’s newsletter, a full-time defendant, and then: • The bear in your back yard • Gay Talese on Tony Bennett • Ice cream is good for you! The Trump Case We’ve Been Waiting For But, with 2024 looming, is it already too late? By Susan B. Glasser Photograph by Hannah Beier / The Washington Post / Getty One word came to mind when I heard the news this week that Donald Trump had received a target letter from the Justice Department special prosecutor Jack Smith, indicating that an indictment is likely of the former President on charges connected with his effort to overturn the 2020 election and remain in power: Finally. This, in the end, is the heart of the matter, a long-delayed reckoning with an offense against the constitutional system so great that it is without historic precedent—no President before Trump ever did such a thing. And yet Republicans remain in such thrall to their Orange Jesus—the honorific that Party apostate Liz Cheney so memorably quoted one of his acolytes calling him during last summer’s January 6th hearings—that, with each new legal woe, his prospects of winning the 2024 G.O.P. nomination keep going up. Keep reading Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » Editor’s Picks Books The Bear in Your Back Yard Throughout North America, they’re showing up in unexpected places. Can we coexist? By Jill Lepore Annals of Inquiry Searching for a Fortress Built by People Who Escaped Slavery Its ruins are somewhere in the swamps of Georgia. What will it take to find them? By Matthew Hutson From the Archive Photograph by Mary Ellen Mark The legendary singer Tony Bennett died today at the age of ninety-six. In 2011, the reporter Gay Talese sat in on an ongoing studio collaboration between Bennett and Lady Gaga, which emphasized the connective tissue that Bennett provided between the different eras of American popular music. Of his continued dedication to his craft, Bennett explained, “The first day you don’t do the scales, you know. The second day, the musicians know. The third day, the audience knows.” Read more » Culture Dept. Tables for Two Ice Cream Is Good for You Have a scoop at Caleta, an East Village wine bar slash ice-cream parlor from the creators of Bad Habit, or some dairy-free soft serve at Nick Morgenstern’s Bananas. By Hannah Goldfield Page-Turner Sammy Harkham’s Work-Life Balance “Blood of the Virgin” is about the discovery that family and art require the same resources. By Sam Thielman The Theatre “Here Lies Love” Tackles Broadway; “Uncle Vanya” Tiptoes Downtown David Byrne’s electro-pop Imelda Marcos is a series of hard, mirrored surfaces. By Helen Shaw Harm Reduction Dept. The Newest Music-Festival Booth: Free Narcan Between sets, fans of Kim Petras, Ice Spice, and Joey Bada$$ could get a demo on how to reverse an opioid overdose. By Adam Iscoe Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Will Nediger Daily Shouts All of the Near-Death Experiences I’ve Had This Week I got on an F train and noticed that I had the same Baggu tote as the girl across from me. My heart nearly gave out upon realizing that I may be basic. By Jenny Arimoto and Brian Park Crossword A Themed Puzzle Backaches. By Adam Aaronson and Billy Bratton Daily Cartoon Friday, July 21st By Camilla Sucre P.S. Robin Williams would have been seventy-two today. Speaking to Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, the comedian Mike Birbiglia described the experience of seeing Williams interact with fans backstage. “He gave people the Robin Williams fantasy sequence that you would dream meeting Robin Williams could be.” Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.