The Weaponization of Sexual Violence on October 7th

Plus: an inside look at Donald Trump’s R.N.C.; ear injuries throughout history; and the power of the pirates. View in browser | Update your preferences Saturday, July 20, 2024 In today’s edition, the Weekend Essay, and then: • An inside look at Donald Trump’s R.N.C. • Ear injuries throughout history • The power of the pirates What We Know About the Weaponization of Sexual Violence on October 7th Rape is a shocking and sadly predictable feature of war. But the nature of the crime makes it difficult to document and, consequently, to prosecute. By Masha Gessen Illustration by Vartika Sharma; Source photographs from Getty In early March, Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a well-known Palestinian Israeli academic, appeared on “Makdisi Street,” a podcast hosted by Karim, Saree, and Ussama Makdisi, three Palestinian American academics who are also brothers. They had been speaking for more than an hour when Karim asked what he said would be the last question. He wanted Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s opinion of a report, recently published by the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, which concluded that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, had been part of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Keep reading From the News Desk Photo Booth The Spectacle of Donald Trump’s R.N.C. An inside look at the Republican Party’s weeklong celebration of the former President. By Antonia Hitchens Dept. of Close Calls Ear Injuries Through History When a bullet wounded Donald Trump’s ear at a recent rally, the former President joined a long list of historical and literary precedents, from Evander Holyfield to Hamlet’s father. By Zach Helfand The Political Scene Podcast Trump’s Triumphant R.N.C. and Biden’s Dilemma The Republican National Convention “had the feeling of sort of a very polite Midwestern cult meeting,” Susan B. Glasser says, reporting from Milwaukee. Editor’s Pick Annals of the Sea Were Pirates Foes of the Modern Order—or Its Secret Sharers? We’ve long viewed them as liberty-loving rebels. But it’s time to take off the eye patch. By Daniel Immerwahr Culture Dept. Goings On Nora Burns’s Memory Play “David’s Friend” Also: the mysterious folksinger Jessica Pratt, “Le Prophète” at Bard SummerScape, Molly Fischer’s book picks for new parents, and more. Fifty Days of Flash Fiction Flash Fiction “The South Asian Speakers Series Presents the Archeologist and Adventurer Indiana Jones” What he wouldn’t give to be back in the jungles of Honduras or jumping trains across Nazi-occupied Europe, where he could let his whip do the talking. By Tania James Read more of our series of very short stories for the summer. If you know someone who would enjoy this newsletter, please share it. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up. Fun & Games Dept. Blitt’s Kvetchbook Donald and J.D.: Is the Honeymoon Over? Or will they make up? By Barry Blitt P.S. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon on this day in 1969. Bruce Handy recalls watching the event when he was ten years old: “My entire neighborhood had gathered around a big TV—or at least we thought it was big back then—that one family had set up on their driveway, with a long extension cord snaking into the garage.” But the kids got bored. “A bunch of us ran off to play kick the can or something,” he writes. 🌖 What did you think of today’s newsletter? Let us know. If you like the daily newsletter, browse more New Yorker newsletters. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for the daily newsletter from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.