How a Conservative Activist Invented the Critical Race Theory Conflict

Plus: Masha Gessen on Biden’s meeting with Putin; “Ziwe”; and Rita Moreno. View in browser | Update your preferences Friday, June 18, 2021 Annals of Inquiry How a Conservative Activist Invented the Conflict Over Critical Race Theory To Christopher Rufo, a term for a school of legal scholarship looked like “the perfect weapon.” By Benjamin Wallace-Wells Our Columnists The High Cost of Biden’s Meeting with Putin To Biden, illusions are a hazard in foreign policy; to Putin, they are its currency. By Masha Gessen On Television “Ziwe” Is Trapped in an Interminable Dance with Whiteness The variety series on Showtime, formerly an interview show on Instagram Live, struggles to release itself from the grip of its muse. By Doreen St. Félix The New Yorker Interview Rita Moreno Has Time Only for the Truth The actress, now eighty-nine, spent decades being typecast and belittled. In a new documentary, she tries to recover her story. By Michael Schulman Cultural Comment “Demon Slayer”: The Viral Blockbuster from Japan How an anime franchise captured the world’s imagination during the pandemic. By Matt Alt Books The Deep Sea Is Filled with Treasure, but It Comes at a Price We’ve barely explored the darkest realm of the ocean. With rare-metal mining on the rise, we’re already destroying it. By Elizabeth Kolbert Remembering Janet Malcolm Postscript Janet Malcolm Wrote and Lived with Bravery and Kindness A master of modern journalism has died at eighty-six. She was, as in a favorite line from “Charlotte’s Web,” the rare combination of true friend and great writer. By Ian Frazier Double Take Janet Malcolm in The New Yorker Celebrating the work of the legendary journalist, who died on Wednesday. By David Remnick Page-Turner Janet Malcolm, Remembered by Writers Notes on Malcolm’s legacy, from writers at and outside The New Yorker. By The New Yorker Humor from The New Yorker Daily Cartoon Friday, June 18th By Kim Warp Daily Shouts The Pros and Cons of Me Having a Kid Pro: I’ve heard that baby-making sex is mind-blowing! By Alex Baia Daily Shouts Relating to Birds Golden-crowned kinglet, you’re looking great! And I know that yesterday you ate the equivalent of ten per cent of your body weight. By Sophie Lucido Johnson You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Was this e-mail forwarded to you? Sign up. Unsubscribe | Manage your e-mail preferences | Send newsletter feedback | View our Privacy Policy Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.