Growing Uncertainty in the Central Valley

Plus: Anand Gopal on the future of the Taliban; the man behind critical race theory; and climate memoirs. View in browser | Update your preferences Wednesday, September 15, 2021 California Chronicles Growing Uncertainty in the Central Valley California produces much of America’s food—and now a drought and a pandemic have put the system on edge. By Anna Wiener Daily Comment George W. Bush Is Right About Trump, but Wrong About the World It’s not useful to understand global affairs in the broadest possible terms, as a struggle between good and evil. By Nicholas Lemann Q. & A. Anand Gopal on the Future of the Taliban The New Yorker contributor discusses whether the group might rule Afghanistan differently this time, and its long-term prospects for staying in power. By David Remnick News Desk The Settlement Factory That Kept R. Kelly’s Accusers Quiet Payouts negotiated with Kelly’s lawyers bought the silence of some women testifying against him. By Jim DeRogatis Annals of Equality The Man Behind Critical Race Theory As an attorney, Derrick Bell worked on many civil-rights cases, but his doubts about their impact launched a groundbreaking school of thought. By Jelani Cobb Culture and More Under Review Can We Find a New Way to Tell the Story of Climate Change? An emerging genre of climate memoirs searches for narratives that will not only convince readers of the crisis at hand but galvanize them to do something about it. By David S. Wallace Postscript Norm Macdonald Was the Real Thing His persona was droll, but he cared seriously, even ebulliently, about what comedy could be. By Nathan Heller Listening Booth Yebba’s Powerful Blues on “Dawn” On her début album, the Arkansas singer-songwriter copes with her mother’s suicide. By Sheldon Pearce The Current Cinema Guilt and Numbness in “The Card Counter” Paul Schrader’s obsession with sin and redemption is palpable in his latest film, but against the strong moral backdrop the characters seem adrift. By Anthony Lane Humor and Games Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz The fewer clues you need, the more points you receive. By Liz Maynes-Aminzade Crossword A Moderately Challenging Puzzle State whose capital starts with its last four letters: seven letters. By Aimee Lucido Daily Shouts The Imaginary Bugs Behind Your Phantom Itches Someone uttered the word “flea” three days ago, and you’ve been itching ever since. By Annah Feinberg Daily Cartoon Wednesday, September 15th By Caitlin Cass 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.