How Your Family Tree Could Catch a Killer

Plus: the Kyle Rittenhouse jury; “Bidenflation”; and Marcella Hazan’s recipe for cauliflower gratin. View in browser | Update your preferences Monday, November 15, 2021 In today’s newsletter: the task facing the Kyle Rittenhouse jury; the myth of “Bidenflation”; and Marcella Hazan’s recipe for cauliflower gratin. Photograph by Peter Yang for The New Yorker “Crime-solving genetic genealogist is not a profession that one chooses by picking up a leaflet at a career fair,” Raffi Khatchadourian writes, in a gripping feature in this week’s issue, on the genealogists who are transforming policing. At the center of the story is CeCe Moore, “one of the world’s leading genetic genealogists,” who found her calling “partly by accident, and partly by helping to invent the field.” She pursues her cases with an obsessive energy, pulling “all-nighters with the frequency of a college freshman,” and, along the way, encounters the plentiful legal, moral, and scientific quandaries that surround this relatively new field. The story follows many of Moore’s investigations, including the discovery of the killer in a homicide case that detectives have been pursuing for thirty years—which took Moore just two hours on a Saturday to solve. There are cold cases of gruesome murders; adoptees seeking their family histories; and even the “lingering mystery” of the identity of the fantasy author George R. R. Martin’s father. It’s a whirlwind of a piece, full of stops and starts, dead ends and false hopes. Moore finds resolutions, too—not always happy endings, but ones that at least provide a sense of closure. There are millions of stories contained in our DNA, and Moore is racing against time to tell them. —Jessie Li, newsletter editor Read “How Your Family Tree Could Catch a Killer.” From the News Desk News Desk The Complex Task Facing the Kyle Rittenhouse Jury ​​The panel may consider lesser charges when determining whether the teen-ager committed crimes or acted in self-defense. By Paige Williams Our Local Correspondents Why New Jersey Voters Picked a Truck Driver Over the State Senate President An unknown Republican named Ed Durr unseated the second most powerful lawmaker in the Garden State, shocking even himself. By Eric Lach Our Columnists How Republicans Are Distorting Inflation and Supply-Chain Problems Prices are surging for reasons largely beyond Joe Biden’s control, but that won’t stop G.O.P. cries of “Bidenflation.” By John Cassidy Editor’s Pick The New Yorker Interview J. Smith-Cameron Knows What You’re Thinking About Gerri The “Succession” star discusses her chemistry with Kieran Culkin, her life in the theatre, and why bantering with the Roy family really is a bit like doing Shakespeare. By Rachel Syme Cover Story Bruce McCall’s eighty-first cover for the magazine, “Season’s Special,” depicts his favorite city-dwelling rodents: “It’s not a huge compliment to be preferred over a rat,” he says. The artist discusses his appreciation for squirrels and other animals with the art editor Françoise Mouly. Culture Dept. Illustration by Cindy Echevarria How Marcella Hazan became a legend of Italian cooking: Mayukh Sen’s latest column looks back at the life of the beloved cookbook author, including the story of Hazan’s broken arm from childhood that never completely healed, and her early cooking forays during World War II (“she would prepare gruel from mulberry leaves, water, and polenta flour to fatten up piglets for slaughter”). Plus, there’s a recipe for cauliflower gratin in béchamel sauce. “There’s a sense of destiny about Hardwick’s journey, as if she succumbed to her role as a New York Intellectual rather than choosing it.” Maggie Doherty examines the hard choices made by the writer Elizabeth Hardwick, including her marriage to the poet Robert Lowell. Antonia Hitchens recounts a day at the New York Police Academy, where a new batch of recruits trained to be community guides—“the N.Y.P.D.’s version of maître d’s or Walmart greeters.” “We aren’t going to get on Zagat,” the department’s chief of patrol said, “but you should be able to pull up reviews for your precinct.” Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz The fewer clues you need, the more points you receive. By Liz Maynes-Aminzade Crossword A Challenging Puzzle Craft for some Olympians: five letters. By Patrick Berry Daily Cartoon Monday, November 15th By Teresa Burns Parkhurst Daily Shouts Some Falling Thoughts “At least I’m not the first to go.” By Olivia de Recat 🌷 P.S. Georgia O’Keeffe was born on this day in 1887. The writer Roxana Robinson recalls the time she met the reclusive artist, when O’Keeffe’s agent had requested that Robinson, who was working at Sotheby’s at the time, deliver one of O’Keeffe’s paintings: “ ‘I hope you like the frame,’ I said. I had ordered it myself. It was a simple silver half clamshell, the kind that Arthur Dove had used. I knew O’Keeffe had liked Dove and had admired his work. I knew she’d like the frame. She’d be grateful. This was my moment. She answered without turning. ‘I like them best without frames.’ ” Today’s newsletter was written by Jessie Li. 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. 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