A Win for Abortion Rights in Kansas

Plus: the missing migrants of South Texas; Beyoncé’s “Renaissance”; and a novel about the drama of psychoanalysis. View in browser | Update your preferences Wednesday, August 3, 2022 Share your thoughts on The New Yorker’s Politics and More podcast. Take a brief survey » In today’s newsletter, the first post-Roe vote on abortion, and then: • Searching for South Texas’s missing migrants • Dancing to Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” • The drama of psychoanalysis in “August” A Win for Abortion Rights in Kansas Voters went to the polls in historic numbers to reject Republicans’ plans. Photograph by David Robert Elliot for The New Yorker This is not what Republican leaders of the anti-abortion movement in Kansas expected. Backed by millions of dollars from the Catholic Church, legislators thought they could quietly pass an amendment this week that would strip abortion rights from the state constitution. They wrote a ballot question with inscrutable language and intentionally placed it on a midterm primary ballot that historically draws Republican voters in far greater numbers than Democrats or independents. They figured they could win while the opposition slept. A historic number of Kansans went to the polls and, yesterday, dashed the Republicans’ plans. Voters halted, at least temporarily, a push for greater abortion restrictions in the state, and boosted the morale of beleaguered Democrats across the country. The ballot measure lost big, by eighteen percentage points, with nearly all votes counted. The turnout—double that of the state’s 2018 primary election—exceeded even the expectations of Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, the strategically named pro-choice coalition. “I have four daughters,” Ashley All, the spokesperson for the coalition, told reporters on Wednesday morning. “This campaign was for them.” —Peter Slevin, contributing writer Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk Daily Comment A Bad Democratic Bet in the G.O.P. Primaries Will Democrats come to regret the tactic of boosting extreme, election-denying Republican candidates? By Amy Davidson Sorkin Letter from the Southwest South Texas’s Missing Migrants Along the border, a nonprofit works to reunite families with their loved ones—alive or dead. By Rachel Monroe Letter from the South A New Fight Over an Old Forest in Atlanta A proposal for an enormous new facility—dubbed Cop City by critics—has ignited interest in one of Atlanta’s largest remaining green spaces. By Charles Bethea Dispatch The Sinkhole That Swallowed a Mexican Farm A bottled-water company tapped an ancient aquifer that thousands of people and businesses share. Then came the protests. By Allison Keeley Our Columnists Will the Manchin Deal Finally Kill the “Carried-Interest” Loophole? Democrats may be on the verge of forcing private-equity tycoons to pay their fair share in taxes—a step that reformers have been demanding for years. By John Cassidy Editor’s Pick Pop Music Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” Shocks Some Life Into a Culture Gone Inert On her new album, the performer invites us onto the dance floor and jolts us awake. By Carrie Battan Culture Dept. Second Read The Novel That Found Its Melodrama in the Psychoanalyst’s Office Judith Rossner’s “August,” from 1983, takes its title from the cruellest month—the one when many therapists go on vacation. By Hannah Gold The New Yorker Documentary The Transformations of Natural-Hair Care in “BABYBANGZ” In a new documentary about a New Orleans hairdresser, the “big chop” is far more meaningful than the average trip to the salon. Film by Juliana Kasumu Text by Natalie Meade 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 Frustrating Things That Happen After You Moisturize Your Hands By the way, just to clarify—all of these situations take place in a world where gloves don’t exist. By Luke Burns Crossword A Lightly Challenging Puzzle Like judges and choir members: five letters. By Patrick Berry Daily Cartoon Wednesday, August 3rd By David Ostow P.S. It’s always a good day to read Joan Didion. Take a look back at her profile, from 2000, of Martha Stewart, who celebrates her eighty-first birthday today. Didion examines the rise and rise of Stewart’s media empire and “the perils of totally identifying a brand with a single living and therefore vulnerable human being.” From her fans: “She’s a control freak beyond my wildest dreams.” From her critics: “She’s a shark.” And, from Didion: “She has branded herself not as Superwoman but as Everywoman.” Didion adds, “Martha herself gets it, and talks about herself in print as if catching up her oldest friend.” 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. 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 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. 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