It’s Wednesday, June 24. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Reihan Salam on Islam in America. Casey Babb on the elephant in the room after a shooting in Canada. How to actually fix the reflecting pool. All that and more.
But first: Socialism and the city.
Whether you hate it or love it, New York still sets the trends that America follows. That’s why the results of Tuesday’s primaries are national news. In a trio of House races in America’s biggest city, left-wing candidates backed by Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders came out on top.
Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier all won primary challenges against incumbent representatives, promising to tax the rich and spread the spoils among the masses.
How did the Democratic establishment fold so easily against the left-wing insurgents? And what does this say about the state of the party nationwide? Olivia Reingold and Peter Savodnik report on how leftists who want to abolish prisons, ban billionaires, and cut U.S. ties to Israel are spearheading a nationwide hostile takeover of the Democratic Party.
In New York’s 12th district, the Democratic establishment was dealt another blow when Jack Schlossberg, a scion of the Kennedy family, suffered a crushing defeat, coming in third. Some have called the loss the end of the Kennedy dynasty. Not so fast, argues Will Rahn in our second piece on the results today.
—The Editors
For the second time in two weeks, a Canadian police officer was killed in incidents connected to attacks against Canada’s Jewish community. Together, these two events have taken what Canadian prime minister Mark Carney recently described as a “crisis of antisemitism in Canada” to new heights—but the media has seemed to turn a blind eye to these atrocities. How could they miss this horrific story—and what biases lie underneath the mainstream media ecosystem? Casey Babb explains why Canada can’t seem to acknowledge its antisemitism problem.
A generation ago, debates about Islam in America centered on assimilation and religious freedom. Today, they are bound up with some of our most urgent political questions. Few people are better placed to make sense of this important subject than Reihan Salam. As president of the Manhattan Institute, Reihan is one of the most astute observers of politics and policy debates in the country today. He is also an American Muslim raised by immigrants from Bangladesh. In this essay, he examines two forces he sees reshaping segments of American Muslim life: Islamism, a transnational ideology seeking to impose Islamic law, and Third Worldism, which casts America and its allies as the primary drivers of global injustice. Reihan looks at where each is taking root and what it means for America.
One of the biggest arguments in Washington right now is all about. . . the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. In April, President Trump announced a rapid renovation of the landmark. But things soon went south: allegations of corruption, water turning an unfortunate shade of green, pro-algae protesters, and a dead duck floating lifeless to the edge of the pool. In short: It’s a mess. So, in search of practical answers, Tanner Nau gave a pool guy a call.
Great Americans
Today’s Great American is Ty Cobb—the man who mastered the art of America’s pastime, becoming Major League baseball’s best pure hitter in the early 20th century. But perhaps even more American than his success, argues Will Rahn, is the pain it took to get there. “We often speak of America as the land of opportunity, the one place where you can really make it regardless of your background,” Will writes. “That’s all splendidly true. But what’s also true is that America will probably try to kill you first.” Read his piece on what Cobb’s career teaches us about the American dream—and how overcoming pain became a core part of our national identity for decades to come.
MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS
THE NEWS
In negotiations on Tuesday, President Trump and Iranian officials continued to disagree about whether Iran had committed to open its nuclear facilities to United Nations’ inspections. The nuclear aspect of the deal will likely be a key point as the two countries push for a permanent settlement.
At least 40 people in France have drowned in the past five days, French officials said in an emergency cabinet meeting Tuesday. The deaths come amid a scorching heat wave, and likely stem from a rise in swimming in unauthorized areas.
The United States Treasury waived sanctions preventing Iran from selling oil in U.S. dollars for the first time in decades. The deal comes as a major concession, as the United States continues to negotiate a postwar settlement with Iran.
The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a Rastafarian cannot sue prison officials over their decision to shave his dreadlocks. While the defendant argued his dreadlocks were a reflection of his religious identity, the court decided in a 6–3 split that he could not claim religious persecution in this matter.
Elon Musk’s company SpaceX is reportedly seeking to borrow $20 billion in bonds. The move comes as a surprise to many, after the company secured $86 billion just weeks ago in a record IPO.
President Trump said on Monday that he has definitive proof that vandals “cut” the paint in D.C.’s reflecting pool. He claimed that the proof will soon come out in court, and has begun stepping up law enforcement in the area to prevent further incidents.
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson announced Monday that he is officially leaving the GOP behind. The declaration comes after rising tensions between Carlson and the traditional wing of the party, which he accused of having “betraying” voters by prioritizing Israel’s interests over America’s.
New York’s Socialist Sweep.
"I want him to win. Every 20 years or so, we need a conspicuous, confined experiment with socialism so we can crack it up again."
George F Will
Ummmm...which party is Tucker going to be attending?