It’s Friday, June 19. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Michael Doran unpacks the memorandum of understanding with Iran—and what comes next. Uri Berliner on growing up in 1970s New York and the magic of the Knicks. The great American sculptor who died with his masterpiece. And much more.
But first: Coleman Hughes on loving America.
There is no denying that for many African Americans, the legacy of slavery makes patriotism complicated.
Today, on Juneteenth, we mark the day that American slaves in Galveston, Texas, heard the news of their emancipation. Two weeks from now, on July 4, some will find celebrating more difficult. Can we revel in the birth of American liberty that did not extend to black people?
Today, I’m making a case that I hope will persuade skeptics. Telling conservatives and independents that America deserves their love would be preaching to the choir. So I’m making the progressive case for loving America.
As I write today, progressives often take for granted the “precious gifts that most people on Earth still don’t have or have only partially—societal wealth, reliable law and order, political rights.”
If you’re a progressive, I hope this changes your mind. If you’re a conservative, read it for a different reason: a patriotism that can persuade only traditionalists is fragile. It might make you a better advocate for the country you already love.
—Coleman Hughes
Five years after Juneteenth became a federal holiday, Isaac Newton Farris Jr.—the nephew of Martin Luther King Jr.—reflects on the tension at the heart of the day: the horror of American slavery and the vindication of the founding principles that ultimately undid it. As Dr. King put it, “the goal of America is freedom.” And Juneteenth was one incredible step toward that goal.
Breaking Down Trump’s Iran Deal
At first glance, Donald Trump’s memorandum of understanding with Iran appears to be a wish list drafted by the mullahs. They get sanctions waived and $300 billion for reconstruction in exchange for a vague commitment not to pursue a nuclear weapon. But “real significance [of the MOU] is that it buys time,” argues Michael Doran—enough time to prepare for Iran’s next attempt to rebuild its nuclear arsenal.
Meanwhile, Jack Goldsmith argues that there’s another problem with the deal: It may violate a law Republicans passed to stop Barack Obama from making a similar move a decade ago. Will the courts intervene to block its implementation? Read Jack’s piece to find out.
Our columnists also weighed in: Niall Ferguson is cautiously optimistic, while Douglas Murray sees a regime with too dark a record to trust. Read the full pieces here.
A sweeping new inquiry published this week has laid bare one of the worst failures in British history: at least 250,000 girls systematically targeted, trafficked, and abused by predominantly Muslim Pakistani rape gangs over decades, all while the state looked away. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who was interviewed as part of the inquiry, asks why Britain’s feminist movement was largely silent. “Modern feminism shouts when the target is culturally safe,” she writes, “and falls quiet when the perpetrators are wrapped in the prohibitions of diversity talk.”
On Thursday, all of lower Manhattan shut down as millions poured in to watch a parade in honor of the New York Knicks’ first championship since the 1970s. Back then, the magic of the Knicks transformed Uri Berliner from a shy kid shooting hoops alone into a team player with the courage to take on the ferocious pickup courts of downtown New York. Today, Uri writes, the Knicks’ magic is alive again. Will it last?
In a world where Americans increasingly see one another as enemies, Rye Barcott believes he has the antidote. Today, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran and author joins School of War to discuss his new book, “Courage Can Save Us.” What separates courage from bravery? Can military service heal a polarized America? And what does principled leadership look like in an age of distrust?
Great Americans
In today’s Great Americans essay, Josh Code traces the life of Harvey Fite—a sculptor who spent nearly 40 years building a seven-acre stone sculpture with no plans, no collaborators, and no interest in either. His story reads like something out of an Ayn Rand novel. In the end, a tragic accident killed Fite at the site of the sculpture, uniting him forever with his masterpiece.
And speaking of Great Americans, we want to hear from you. We’ve launched a new channel in The Free Press Forum dedicated to America at 250—a home for patriotism, history, and spirited debate about the American experience. We’re also running a subscriber contest: Tell us who we missed by nominating your pick for a Great American in 500 or fewer words. We’ll be reading every entry, and as the series wraps up around Independence Day, we plan to publish a few of our favorites.
EDITORS’ PICKS
SpaceX’s massive IPO last week did more than make Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire. It also minted 4,000 new millionaires. Suzy Weiss spoke to some of Silicon Valley’s twentysomething nouveaux riches about what they’re spending the riches on—$36,000 glass sculptures, a pied-à-terre in Paris, a sports team, and solving world hunger.
If you don’t have AI money and are in search of a get-rich-quick scheme, read Joe Nocera’s deep dive into the world of prediction market betting. For a week, Joe left behind his day job with $1,000 at his disposal, becoming a prediction market day trader. He found that the most successful traders in this world carve out a niche and cash in. What will yours be?
This week, ahead of Father’s Day, social science professor Brad Wilcox took a close look at new fatherhood data to answer the question: Has fatherhood become the exclusive domain of the rich, religious, and right-leaning?
As Independence Day approaches, America has been celebrating in split-screen: One side relishes the spectacle of Trump’s Ultimate Fighting Championship battle while the other agonizes over essays like The New Yorker’s “How Problematic Is Patriotism?” Both sides are doing it wrong, argue our editors. Here’s how to celebrate America’s birthday, the right way.
And tomorrow, we’re bringing you a Father’s Day–themed Weekend Press—including a personal essay from P.G. Sittenfeld about why he chose to have a child when staring at five years in prison, and Liel Leibovitz’s review of Toy Story 5. (He’s a fan!) Also: Douglas Murray and Abigail Shrier will be advising you on what to read this summer.
My deepest thanks to Coleman Hughes. As part of the unabashedly patriotic “choir” who is surrounded by suprisingly - or is it willfully - ignorant progressives in Massachusetts, I really appreciate having gained an avenue of conversation with them.
Love of america is not and should not be conditional in who occupies the oval office. Very easy to say: "I Love America."
A harder utterance , especially for a progressive, is: " I am a proud American. " Can you imagine Janey Fonda or Di Niro occasionally view lady saying those words.
All of this begs a few questions related to this matter. If one believes and is frequently screaming america was born in sin, is still systemically racist, is filled with white supremacists and Christian nationalists , how can they say love America or are a proud American?
So excuse me if I take with a few pounds of salt expressions of patriotism by those who carry their No Kings signs and have made clear for decades their disdain and rarely if ever express any gratitude for their good luck in being born here.
Just the words God Bless America can give many the vapors