What could Democrats have done differently about Graham Platner?
By now, Graham Platner — who ran a complicated and controversial campaign for a Maine Senate seat — has stepped aside after several sexual assault allegations against him were brought to light. Before his campaign completely combusted, Vox’s Andrew Prokop spoke with Amanda Litman, the co-founder and president of Run for Something, about all the red flags Democrats missed (and chose to ignore) about Platner.
“It’s upsetting — as a person, but also as someone who works in politics,” she said. “Because the people who believed in him will be disillusioned. I know people who were eager to move to Maine for the summer to volunteer for his campaign, who were inspired for the first time by him. What a fucking disappointment. What a betrayal of that hope.”
Astead Herndon also recorded a special episode of America, Actually on Platner’s warning signs, which you can watch on YouTube. ▶️
The climate case against leather
Listen, I love me a bag. Something that can be stylish and practical? Sign me up. That being said, I was shocked by this piece by Marina Bolotnikova about the environmental impact of leather goods. The fact that a leather tote bag might be comparable to the carbon emissions of roughly 35 burgers?! Wild. It’s an important look at how we should rethink whether animals should really be raised to create products for our enjoyment if it’s that harmful to the planet. 🌎
Don’t have time to read the whole story? See the rundown on Instagram.
Is Trump’s World Cup meddling a true scandal, or standard FIFA corruption?
Before the US got booted out of the FIFA World Cup by Belgium, there was some meddling from President Donald Trump. It all started when US striker Folarin Balogun got a red card during the USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina match, meaning he wouldn’t be able to play in the round of 16 versus Belgium. The next thing we knew, FIFA had decided to reverse Balogun’s one-game red card suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium — a game that ended in a 4-1 loss anyway. Alex Abad-Santos does a great dive into why this was such a big deal and how it’s not surprising considering FIFA is notoriously corrupt. Fans were also very upset about the addition of hydration breaks to matches. You can watch a video on it here. ⚽️
The moral case for being less online
Sometimes we all need a reminder that just because we put our phones down and stop scrolling doesn’t mean we’re no longer meaningful participants in all society has to offer. I love this idea that Shayna Love took from neo-Luddites: that learning about the world is an act that is better done offline. This is especially true right now in the summertime, when the weather is better, and people come out of their homes to mingle with one another. So look up from your phone and make sure you don’t miss those connections. 🌞
