August is typically the month where news goes to die. But our newsroom hasn’t stopped; we’ve published a string of must-read stories over the last several days.
I’ll get to my favorites in a second. But first: Come hang out with me?
Our next live debate is happening on September 10 in my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And the topic could not be higher stakes: Is designing babies unethical—or a moral imperative?
These live debates are my favorite thing we do. A chance to hear brilliant people chop it up, and, just as importantly, a chance to meet other Free Pressers.
Get your tickets here before they sell out. You won’t want to miss it.
Okay, to the best stories of the week. . . .
Inside the Twisted Race to Make Designer Babies
What if I told you that, possibly within a generation, any baby born with a genetic disease could be cured? And that the same technology—CRISPR-Cas9—could allow would-be parents to pick the color of their babies’ skin? Or their eyes? And, eventually, even their IQ?
The story of gene editing—what technology and science have already made possible—is wild enough on its own. But what if I told you that the race to pioneer gene editing in the United States was being run by ex-lovers?
In “The Bride of ‘Chinese Frankenstein’—and the Race to Make Designer Babies,” Johanna Berkman spent hours talking to He Jiankui and his former fiancée (and fierce competitor) Cathy Tie.
“It took human individuals one million years to become the way we are now,” He told Johanna. “We cannot wait another million years to become better. Maybe ten years. Maybe a year.”
In the future, he said, “humans will no longer be controlled by Darwin’s evolution, so the weak ones will be killed and the strong ones will survive.” “No,” he went on, “humans will decide our own fate.”
Johanna’s piece should not be missed.
Why Amanda Knox Forgave the Man Who Sent Her to Prison
Most of us remember the basics of the Amanda Knox story. She was the young, beautiful American woman studying abroad in Italy whose life was derailed when prosecutors accused her of murdering her roommate in a bizarre sex game gone awry.
Knox, smeared by the press across the world, spent four years in an Italian prison before she was acquitted for a murder she did not commit.
Most people would never forgive those responsible for such a miscarriage of justice. But Amanda Knox isn’t most people.
I don’t want to say more, because I want you to listen to Amanda herself. This is one of the best conversations I’ve ever hosted on Honestly:
How a Wall Street Democrat Became a Major MAGA Moneyman
You might not know the name Omeed Malik, a major financier and erstwhile Democratic aide and fundraiser. But you do know of many of the people he regularly rubs shoulders with, like Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Tucker Carlson.
When Carlson was fired from Fox News, it was Malik’s venture capital firm—where he employs Donald Trump Jr.—that provided the initial funding for the pundit’s new online venture. As Kennedy mulled ending his presidential campaign and backing Donald Trump, Malik became a crucial intermediary between the two camps. And now he’s one of the MAGA movement’s most prominent business bigwigs, ditching New York parties with George Soros for tennis at Mar-a-Lago.
So how did Malik go from reliable Democrat to the white-hot center of Trump World? Lots of people have opinions on the matter—including Malik himself. Read Gabe Kaminsky’s tremendous profile of Malik for an eye-opening look at how money, power, and ideology all fold together in Trump’s Washington.
Marry a Woman Smarter Than You
What’s left to be said about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift? Will Rahn has one idea: that the Kansas City Chiefs star deserves our respect for settling down and pairing up with a woman who will always eclipse him. He’s not jealous; he realizes he hit the jackpot.
This one delighted me.
Also, don’t miss Coleman Hughes on Candace Owens and Brigitte Macron; Maya Sulkin on Zionist sweaters; and David Mamet on the word fuck.
Alright folks, that’s it from me. Be sure to keep an eye on our pages this weekend—from Suzy Weiss’s Saturday morning culture dispatch to Things Worth Remembering and Ancient Wisdom on Sunday, you’re in for a treat. See you next week!
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Author: Bari Weiss
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