The Edge: Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders—Psych!
Today in One Paragraph
President Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, Japan. Donald Trump said he won’t debate Bernie Sanders after all. Marco Rubio defended his support for Trump, and the presumptive Republican nominee encouraged Rubio to hang on to his Senate seat in November. Verizon reached an agreement with its nearly 40,000 employees on strike.
Top News
Obama in Hiroshima. The president called for a “world without nuclear weapons” during a speech in Hiroshima, Japan, the site where the United States dropped the world’s first nuclear bomb. Obama, who is the first sitting U.S. president to visit the site, did not apologize for America’s actions. Rather, he said, the goal of his visit was to reflect on the violence of the past and “take stock of who we are and what we might become.” (Kevin Liptak and James Griffiths, CNN)
It’s Not Happening. Donald Trump released a statement saying it would be “inappropriate” to debate “second-place finisher” Bernie Sanders, just a few minutes after the Sanders campaign said it was “prepared to accept” a proposal from a television network to host the debate. Trump had initially agreed to the non-traditional debate Sanders suggested on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, saying he would participate if it raised at least $10 million for charity. (Carrie Dann, NBC News)
Recommended: A 22-Year-Old Explains Why He's Voting for the Republican Nominee
A Hesitant Rubio-Trump Alliance? The onetime Republican presidential contender told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday that he’d be “honored” to speak on behalf of Trump at the Republican convention, a halfway endorsement which he has been defending on Twitter. “If you can live with a Clinton presidency for four years, that’s your right,” Rubio said Friday. “But I can’t and will do what I can to prevent it.” Meanwhile, Trump encouraged Rubio to run to keep his seat in the Senate race in the November election, tweeting, “Run, Marco!” (The Washington Post, USA Today)
Verizon Strikes a Deal. The telecommunications company signed a four-year contract with its striking employees, who are expected to return to work next week, union officials say. Almost 40,000 Verizon employees started the protest more than six weeks ago over pension and pay cuts. The president of Communications Workers of America, Chris Shelton, called the solution a “huge win, not just for striking workers but for our communities and country as a whole.” (Mike Snider, USA Today)
The Weekend in One Paragraph. Bernie Sanders will campaign in California. Donald Trump will hold a rally in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Follow stories throughout the day with our new Politics & Policy page. And keep on top of the campaign with our 2016 Distilled election dashboard.
Top Read
It’s a long way to November, and Trump could always self-destruct. But he probably won’t, and 2016 is shaping up as a contest that a careful Clinton campaign can easily lose, state by state, even as she piles up the popular vote in California and other sure-win places. Demographics are not destiny. In fact, they can be a disaster waiting to happen. David S. Berstein for Politico on how the Democratic front-runner could lose the election.
Top Lines
The ‘Trumpian Divide.’ At a rally in Anaheim, California, police officers arrest angry protestors while Trump supporters—both elites and blue-collar workers—attempt to find common ground. (Molly Ball, The Atlantic)
Recommended: The Real Scandal of Hillary Clinton's Emails
Racism in Justice. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that a black death-row inmate should be given a new trial after African American jurors were prevented from serving on his jury. The ruling highlights the deep, institutional racism inherent in the American criminal-justice system. (Emily L. Hauser, The Week)
Dialogue With a Young Trump Supporter. The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf corresponded with a 22-year-old man who believes that, while electing Trump has its risks, the presumptive GOP nominee will put an end to “PC culture.”
Top View
The Navy and ‘Fat Leonard.’ A Malaysian defense contractor has admitted to bribing certain Navy officials with gifts, cash, and prostitutes, but these charts and photos reveal just how deep the corruption actually goes. (Craig Whitlock and Kevin Uhrmacher, The Washington Post)
We want to hear from you! We’re reimagining what The Edge can be, and would love to receive your complaints, compliments, and suggestions. Tell us what you’d like to find in your inbox by sending a message to newsletters@theatlantic.com.
-Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey)
Read more from The Atlantic:
This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
