What Democrats want from Robert Mueller’s upcoming testimony

Top Democrats have revealed how they plan to interview special counsel Robert Mueller when he testifies before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees this week. Their ultimate goal: To make Mueller’s 448-page report on Donald Trump’s ties with Russia and potential obstruction of justice vivid and interesting to the American people.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Sunday on Face the Nation that doing so is important because most Americans haven’t read Mueller’s summary of his two-year-long investigation.

Schiff called the report “a pretty damning set of facts that involve a presidential campaign in a close race welcoming help …

Marvel announces 10 Phase 4 projects for 2020 and 2021

For the first time in years we finally have an idea of what Marvel Studios has planned for the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The studio revealed its upcoming schedule during its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday night, announcing at least 10 projects to expect over the next two years. The biggest revelations include the news that Natalie Portman will wield Thor’s hammer; Mahershala Ali will star in a new Blade project; and a confirmation from Marvel that it’s working on movies featuring some of the studio’s recently acquired characters.

Marvel’s business plan and …

Puerto Rico’s week of massive protests, explained

Thousands of protesters demonstrated in the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico Saturday, marking the eighth straight day of rallies calling for the resignation of the island’s governor. The crowds show no sign of ebbing, and analysts say that the protests are quickly becoming the biggest political demonstration in the US territory’s modern history.

The protests arose in response to the leak of Telegram app messages in which Gov. Ricardo Rosselló and his inner circle make light of the casualties caused by Hurricane Maria and disparage political opponents using vulgar, homophobic, and sexist language.

The text message leak came days …

Hulu’s Veronica Mars revival ends on a dark and shocking note

Okay: Hulu’s Veronica Mars season four has been out for eight hours now. You’ve had a chance to watch it and fully freak out. It’s time to talk about the ending.

If you have not yet watched every episode of the new season of Veronica Mars, including the finale, and you don’t want to be spoiled, please close this window now. Because some major stuff happens at the end of this season, and we’re about to unpack it.

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Here’s what happens in the finale of Veronica Mars

One of the most talked-about storylines in the original run of Veronica

Recode Daily: RIP Instagram influencers?

Instagram is expanding a test that hides the “Like” button on posts. According to Vox, Instagram has been running this experiment in Canada and is now rolling it out to users in Ireland, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. The test, which only shows a post’s like count to the person who posted it, is an attempt to “reduce pressure” and help users “focus on the photos and videos [they] share, not how many likes they get.” It’s also part of a larger effort to promote “digital well-being” and limit the app’s effects on mental health, which also includes …

Humans landed on the moon 50 years ago, and it’s still freaking awesome

Fifty years ago, human beings stepped on the moon for the first time. Some 650 million people around the world watched the historic landing on July 20, 1969, and heard astronaut Neil Armstrong say “… one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Fittingly, there’s a Google Doodle celebrating the anniversary this weekend. Even cooler: An image of the Saturn V rocket that propelled the astronauts to the moon is being projected onto the Monument during the nighttime, culminating in a video projection on Friday and Saturday.

All the fuss is well deserved: The legacy of that …

Watch: the biggest movie and TV trailers released at Comic-Con

The 2019 edition of San Diego Comic-Con — essentially the Super Bowl of geek culture and entertainment — is upon us. Running from July 18 to July 21, it will feature panels on some of the biggest properties in movies and TV, many of which will tantalize fans with teasers and trailers full of new footage.

Last year, Warner Bros. released the first trailer for Aquaman at SDCC. In 2017, Marvel gave fans a stunning first glimpse at Black Panther (which would go on to become one of the biggest movies in Marvel history). And using Comic-Con as a …

“Send her back!” Trump’s attacks on Ilhan Omar — and the response to them — represent a new low

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is a Somali refugee who became a US citizen. Last November she was elected to Congress by an overwhelming majority of voters in her Minneapolis district. Her story embodies elements of the American dream.

But Omar is also an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump. And last Sunday, Trump lashed out at her and other Democratic congresswomen of color in a string of tweets in which he told them to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” The subtext, in Omar’s case, was clear — the president …

How one House Democrat is forcing a vote about impeaching Trump

All year, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tried to avoid a messy House of Representatives debate on impeachment — but this week, her luck ran out.

Using a procedural tactic known as a privileged resolution, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) has forced the House to take action on articles of impeachment against President Trump. On Wednesday afternoon, then, the House began voting on the matter.

However, there may not be a direct vote on whether Trump should be impeached. First, members are voting on whether Green’s impeachment resolution should be set aside (“tabled”), as leaders of both parties want.

A “yea” vote …

Vox Sentences: The long silence after “I can’t breathe”

Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the Vox Sentences newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the Vox Sentences archive for past editions.

The Department of Justice will not file charges against the police officer accused of fatally choking Eric Garner; China feels the effects of its prolonged trade war with the US.


Officer accused in Eric Garner’s death won’t be charged

David McNew/Getty Images
  • The officer accused of fatally choking Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, will not be charged with any federal crimes. [