Majority of Democrats support impeachment, remaking the mall, your weekend longreads
Housekeeping note: I will be away for two weeks, working on this project. This newsletter will continue to arrive in your inbox, from the capable hands of my colleague Brandon Hardin. I will return Monday, August 19. — Elamin THE BIG STORY
A majority of House Democrats support an impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump
It began as a trickle of Democrats in the House backing beginning impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. That trickle grew into a wave — half of the Democratic caucus now publicly supports the party seeking impeachment.
This is a significant milestone. If they were to act, an inquiry would spur an investigation by the Judiciary Committee, which would determine if there is enough evidence to draft articles of impeachment.
Nonetheless, Democratic leadership — including Speaker Nancy Pelosi — still do not openly support beginning an impeachment inquiry. And while some of the Democratic leadership have recently began to support the idea, most are still waiting for Pelosi before they back it.
Among those waiting to make their impeachment support known is Rep. Jerry Nadler, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, which would begin the impeachment process. His private support for impeachment is one of the worst kept secrets on Capitol Hill.
Keep an eye on this: Four national progressive groups plan to make House Democrats' summer vacations all about impeachment.
David Dee Delgado / Getty Images STAYING ON TOP OF THIS The FBI said conspiracy theories like QAnon and Pizzagate are domestic terrorism threats
According to a May memo first reported by Yahoo News, the FBI considers conspiracy theories that are born and spread online a dangerous breeding ground for domestic terrorists.
The memo states that federal authorities believe "identity based, and fringe political conspiracy theories" are very likely to motivate some domestic terrorists to "commit criminal and sometimes violent activity," since certain narratives "tacitly support or legitimize violent action."
SNAPSHOTS All 83 ethics complaints against Justice Brett Kavanaugh have been dismissed for good. The decision makes clear that conduct by a lower court judge falls outside of the judiciary's ethics review process as soon as that judge is elevated to the Supreme Court. The only body with the power to take action against Kavanaugh now is Congress.
A white supremacist gang leader escaped from prison in Arkansas and is now on the loose. Wesley Gullett, 30, is the head of the New Aryan Empire, a group that's been accused of running a massive drug trafficking operation and committing a slew of violent crimes to maintain it. Authorities say he and another inmate managed to escape using dummies that they put in their beds.
A$AP Rocky told a Swedish court he tried to defuse the fight that landed him in jail. The rapper said he acted in self-defense trying to deescalate a "scary" situation that turned into a brawl. Rocky pleaded not guilty to assault charges for the June 30 fight and could face up to two years in a Swedish jail if convicted.
Tana Mongeau's reality show revealed some interesting things about her marriage to Jake Paul. Despite people questioning whether the YouTube stars' union is for real, they both insisted it is. But on her MTV reality show, Tana casts it in a different light: "I have a lot of love for him, but it's still something fun and lighthearted that we're obviously doing for fun and for content."
 All's fair in love and content. Denise Truscello/WireImages LET'S GO TO THE MALL The future of the mall might be on your college campus
You've probably heard a lot about the "death of the American mall," or some equally doomsday-inspired language to ponder the decline of malls.
Well now, chain retailers are eyeing a new type of mall — your university. Companies like Target, Trader Joe's, Urban Outfitters, and Publix are opening stores on or near college campuses, chasing students who are setting up shopping habits that could last a lifetime.
It's a relatively new trend — before this, retailers were reluctant to set up shop on campuses because they determined potential sales by the average household income in the area. But as universities offer favorable lease terms, the trend of retailer son campus started growing.
Since 2014, Target alone has doubled down on developing small-format stores near campuses.
Read Leticia Miranda's look at how these stores are remaking campuses, and in the process remaking neighborhoods.
TAKE IT EASY Some essays to relax with on your weekend
A History Of Women In Quentin Tarantino Movies. Tarantino's latest film, Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood, reignited discussions of his depictions of women. So Alison Willmore went through his career by analyzing the women characters he put on screen. From the piece: "His work resists being painted with a broad brush, despite the tendencies to hold him up as either an unimpeachable genius or an anti-feminist nightmare."
In Defense Of Celebrity Stunt Weddings. What is a stunt wedding for, exactly? Sure, 66,000 people paid anywhere between $50 and $75 to watch Tana Mongeau and Jake Paul get married maybe-for-real, but why? Pier Dominguez revisits stunt weddings: "Wedding content has been one of the biggest ways that mainstream culture celebrates white hetero femininity, so of course women from Elizabeth Taylor to Tana Mongeau have used it to their advantage."
Lil Nas X is Gay And No. 1 And You Heaux Will Deal. This week, Lil Nas X broke the record for the longest song to top the charts — "Old Town Road" has held the top spot for a stunning 17 weeks. In June, the rapper came out in a series of tweets. But as Michael Blackmon writes, his coming-out narrative is unlike any we've seen before: "In his joking and Extremely Online way, Lil Nas X is challenging what it means to come out on the public stage — especially now, when fans feel their proximity to their favorite stars' public lives must equal an all-access pass to their personal lives as well."
Drop your shoulders down and take a deep breath — I got you, Elamin BuzzFeed, Inc.
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