Vox Sentences: One of the deadliest days for Jews in America

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The Pittsburgh synagogue shooter goes to court; Germany’s Angela Merkel will not seek reelection as chancellor.

“Justice will be done”

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

• The man charged with killing 11 people in a synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday morning made his first court appearance Monday, wheeled in and shackled. [NBC News / Scott Newell and Minyvonne Burke]
• Federal prosecutors say they will pursue the death penalty against 46-year-old Robert Bowers, who’s been charged with 29 federal counts, including hate crimes. [CBS News / Justin Carissimo]
• In a press conference following the suspect’s initial appearance, US Attorney Scott Brady said he will be detained without bail for the “horrific acts of violence” he committed. He added that “justice will be done.” [Twitter / Nicole Fuller]
• The gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday, killing 11 and injuring six. The Anti-Defamation League said this is believed to be one of the deadliest attacks against the Jewish community in US history. [CNN / Jay Croft and Saeed Ahmed]
• The gunman frequently posted anti-Semitic threats on Gab, a social network often associated with conspiracy theorists and extremists. His profile on it read “jews are the children of satan.” [Vox / Jane Coaston]
• President Trump denounced the attack as “evil” and will travel to the community on Tuesday to grieve with survivors, the White House said. However, Pittsburgh’s Jewish leaders, including the Tree of Life synagogue’s former president, said they do not welcome his visit. [Esquire / Megan Friedman]
• The massacre has caused a national upset, particularly in the Jewish community, over the anti-Semitic sentiment of the attack. The killings came at the same time as radical extremists blame Jews for an invasion of nonwhite immigrants from Central America. [Vox / Dara Lind]

The end of the line for Merkel

• Angela Merkel announced on Monday that she will not seek reelection either as her party leader in December or as German chancellor in 2021. [Washington Post / Griff Witte]
• Merkel, once considered one of the most powerful political leaders in Europe, has been at Germany’s helm since 2005. During her tenure, she’s endured the 2008 financial crash, the eurozone crisis, the Syrian refugee surge, and Brexit. [Twitter / Nina Schick]
• Merkel’s announcement that this fourth term will be her last comes amid her weakening power and popularity both in the Christian Democratic Union party, which she leads, and in the nation as a whole. The ruling coalition — the CDU and the Social Democratic Party — suffered heavy losses in two key elections in the past month. [Al Jazeera]
• Political experts cannot come up with an immediate, shoo-in successor to Merkel’s long legacy. Her decision to leave will impact not only Germany, which is becoming increasingly divided as a nation, but also the rest of the EU, as French President Emmanuel Macron relied on Merkel for his goals of wide-reaching European reform. [CNN / Bianca Britton]

Miscellaneous

• Kanye West has reportedly designed a new line of T-shirts encouraging black voters to leave the Democratic Party. The slogan? “Blexit.” [Refinery29 / Sara Hendricks]
• Apple is looking into its manufacturing processes after a report released last week claimed the company relies on high school student interns to build the Apple Watches. [The Verge / Ashley Carman]
• Ever craved a late-night snack but feared the calories that come with it? A new study suggests consuming 30 grams of protein about 30 minutes before going to bed has a net positive effect on metabolism and muscle health. [MarketWatch / Quentin Fottrell]
• In possibly the most expensive beef to date, rapper 50 Cent wrote on Instagram that he bought 200 front-row tickets from longtime rival Ja Rule’s upcoming concert, just so he could leave them empty. [A.V. Club / William Hughes]

Verbatim

“Despite news reports to the contrary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not warned people against dressing chickens in Halloween costumes.” [Honestly, what more is there to say? / KUTV]

Watch this: Admit it. Republicans have broken politics.

Neither party is perfect, but Republicans in Congress have been drifting toward political extremism since long before Trump, and they’re making it impossible for Congress to work the way it’s supposed to. [YouTube / Carlos Maza and Hunter Boone]

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