Before the attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life, there had been rising incidents of harassment and threats of violence against public officials. Can America dim the specter of political violence?

• Convicted: U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was found guilty on all charges, including accepting bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.
• Israeli strike: Deadly strikes that killed more than 60 people came overnight and into the afternoon of July 16, hitting near a gas station outside the southern city of Khan Younis.
• Pronouns: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law barring school districts from passing policies requiring schools to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identification.
• Moon cave: An Italian-led team reported that there’s evidence for a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon.
• Bangladesh protests: A university student was killed and dozens injured in northern Bangladesh, as stone-throwing students protested a quota system for government jobs.

Read these news briefs. 

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A federal judge in Florida has dismissed the Trump documents case, saying the special counsel leading the prosecution has no constitutional power to do so. Where does that leave independent investigations of presidents?

A party platform, while not binding, gives an indication of policy priorities and a road map for governing. The changes since 2016 reflect a populist shift, dialing back long-standing Republican stances on abortion, guns, and fiscal responsibility.

Women around the globe have long fought female genital mutilation. A vote to uphold a ban on the practice in Gambia is an immediate win, but the fight for women’s rights is a precarious one.

Summer camp offers children bonding time with peers – and is often an important source of child care for parents. But families are increasingly weighing more factors when considering what camp means for them. 

Always eager to reach young people with the values of athletic sports – excellence, respect, and friendship – the International Olympic Committee announced last week that the first video gaming Olympics will take place next year. It was one more example of how multiplayer electronic sports, or esports, have become not only universal among teens but also a powerful tool to enhance the education of gaming enthusiasts. A few lesser-known examples show just how powerful.

In the United States, esports clubs are being introduced in middle schools to help deal with a near doubling in student absenteeism since the pandemic. The clubs, which are often integrated into classrooms, have proved to be a big enticement for kids to go to school. The teacher-guided esports increase a sense of belonging and a deeper engagement with others. They also help students build a variety of skills such as teamwork and critical thinking.

At three middle schools in Virginia’s Henrico County, esports clubs “are proving to be a game-changer in boosting attendance and reversing the student engagement slide that follows elementary school,” reported Education Week. “At two of the schools, no student who was part of the esports club was considered chronically absent – even though kids were encouraged to join based in part on their spotty attendance records.”

Not all of the students in a club play video games. Some learn to shout-cast, or comment on a game in real time. Others set up the electronics or learn about sports management. In Henrico County, the schools use games that are nonviolent – as the Olympic Esports Games will be.

For students in these clubs, “Your grades are going to be better. Your behavior is going to be better. Your sense of well-being is gonna be better,” Jon Gregori, an education innovation specialist in Virginia, told Education Week.

Schools have long tried to fix the root causes of absenteeism, such as student bullying or unsupportive parents. Yet with about 85% of American teens playing video games, one easy solution is to use a popular activity as an avenue for deep connection and learning. “They show up, and then you have the opportunity to teach them all different things,” Claire LaBeaux, chief advancement officer for the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations, told the publication Government Technology.

Esports clubs are simply using what teens love to do to broaden their experience of connection with others in a classroom. For many, that’s an incentive to get up each morning and head to school.