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It’s Monday, May 20 — here’s what you’ll find in today’s newsletter:

• Justice Alito’s upside-down flag

• The study-abroad accent

• 4 quick hits of news from the last 24 hours

Alito’s upside-down flag

An upside-down American flag was flown outside Justice Alito's home. The NYT says this was a symbol supporting the Jan 6 insurrection, which raises ethical concerns about Alito's impartiality in upcoming pivotal cases.

Alito responded on Fox News, saying his wife flew the flag during a dispute with a neighbor.

Powerline: The NYT's Alito flag story is a baseless attack. The NYT itself admits the upside down flag is a form of protest, not necessarily a “Stop the Steal” display.

On another note, Raw Story doesn't love the “blame the wife” excuse. Also, such blatant political displays at a judge's home is a real problem.

Many Democrats were up in arms, notes Politico. Many are demanding Alito's recusal over the flag incident.

While Forbes recounts Justice Alito's past controversies.

And The Guardian reports on the White House’s response: Our flag is sacred.

The study-abroad accent

The Atlantic says people can pick up accents when studying abroad: Accents carry emotional weight -- if we want to fit in somewhere, we pick up accents fast.

The Conversation agreed: People can unconsciously change their accent to achieve social belonging -- or to preserve their identity.

But Babbel thinks it depends: A slight accent shift after a few months abroad is probably natural. But overdoing it is a sign of a fake accent.

On a different note, the Guardian says accent softening is a growing phenomenon in the UK: It reflects the country’s class biases and regional disparities.

Poll

1) Slovakia faces criticism for its toxic political culture, heightened by an assassination attempt on its Prime Minister.

2) Trump vows to be a staunch ally for gun owners, promising to reverse Biden's gun-control policies if re-elected.

3) CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta investigates his Alzheimer's risk, finding that lifestyle changes can improve brain health.

4) Manchester City clinches its fourth consecutive Premier League title under Pep Guardiola, sparking debates on competition.