🎒 High schoolers wearing kindergarten backpacks?

Happy Sunday! It’s August 13 — people are talking about Joe Manchin’s possible party switch, the kindergarten backpack trend, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

🐴 In the news: Joe Manchin, switching parties?

Senator Joe Manchin floated the idea of switching from Democrat to independent. Is he serious about this?

🐴 Axios: Senator Joe Manchin said he's "thinking seriously" about ending his Democrat affiliation and becoming an independent, citing the “bad brands” of the Republican and Democrat parties.

🐴 WaPo says Manchin has flirted with this idea for a while, and switching could really hurt Democrats. They need his vote to maintain a senate majority.

🐴 Ben Kew thinks Manchin is only toying with the switch to improve his chances of re-election in West Virginia. What a slimeball!

🐴 But Hot Air says that strategy is ill-advised: Manchin won't win his seat back in West Virginia if he runs as an independent.

🐴 Either way, the NYT says Manchin's “independent” talk is out of touch. Politics will always be partisan — pretending party independence can fix American politics is silly.

🎒 Cultural trend: Kindergarten backpacks

Some high schoolers are rolling up to school wearing backpacks that you’d expect to see on a kindergartener. Is this cool, or crazy?

🎒 High school seniors are wearing backpacks you might see on a kindergartener. USA Today says it's a way to celebrate how far they've come.

🎒 Scary Mommy is a fan: The trend is sweeping across the US, and it's not hard to imagine why — it's so sweet and wholesome!

🎒 Gen Z's love for nostalgia may also be driving the backpack trend, says In The Know. A 2023 survey found that Gen Z is the most nostalgic generation.

🎒 But a high school newspaper has a word of warning for those looking to join the trend: These bags don't hold much — they are for kids, after all!

Quick hits from today & yesterday

⚫ The Hawaii wildfires death toll reached 93, and is the deadliest US blaze in a century. (The Guardian)

✈️ China vowed “forceful measures” as Taiwan’s William Lai arrived in the US. (Al Jazeera)

🗳️ Georgia prosecutors announced that they have messages showing that Trump’s team is behind a voting system breach. (CNN)

⚫ 4 people are dead and 1 is missing after an explosion destroyed 3 structures in Pennsylvania. (NPR)

That’s it for today! Reply at [email protected] with your takes, topic suggestions, or anything at all. Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We’d love to hear what you think.