💍 Permission to marry?

Happy Friday! It’s August 25 — people are talking about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, the merits of asking parents’ permission to marry, 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: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s crash

Yevgeny Prigozhin led the Wagner group, a Russian state-funded mercenary force. Russian officials said a plane carrying Prigozhin crashed on Wednesday, killing everyone on board. What does this mean for Russia?

⚫ The Kyiv Post thinks Putin was behind the crash. The Wagner Group staged a coup in June, and it was obvious Putin would kill Prigozhin as soon as it failed.

⚫ The WSJ agrees: Putin has a history of killing political rivals. The takeaway is that we can’t try to appease Putin to end the Ukraine war — he’s too ruthless.

⚫ The Guardian says this development makes Russia more instable. The crash also killed other Wagner heads — mercenaries Putin needed on his side.

⚫ But maybe Putin didn’t do it? Russian state media suggested that Prigozhin's death was the work of a “terrorist attack”.

⚫ It’s also possible Prigozhin isn't dead at all. A Kyiv journalist at The Independent notes that Prigozhin faked his death in a 2019 Congo plane crash.

💍 Cultural trend: Permission to marry?

More than 75% of men ask their partner's family for permission before they marry. Is it a sexist practice, or is it respectful?

💍 Debrett's, a publisher of etiquette guides, says it's officially outdated to ask your partner’s father for permission to get married. It's just not necessary in 2023.

💍 Cosmo agrees: Don't do it! it's unnecessary and sexist — your partner's permission is way more important than their father's.

💍 But the Daily Mail says the tradition's alive for a good reason: It creates a special moment for dads. Why rob him of that memory?

💍 The NYT isn’t sure: The tradition comes from a time when women were considered property. It's outdated, but some parents still find it respectful.

💍 This Redditor on AskWomen has a different take: Asking for your partner’s parents’ permission is sexist, but asking for their blessing is okay.

Quick hits

🦠 A US study found that China's abrupt end to “zero Covid” restrictions may have led to almost 2 million excess deaths in 2 months. (Reuters)

⚔️ Putin made his first comments on Prigozhin’s death, saying Prigozhin was a “talented” man who made “serious mistakes”. (BBC)

🏛️ Trump surrendered to Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. He and 18 others face charges in a broad racketeering case. (CNN)

🚀 The Justice Department is suing SpaceX for allegedly refusing to hire refugees and asylum seekers, which is a violation of federal law. (WaPo)

That’s it for today. Reply at [email protected] to let me know what you think of our newsletter, or to suggest a topic for next time.

Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We think it’s a better way to stay informed and see the big picture. Please reach out if you’re curious to learn more!

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)