The real reason Americans are so angry all the time now

[View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter]( July 28, 2021 Are you mad as hell and can't figure out why? In a new feature, Kevin Drum breaks down what's really [fueling America's rising rage](—and the answer might surprise you. Or maybe not! I'll leave it to you to read Drum's latest, in which he also challenges some of the most popular theories out there, including conspiracy theories and social media, as the sources for our collective anger. Once you've read to the end to see what Drum believes has torched politics and fueled the air of rage, [I urge you to watch this pretty awful clip,]( which came just hours after the first congressional hearing to investigate the January 6 insurrection. [As I reported yesterday](, the four officers who appeared before the special panel offered incredibly powerful testimony, recounting scenes of violence and cruelty hurled by the pro-Trumpers storming the Capitol. Contrast their words with that aforementioned clip, and you might find Drum's theory all the more compelling. —Inae Oh Advertisement [ACLU]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [The Real Source of America’s Rising Rage]( We are at war with ourselves, but not for the reasons you think. BY KEVIN DRUM [Trending] [A new report shows how Trump keeps buying Facebook ads]( BY ALI BRELAND ["You will die on your knees": As cops recount Capitol violence, Republicans boycott and blame Pelosi]( BY INAE OH [A new documentary explores a hacktivist's tale and the twisted truth]( BY AJ VICENS [A conservative radio host mocked the vaccine. Now he’s hospitalized with COVID.]( BY HANNAH LEVINTOVA Advertisement [ACLU]( [The Mother Jones Podcast] [Special Feature]( [January 6 reckoning: CNN's Jake Tapper says the media must confront Republicans’ Big Lie]( "It's no less a lie than saying that the moon landing was faked." BY ABIGAIL WEINBERG [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( [Recharge] SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE [Brazil’s 13-Year-Old Skateboard Phenom Rayssa Leal Is Hands Down the Best Part of the Olympics So Far]( Rayssa Leal was only 7 when she [went]( [viral](. In early September 2015, [millions]( of people watched the [video]( of the then-7-year-old skateboarder, dressed in a bright blue fairy costume, fall twice before [triumphantly landing a heelflip](. One of them was skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. Fast-forward to 2021 and the Olympics in Japan, and Leal, now 13, has just become Brazil’s youngest-ever Olympic medalist, winning second place in the women’s street skateboarding competition. I grew up in Brazil and lived in Rio until recently and I can confirm that Leal, who was born in Imperatriz in the northeastern state of Maranhão, is an absolute sensation back home. The sport is making its Olympic debut this year, and in the early Monday hours, Brazilians tuned in to cheer “[one of the stars at the Tokyo Games](” as she won the country’s second silver—joining fellow Brazilian skater Kevin Hoefler—and third overall medal in Japan. Leal scored 14.64 points and finished just a spot behind another 13-year-old prodigy, Japan’s Momiji Nishiya, who earned 15.26 points. The hug and fist bump between the two girls after the results came in might have been [the best moment of these Olympics so far](. Despite her youth, Leal has quite an impressive resume. She started skating when she was 6. In 2019, at the age of 11, she became the youngest skater to win a women’s final at the Street Skateboarding League World Tour event in Los Angeles and made it to [second]( place in the world ranking. A year later, she received a [nomination]( for the Laureus Award, the equivalent of the Oscars for sports. “I’m living a dream,” she wrote to her 4.6 million followers on Instagram just days before this week’s final. She also thanked Hawk for introducing her to the world of skateboarding. Leal could be seen cheerfully performing viral TikTok dance challenges in between rounds of tricks, until her effortless execution in the final competitive round. After the final, she celebrated her victory with even [more dancing]( alongside a fellow competitor, the equally charismatic Margie Didal from the Philippines. Across social media in Brazil, the phrase “I believe in fairies” is trending. In a fractured country [struggling]( to resurface from a ravaging pandemic amid a seemingly never-ending [political crisis](, Leal emerges as a rare source of consensus and pride. She has been [hailed]( as someone all Brazilians can gather around, support, and be inspired by. She’s the best Brazil has and a much-needed reminder of everything the country can aspire to. One popular singer praised Leal for [rescuing]( the country’s flag from a [denier]( government. “‘Once upon a time there was a girl who loved her skateboard and had a dream.’ And so begins a true Fairy Tale that made all Brazilians smile today,” soccer legend Pelé [wrote]( in a post. “You are truly a ‘Fairy’, which makes us believe that even the most difficult dreams can come true.” —Isabela Dias Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755