Summer Begins

Memorial Day is a starting gun. While other holidays can be like a finish line — the culmination of so much energy — Memorial Day marks the beginning. The whole summer stretches out in front of us, a track shimmering in the sun.

If you’re not yet sure how to spend the long weekend, or the next few months, don’t worry. The Morning has compiled the best ideas and recommendations from The Times to get you ready for the summer. Starting now.

For your time outdoors

• Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, is picking fights with the progressives he once courted on issues including Israel and immigration.

• Rates of violent crime in most U.S. cities are down from pandemic-era highs. But rising property crime has made lawlessness an election issue.

• In Montana, the voting intentions of an influx of wealthy out-of-state newcomers hang over this year’s Senate race.

• President Biden told West Point’s graduating class that they owed an oath to the U.S. Constitution, not to their commander in chief. See a video.

Other Big Stories

• Severe storms are likely across portions of the U.S., while summer heat settles in across the South.

• At least five people have died and three others have gone missing on Mount Everest since the beginning of the climbing season.

THE SUNDAY DEBATE

Should Justice Samuel Alito recuse himself from cases about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack?

Yes. The flags in support of rioters on Jan. 6, waved on Alito’s properties, add to the Supreme Court’s crisis of confidence. This incident “is a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining a clear separation between personal beliefs and judicial responsibilities,” Aron Solomon writes for The Hill.

No. Justices have expressed political opinions publicly before, such as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg about Donald Trump. “In all matters of public interest, justices have opinions — and they are appointed to some extent due to their opinions,” Michael Broyde writes for CNN.

FROM OPINION

The Fresh Air Fund in New York City teaches children about nature — and invites them to dream big, the editorial board writes.