THE LIE DETECTOR
In response to David Von Drehle’s July 3 cover story on Robert Mueller’s role as special counsel investigating possible Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election, several readers noted that what’s going on in Washington now reminded them of news from the Watergate era. But while Michael Steely of Medford, Ore., came away with the impression that Mueller was a “lawman with a lifelong reputation for integrity,” Michael H. Keedy of Alamogordo, N.M., focused on the story’s description of potential conflicts of interest for Mueller, like his relationship with former FBI director James Comey. To Sagarika Kamath of Karnataka, India, however, President Trump’s reaction to the process has been the most telling element: “There is no attempt to maintain even a facade of dignity.”
EYES IN THE SKY
Science buffs like Jack Kuhn of Frankfort, Ky., were awed by Jeffrey Kluger’s July 3 feature on NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope, which aims to shed light on the oldest galaxies. Michael Ragsdale of Fort Worth said he was particularly intrigued by the fact that Congress nixed a particle accelerator in Waxahachie, Texas, in 1993, which he saw as evidence that the U.S. has “abandoned our leadership in particle physics and handed that leadership off to Europe.” Kluger’s take on modern-day curiosity about space exploration–“We always have one eye trained outward”–is “very romantic,” wrote Ceil Lucas of Elkridge, Md., before adding that such romance doesn’t necessarily justify the telescope’s multibillion-dollar price tag when we could be “focusing both eyes on problems here at home first.”
BEHIND THE COVER
Photographer Miles Aldridge (in white shirt) spent hours working with Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey (from left, with a stand-in for Emilia Clarke, center) to get the perfect shot. Watch a few video highlights at time.com/gameofthrones
BEST IPHONE PHOTOS OF 2017
Winners of the 10th annual iPhone Photography Awards include this image by Israeli photographer Dina Alfasi, which won the top prize in the People category. Browse the best entries in the first and longest-running iPhone photo contest at time.com/lightbox
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