This episode contains strong language and scenes of violence.

Last summer, as the country reeled from the murder of George Floyd, another Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis. People took to the streets in Kenosha in protest and were soon met by civilians in militia gear — a confrontation that turned violent.

On the third night of protests, a white teenager shot and killed two people, and maimed a third. The gunman, Kyle Rittenhouse, became a symbol of the moment, called a terrorist by the left and a patriot by the right. Now, he’s on trial for those shootings.

Guest: Julie Bosman, the Chicago bureau chief of The New York Times.

Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. 

Background reading: 

• Here are some of the takeaways from the trial so far.
• These are the events that led to Mr. Rittenhouse, now 18, standing trial in the fatal shootings of two men and the wounding of another in Kenosha, Wis.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.