Summertime ... and the news isn't easy

Remember when people wrote songs about the Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer? These days, the lazy has disappeared. Crazy? You be the judge.

For your summer weekend pleasure, some of my favourite reads from across The Conversation network -- Trump's chaotic European trip, the finale of the World Cup and other interesting stories you won't find anywhere else.

Have a great weekend and we'll be back in your Inbox on Monday.

Scott White

Editor

Summer Weekend Reads

Is Trump Putin's 'stooge?'

John Colarusso, McMaster University

As Donald Trump prepares to meet with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, here's a detailed explanation of how one goes about subverting democracy via a stooge.

Trump's visit has thrown the special relationship into unprecedented turmoil

Martin Farr, Newcastle University

Efforts to keep Trump's itinerary as tight and cloistered as possible failed to avoid a classic diplomatic calamity.

Success of French football team masks underlying tensions over race and class

Joseph Downing, Aix-Marseille Université

When France won the world cup in 1998, the team was celebrated for its multiculturalism. What has happened since?

How we can protect the women who make most high-quality footballs

Farah Naz, University of Sargodha; Deiter Bögenhold, Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt

The Pakistani women who make the majority of the world's high-quality soccer balls belong to one of the most vulnerable groups in the global economy.

When is #MeToo coming to my workplace? Eight things you can do now

Judith Taylor, University of Toronto

While the #MeToo movement has been revolutionary, some workplaces will be slow to change. Here are seven things we can all do to help stop toxic work environments.

Peace in South Sudan? Not without a stronger state and reconciliation

Andrew Edward Tchie, University of Essex

As pockets of conflict continue to destablise South Sudan, much hope has been placed on the most recent peace deal.

Even self-driving cars need driver education

Johanna Zmud, Texas A&M University

Autonomous cars need to learn how to drive just like people do: with real-world practice on public roads. It's key to safety, and to public confidence in the new technologies.

Loneliness is contagious – and here's how to beat it

Olivia Remes, University of Cambridge

It's less about making more friends and more about changing the way we see the world.