Intellectuals for Trump: A rogue group of conservative thinkers tries to build a governing ideology around a President-elect who disdains ideology. America's scientists are terrified by Trump. Immigration is the only hope for states that helped Trump. Why rural America voted for Trump: People in red counties resent the attention cities get — and don't care for liberals. Around the world, old, rural voters count more than young people in cities. The center has fallen, and white nationalism is filling the vacuum. Tasneem Nashrulla and Michelle Broder Van Dyke review 28 of the alleged hateful incidents after Trump's win: The vast majority of incidents check out, though two hoaxes raised public doubts. We already have a Muslim registry — it's called Facebook. Donald Trump's Twitter account is a security disaster waiting to happen.
Trump's debts are widely held on Wall Street, creating new potential conflicts (and more). Trump adviser Carl Icahn is a blinding supernova of conflicts of interest: The billionaire investor is the de facto deregulation czar — he seems especially interested in trimming rules that apply to his own companies. Sarah Kliff on 15 charts that show how Obamacare works now — and how Republicans would overhaul it. Could Republicans just claim victory over Obamacare and do nothing at all? House Republicans revive obscure rule that allows them to slash the pay of individual federal workers to $1 (and more). The reverse Atlas Shrugged scenario: What would happen if there was a major staffing exodus from the federal government? Trump's systematic attack on U.S. institutions: U.S. intelligence agencies are just one of Trump's targets.
The uses of the classical: Doreen St. Felix on Jackie Evancho's inauguration performance and the subtle theater of pop authoritarianism. Deliberate disengagement: Research shows how education can decrease political participation in electoral authoritarian regimes. Get ready for next Wednesday.
