D. Theodore Rave (Houston): Two Problems of Fiduciary Governance. There was another mass shooting this weekend but no one cares. Kavanaugh refuses to say if Donald Trump can pardon himself. Kavanaugh stumbled over two critical tripwires. Kavanaugh will say anything to get confirmed. It’s hard to find a federal judge more conservative than Brett Kavanaugh. Brett Kavanaugh could shatter the alliance between the GOP and the antiabortion movement (and more). Wojciech Keblowski on why public transport should be free. Why is Nike working with Colin Kaepernick? Joshua Hunt on the myth of good and bad companies. Colin Kaepernick hasn’t played an NFL game in 2 seasons, but he just keeps winning.
Manvir Singh (Harvard): Magic, Explanations, and Evil: On the Origins and Design of Witches and Sorcerers. The impotent executive: Trump has torn through some establishment restraints on his conduct, but his weakness is still the major story of his presidency. In 2018, black women like Ayanna Pressley are fighting for political power — and winning. Enough, already, with anything Steve Bannon has to say — we got it the first time. Josephine Livingstone on David Remnick, Steve Bannon, and the revolt against the elites. Some friendly advice for ideas festivals everywhere. Kennan Ferguson reviews Comedy and Critical Thought: Laughter as Resistance, ed. Krista Bonello, Rutter Giappone, Fred Francis, and Iain MacKenzie.
