Greggor Mattson (Oberlin): Weaponization: Metaphorical Ubiquity and a Shared Rejection of Politics. Yemen received more migrants in 2018 than Europe. “They’re gonna rock it’: The first day Native women served on Capitol Hill. The exceptions to the rulers: When people of color enter elite spaces, they’re often attacked as undeserving charlatans. Having the most diverse Congress ever will affect more than just legislation. College football players are going to quit bowl games — maybe even college football altogether. Rachel Sugar interviews Barry Schwartz on the allure of a doomed mission. Apple is selling fewer iPhones than it would like — maybe upgrading your phone just isn’t fun or cool anymore.
If Rosenstein leaves the Justice Department, here’s the kind of chaos to expect (and more). Machine learning leads mathematicians to unsolvable problem. How to hit Russia where it hurts: A long-term strategy to ramp up economic pressure. What’s actually happening at the US-Mexico border, explained. Everyone calm down about that declaration of national emergency. The government shutdown spotlights a bigger issue: 78% of US workers live paycheck to paycheck. The wall isn’t an emergency, but federal workers’ plight is rapidly becoming one. The suicide of a great democracy: A shutdown looks like the beginning of the end that Lincoln always knew was possible. Peter Wagner and David Jaclin on the political condition of our time.
