Musa Al-Gharbi (Columbia): The Jury’s Still Out on What Constitutes a Microaggression. Crispr can speed up nature — and change how we grow food. The deadly limousine crash didn’t have to turn out the way it did: It’s part and parcel of the lax regulations surrounding all sorts of aspects of American life. Taylor Swift’s Instagram post has caused a massive spike in voter registration (and more). Nikki Haley was never the adult in the room (and more). The case for climate pessimism: A frightening report on climate change has some experts pondering the perils of optimism about the future. Dire climate warning lands with a thud on Trump’s desk. “Tech won’t save us, part 547”.
Do Trump’s scandals actually matter? In the rush of news, big stories can get lost — that’s no reason for despair. The Mueller investigation is bigger than Rod Rosenstein. While Mueller stays quiet, suspicious Trump–Russia clues keep popping up. The one conspiracy theory that Republicans won’t believe: Many are quick to blame George Soros for the Kavanaugh protests — but Russian interference, huh? Republicans: Protesters are an unruly mob — unless they’re heavily armed and support us. The paranoid style in G.O.P. politics: Republicans are an authoritarian regime in waiting. Would Kavanaugh have been defeated if Democrats were more ruthless? Superior ruthlessness isn’t why Republicans control the Supreme Court. “Can we please stop with the ‘Rs play chess, Ds play checkers’ trope? Republicans have adopted illiberal tactics to maintain minority power. They aren’t more sophisticated, they are simply more destructive”.
