For the last two weeks I’ve kept being reminded of the Lloyd Bridges character in Airplane!, the air traffic controller who (as the tension ratchets up) says he picked the wrong week to stop smoking, drinking, taking amphetamines, sniffing glue.
I picked the wrong week not to put out a Sift. The last two weeks have been an incredible series of events; either week would have been impossible to summarize in the usual length of this blog. Considering the two together, well, important stuff is just going to fall through the cracks.
I’ve decided to focus on two things: the immigration/travel ban against seven Muslim-majority countries and Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Each one gets a featured article, and stuff that would rise to the top in any other week — the fight over the DeVos nomination, the media’s continuing struggle to figure out how to cover this administration, and so on — will get entries in the weekly summary, maybe with a link to somebody else’s fuller treatment. I’d really like to step back and take a broader view of where I believe the Trump administration is headed, but not this week. My thinking on that will show through occasionally in how I cover immigration and Gorsuch, but a fuller treatment will have to wait until I can process the more immediate stuff.
Everything is going run late today, a result of both the bulk of stuff to cover and the cold I’ve had this week. The immigration article should come out first. I’m calling it “The Ban: 10 Days of Drama”, and I should get it posted before 10 EST. “What to do with Neil Gorsuch?” should appear between 11 and noon, and the weekly summary by 1 or so.
The Weekly Sift 
Comments
Keep it up! Thanks!
Take care of that cold!
There IS no broad view of the tRump administration, except that it expects people such as you and me to just SHUT UP.
Missed you last week!!
Dear Doug, I’ve been a loyal reader of the Weekly Sift for a couple of years now. Your blog has been very helpful to me so thank you for your wonderful work. I’m writing to let you know about some great stuff that’s going on in Seattle right now through Eric Liu and Citizen University. Perhaps you’ve already aware of Eric. If not, here’s a link to his bio: http://www.citizenuniversity.us/eric-liu/
I’m wring to point you to the monthly “sermons” Eric has been giving at an event called Civic Saturdays. This event has been held since the November election and is described on the Citizen University website as follows: “Civic Saturday is a periodic gathering we organize that’s a civic analogue to church. It includes song, readings of civic scripture (great and provocative American texts), a sermon, silent reflection. But mainly it’s about fellowship. In a time of deep anxiety and political polarization, people feel a need to reckon with the meaning of our nation’s creed — and to do so face-to-face with others”. Here’s a link that will take you to the 5 sermons given by Eric Liu . The sermons are really outstanding and I feel sure you will find them worthwhile.
http://www.citizenuniversity.us/eric-liu/
Best regards, Sarah Potter Seattle, WA
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Everytime he speaks I see/hear Lloyd Bridge’s Admiral/President Tug Benson from Hot Shots & HS Part Deux.