This week I’m introducing something that might become a regular feature, called “Three Misunderstood Things”. The idea is to take three stories in the news, and to explain as concisely as I can some aspect of the story that is widely misunderstood. I’m testing it out this week by discussing misunderstandings of (1) the case (which goes to the Supreme Court in the fall) of the baker who wouldn’t make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, (2) why Mitch McConnell can’t just skip over ObamaCare repeal and move on to tax reform, and (3) how much we know about the minimum wage’s effect on jobs. I’m thinking that should be out around 10 EDT.
Before that, say 9, I’ll have the featured post out: “Yes, TrumpCare Will Kill People”. I’ve believed this for a long time, but haven’t been saying it because I didn’t feel like I could defend the link between being uninsured and dying: Some studies seemed to establish such a link, while others denied it. But recently a study-of-studies came out and removed my doubt.
The weekly summary has a lot to cover: the Senate going home for the holiday without voting on TrumpCare, the first clear link between Russian hackers and the Trump campaign, parts of the Muslim Ban going into effect, Trump’s voter suppression commission starting its work, and Trump’s attempt to distract us all from that news with outrageously offensive tweets. I’ll try to get that out around 11.
The Weekly Sift 