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The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Editor’s letterI have always suspected I was a chump and a loser, but it wasn’t until this past week that I realized the full magnitude of my stupidity. For my entire working life, I have paid income taxes— even when I was making $7,500 a year. As my salary climbed over the years, the tax percentage went up and up. Like a moron, I paid the full rate. My employers reported my income directly to the IRS, so I couldn’t hide a penny of it; as a mere working stiff, I couldn’t write off my lunches, my car, my clothes, and my hairdresser as business expenses. Pathetic! By failing to keep Uncle Sam’s greedy mitts off my earnings, I failed in my fiduciary duty to my family and future heirs, and…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016The election: Should Trump revive Bill Clinton’s sex scandals?Ready for a sleazy “trip back to the ’90s?” said Kevin Drum in MotherJones.com. After Donald Trump’s disastrous first debate against Hillary Clinton, the Republican nominee bragged that he’d shown great restraint in not raising “extremely rough” questions about former President Bill Clinton’s sex life. Now that he’s trailing in the polls with the election only weeks away, Trump has evidently changed his mind—and is signaling he’ll go there in the next debate. All week, Trump’s media surrogates have hammered Hillary for supposedly “enabling” her husband’s past indiscretions and helping him “smear” his accusers. In one bizarre and rambling speech this week, Trump even suggested that Hillary was not “loyal to Bill,” adding, “Why would she be?” This new focus on the Clintons’ marriage is “an odd strategic move” for…5 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016PeopleGrant’s love of the spotlightHugh Grant has always been an attention seeker, said Lynn Hirschberg in W magazine. At his all-boys school in London, Grant relished playing the girls’ parts in all the school productions. “I wore charming little frocks. In The Sound of Music, I was a von Trapp daughter in a white dress with a blue satin sash, and my line was ‘I’m Brigitta. I’m 12, and all I want is a good time.’ I got a laugh. And I was so delighted, I laughed, too. Sadly, that’s a problem I still have—on stage, I laugh hysterically at how funny I am.” Grant continued acting at Oxford University, and when a local director asked him to star in a movie, the floppy-haired Brit didn’t hesitate. “He told me…3 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Best columns: The U.S.Why Johnson is Sanders’ oppositeDerek Thompson TheAtlantic.comGary Johnson does not deserve your vote, said Derek Thompson. The amiable Libertarian is getting about 18 percent of the Millennial vote in national polls, which is no surprise considering Johnson’s rumpled, Sanders-esque authenticity and signature policy—“leave people alone, and let them smoke pot.” But do young people know Johnson would eliminate federal college loans and boot them off their parents’ health plans? Or that his tax policies and economic ideas are radically rightwing— the very opposite of Sanders’ positions? Johnson would replace the federal income tax with a consumption tax, thereby shifting the tax burden from the 1 percent to the middle class and the poor. He would also repeal Obamacare and “cut Medicare and Medicaid by 40 percent.” Even nuttier are his…3 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Best columns: EuropeUNITED KINGDOMOur churches don’t need armed guardsStephen Glover Daily MailHaving armed police patrol our churches is “a victory for the terrorists,” said Stephen Glover. I was appalled at photos last week of “police bristling with weapons (rifles, pistols, and Tasers) at the very door of Canterbury Cathedral—the mother church of the Anglican Communion. The police presence might have been justified had there been a specific terrorist threat against the building, where in 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket was “famously slaughtered by four unruly knights” after King Henry II asked to be “rid” of the priest. But authorities insisted there was no threat, that they were just making a show of force. “What is the point?” The U.K. has dozens of cathedrals and thousands of churches, so it cannot make us safer…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Colombia: Shock after voters reject FARC peace dealThis wasn’t supposed to happen, said El Tiempoin an editorial. In recent weeks, polls have consistently shown that a peace deal to end the 52-year civil war between Colombia’s government and Marxist FARC guerrillas was supported by a clear majority of the people. Yet we are now a nation “cleaved in two.” Voters this week rejected the accord in a referendum by 50.2 percent to 49.8 percent—a difference of fewer than 54,000 votes. The deal, signed last week by President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Timoleón “Timochenko” Jiménez after four years of negotiations, is now on hold. The 7,000 FARC fighters who were on their way to U.N.-run centers to give up their weapons are still heading there, but their future is uncertain, since voters balked at giving them…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Newspaper endorsem*nts: Zero for Trump“A clear and present danger to our country.” “Xenophobia, racism, and misogyny.” “Beneath our national dignity.” These fiery condemnations may sound like they’re coming from Hillary Clinton attack ads, said David Bauder and Hillel Italie in the Associated Press, but they are actually from “longtime Republican newspapers disavowing Donald Trump.” In recent weeks, a string of stalwart conservative papers have bucked decades of tradition and either endorsed Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, or Libertarian Gary Johnson, over the Republican nominee—arguing that Trump is too divisive, too dishonest, and too reckless to be president. For The Cincinnati Enquirer, it’s the first time the paper has endorsed a Democrat for almost a century; for The Dallas Morning News, the first in at least 75 years. Even USA Today, which in its 34-year…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016TechnologyInnovation of the week“If children are raised by robots—even just for a couple of hours a day—what are the consequences?” asked Julia Carrie Wong in The Guardian (U.K.). We may find out soon, thanks to the iPal, a child-size robot companion built by Chinese company AvatarMind. The 3-foottall iPal “can sing, dance, and play Rock, Paper, Scissors.” It can also talk with children, and answer questions like “Why is the sun hot?” Thanks to a touch-screen computer in its chest, it can also provide surveillance and video chat for absent parents. AvatarMind says its robot is designed to provide companionship for children ages 3 to 8 and keep them occupied for several hours, like after school until their parents get home, but it isn’t meant to replace a human babysitter.…2 min
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Vans Bove Tape With Jackie Speier Hits Six Words Of Character Bob The Builder Christmas Street Report Kwanzaa Bicycle School Joiners Snowy Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Songs From Rock & Roll 1990 Lars Ulrich’s Birthday The Alpha Baa Baa TwinkleBig Sean, Muni Long, Doechii & A$AP Rocky Highlight This Week’s New Music RoundupThe Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Review of reviews: BooksBook of the weekThe Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Declineby Jonathan Tepperman (Tim Duggan, $28)“In many ways, 2016 seems like the worst year in recent memory in which to publish a book made out of optimism,” said Steve Donoghue in CSMonitor.com. But journalist Jonathan Tepperman has done all of us worriers a favor by focusing on 10 stories around the globe that suggest leaders still can tackle seemingly intractable problems. Brazil, we learn, has dramatically reduced extreme poverty by making direct cash payments to families. In Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, inviting Islamist factions into the ruling coalition has quelled violent extremism. Political corruption, government gridlock, and financial panics also come up for case-study treatment. Though Tepperman identifies only top-down solutions, and doesn’t always…5 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Movies on TVMonday, Oct. 10The Shawshank RedemptionMorgan Freeman and Tim Robbins are inmates who form an unlikely bond in an Oscar-nominated prison drama that’s become an always rewarding cable staple. (1994) 4 p.m., AMCTuesday, Oct. 11CarolA socialite initiates a romance with a Manhattan shop girl in Todd Haynes’ gorgeous adaptation of a 1952 Patricia Highsmith novel. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara co-star. (2015) 6 p.m., ShowtimeWednesday, Oct. 12HombrePaul Newman plays an Apache-raised white man forced to defend the bigots on a stagecoach in a revisionist Western based on an Elmore Leonard novel. (1967) 10:30 p.m., TCMThursday, Oct. 13BigTom Hanks is perfect as a 12-year-old trapped in a man’s body in Penny Marshall’s winning fantasy comedy. (1988) 9 p.m., StarzFriday, Oct. 14The Little Shop of HorrorsShot in just two days, Roger Corman’s hilarious…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Grenache: Its subtle sideGrenache doesn’t have to be brawny, said Eric Asimov in The New York Times. Though the grape often yields “jammy” wines with a “portlike” alcoholic punch, it’s also versatile enough to please those of us who prefer subtlety, earthiness, and balance. While California has always produced grenaches in both styles, the restrained approach is spreading.2014 Neyers Rossi Ranch ($33) This “fresh and floral” Sonoma Valley grenache is “beautifully balanced,” with “a spine of minerality and luscious flavors of red fruit.”2013 A Tribute to Grace ($79) A Sierra Foothills grenache, this wine combines silky texture with “rich, high-toned flavors of raspberries and cherries.”2014 Bonny Doon Clos De Gilroy ($20) In this nicely balanced Monterey County wine, firm tannins are offset by “savory flavors of red fruits and earth.”…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Getting the flavor of...Colorado’s most spectacular gorgeOf Colorado’s many scenic canyons, “none can match the depth and grandeur of the Royal Gorge,” said Lon Abbott and Terri Cook in 5280.com. The gorge’s walls, which rise sharply from the banks of the Arkansas River, support North America’s highest suspension bridge, a narrow span built for ticket-holding visitors to Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. The river lies a “dizzying” 955 feet below where you cross, and the view is more stunning when you consider how the chasm formed. The gorge’s walls are composed of gray granite and metamorphic gneiss—hard rock that by rights should’ve diverted the river’s path. But five million years ago, several thousand feet of softer sedimentary rock covered the granite and gneiss and once the water cut through those layers, it began…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Best properties on the marketThis week: Homes in Vermont…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Making moneyWhat the experts sayOut-of-state college, in-state tuition“Attending a public college in another state may be more affordable than you think,” said Kaitlin Pitsker in Kiplinger.com. “A number of regional, state, and college-specific programs allow some students to qualify for in-state or heavily discounted tuition at outof-state public schools.” There are regional compacts in New England and the South, Midwest, and West, as well as other agreements that allow students from a neighboring state to get in-state pricing. Some colleges also extend in-state tuition offers to students in special circ*mstances, including “students with parents who work in public service, such as police officers, firefighters, and sometimes teachers.” Approach your student’s high school guidance counselor first for information about possible programs.Big discounts for new cars“New cars are being discounted at the highest…3 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Issue of the week: ‘Clawing back’ executive payAn “unprecedented move” to strip Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf of $41 million in pay “has sent a chill through Wall Street,” said Olivia Oran and Ross Kerber in Reuters.com. The board of the embattled banking giant announced last week that it will “claw back” some of Stumpf’s stock awards in the wake of devastating revelations that Wells employees created millions of fake and unauthorized accounts. Since the financial crisis, all of the top U.S. banks have added or strengthened clawback provisions to strip pay from executives who act irresponsibly or take excessive risks. Stumpf, however, is the first CEO of a major U.S. financial firm “to actually have to give back significant pay or benefits as the result of a scandal.” With Wells Fargo now under ongoing bipartisan attack…3 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Prepping for chaosDON AND JONNA Bradway recently cashed out of the stock market and invested in gold and silver. They have stockpiled food and ammunition in the event of a total economic collapse or some other calamity, commonly known around here in Hayden, Idaho, as “The End of the World As We Know It,” or “SHTF”—the day s--- hits the fan.The Bradways fled California, a state they said is run by “leftists and non-constitutionalists and anti-freedom people,” and settled on several wooded acres of northern Idaho five years ago. They live among like-minded conservative neighbors, host Monday night Bible study, and fish from their boat. They melt lead to make their own bullets for hunting—or to defend themselves against marauders in a world-ending cataclysm.“I’m not paranoid,” said Bradway, 68, a cheerful Army…7 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016A brutal week for TrumpWhat happenedWith just over a month until Election Day, Donald Trump endured one of the worst weeks of his presidential campaign, with a series of setbacks that included a leaked tax return showing he once lost nearly $1 billion in a year, an angry feud with a former Venezuelan beauty queen, and a sharp decline in the polls. Three pages of Trump’s 1995 tax return, which was anonymously mailed to The New York Times, showed that Trump declared a $916 million net operating loss in 1995—a loss so great he could have legally avoided paying federal income taxes for the next 18 years. The Republican nominee didn’t deny that he hadn’t paid income taxes during that time, and said his deep understanding of the tax laws made him “the only…5 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016The U.S. at a glance ...Flint, Mich.Obamacare attack: Bill Clinton committed an awkward gaffe while on the stump for his wife, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, this week, attacking President Obama’s signature healthcare policy as “the craziest thing in the world,”before quickly walking back his remarks. Speaking at a Democratic rally in Flint, Mich., the former president said the Affordable Care Act had flooded the health-care insurance market with new customers and inflated premiums for middle-class Americans. “So you’ve got this crazy system where all of a sudden 25 million more people have health care and then the people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half.” As Republicans pounced on the criticism, Clinton tried to clarify his remarks. Obamacare…4 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016GossipKim Kardashian’s social media obsession backfired on her this week, when armed robbers invaded her Paris apartment, held her at gunpoint, and made off with more than $10 million in jewelry—including a massive, 20-carat diamond ring she’d flashed days before on Instagram. Authorities said that five men dressed as police officers rushed into the exclusive complex in the early hours of the morning, overpowered the concierge and forced him to open Kardashian’s apartment. Two thieves burst into the reality star’s bedroom, held a gun to her head, and took the $4.5 million diamond ring given to her by husband Kanye West and a box of jewelry worth $6.5 million. They then tied her up with packing tape, put her in the bathtub, and locked the bathroom door. A spokeswoman said…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Viewpoint“If you’re a middle-aged woman who had to scrape and claw your way through a sexist society and workplace to make a career for yourself, who knows what it’s like to have to work twice as hard as other people to succeed, Hillary Clinton’s dogged persistence can be inspiring—because you can find your story in hers. But young people don’t find their story there. Bernie Sanders was able to tell young people a story within which they could situate themselves: This revolution we’re creating together will sweep out the old corrupt order and bring about a new, more humane one. It was inspiring. For Clinton, governing is a tough slog, at the end of which you will have made progress in improving people’s lives.”TheWeek.com…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016United Kingdom: Setting a date for the Brexit divorceWe now have a date for Britain’s “Independence Day,” said The Sunin an editorial. Prime Minister Theresa May has announced she will give formal notice to the European Union next March of Britain’s impending departure from the bloc, kickstarting exit negotiations that will take at least two years. She intends to fully seize back control of immigration policy from Brussels and slash the net influx of foreigners to the U.K. from 335,000 a year today to 100,000 by 2020—even if that hurts our ability to negotiate trade deals with Europe. “We are not leaving the European Union only to give up control of immigration again,” she said at this week’s Conservative Party conference. “We are going to be a fully independent, sovereign country.” May has proposed a “great repeal bill”…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016NotedMany states require people to receive less training to become a police officer than is required to become a licensed barber, interior designer, or manicurist. In North Carolina, it takes 1,528 hours to become a licensed barber, while the state’s minimum police-training requirement is 620 hours. In Louisiana licensed manicurists need 500 hours of training, while police officers must have just 360 hours. CNN.com Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton had her strongest fundraising performance so far in September, raising more than $154 million for her campaign and the Democratic Party. More than 900,000 people donated to her campaign, with donations averaging about $56. The Washington Post Donald Trump’s $916 million loss in 1995 represented 1.9 percent of the total net operating losses reported by all 266 million Americans that year.…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Fat shaming: An American pastime“Donald Trump has a serious weight problem: He can’t seem to stop criticizing the girth of others,” said Katie Zezima and Jose DelReal in The Washington Post. The Republican presidential nominee made fat shaming a national issue last week with his derisive criticism of 1996 Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado—or “Miss Piggy,” as Trump labeled her after she put on some pounds following the pageant he once owned. Democratic rival Hillary Clinton called Trump out at their first debate for mocking Machado’s weight gain after she won the crown; as usual, Trump responded by doubling down, saying, “You know, she gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem.” For decades, Trump has openly expressed disgust for overweight women. He’s called such celebrities as Kim Kardashian, Jennifer…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Clinton and Trump: The candidates’ positionsThe 2016 presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely fought—and divisive—in modern American history. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are both polarizing figures with record-setting unfavorable ratings. Though Trump’s positions on most issues have been vague and changeable, it’s clear the two candidates would take the country in dramatically different directions.With that in mind, here’s a look at where the candidates stand on 10 important issues.ImmigrationClinton has vowed to introduce a comprehensive immigration bill within her first 100 days in office. She says border security has already been enhanced, giving us “the most secure border we have ever had.” Clinton wants to provide a path to legalization for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants; she will prioritize deporting only those who commit…9 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Companies: BlackBerry exits the phone market“It’s the end of an era,” said Brett Molina and Jon Swartz in USA Today. BlackBerry, the Canadian technology company that helped usher in the mobile age with its eponymous smartphone, has stopped manufacturing its own devices, pivoting instead to focus on business software. It’s the end of a long downward slide for BlackBerry’s hardware business, which at its peak in 2009 claimed more than 50 percent of the U.S. smartphone market. Today, BlackBerry’s market share sits at less than 1 percent, its steep decline almost perfectly mirroring the rise of iPhone and Android devices. “Like tech pioneers before it, BlackBerry was left behind.”It wasn’t long ago that the BlackBerry was the “ultimate business gadget,” said Nic Fildes in the Financial Times. The first BlackBerry, which debuted in 1999, wasn’t…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016The Book ListBest books...chosen by Juan Gabriel VásquezColombian novelist Juan Gabriel Vásquez is the author of The Informers and The Sound of Things Falling. Below, he names six works that inspired Reputations, his new novel about a political cartoonist reassessing his role in a congressman’s suicide.The Aspern Papers by Henry James (Dover, $3.50). I could have chosen Daisy Miller or even The Turn of the Screw to illustrate how great James is at silences and ambiguities. In The Aspern Papers, a man lies his way into a widow’s home to look for the documents left behind by a great poet. This story, in which an intellectual pursuit generates acute psychological tension, is one of James’ best.The Farewells by Juan Carlos Onetti (out of print). A mysterious man arrives for a quite Faulkner-like…4 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Review of reviews: FilmThe Birth of a NationDirected by Nate Parker (R)A Virginia slave ignites a violent revolt.“What do we do with The Birth of a Nation?” asked Stephen Marche in Esquire.com. This powerful dramatization of Nat Turner’s 1831 slave rebellion, which was hailed as a landmark and Oscar front-runner when it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, is now arriving in theaters in a storm of controversy tied to its star and director, Nate Parker. Seventeen years ago, Parker was accused of raping a fellow Penn State student, and though he was acquitted and maintains he was falsely accused, the matter resurfaced dramatically this summer when reporters learned that his accuser later killed herself. The troubling full story makes Parker harder to root for. But his Birth of a Nation remains “one…4 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Critics’ choice: Great dining for day-trippersMiminashi Napa, Calif.“It seems like every time Bay Area chefs travel to Japan, they come back energized,” said Michael Bauer in the San Francisco Chronicle. That’s what appears to have happened to Curtis Di Fede, who when last in Napa was being celebrated for his southern Italian–inspired fare at Oenotri. A three-year break allowed him to travel the world, though, and his new project—a Japanese-style pub, or izakaya—has given the small wine-country hub an impressive new dining destination. The “breathtaking” interior offers a contemporary take on a poplar wood–lined pagoda, and the menu honors tradition, “but with enough flair to create excitement.” Di Fede is again serving Paine Farm squab, here plated with mustard greens, pole beans, and warm peaches, and his Snake River Farms zabuton, a wagyu short-rib steak,…3 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016This week’s dream: Working the harvest at a French vineyard“There exists a timeless tradition of volunteer grape-harvesting—as ancient, perhaps, as wine itself,” said Ann Mah in The New York Times. Even today, many small winemakers in France rely on unpaid help during les vendanges— the harvest days of late summer. Earlier this year, I emailed three such wineries, offering to pitch in with the hand picking, and all three extended invitations. In the end, I chose the type of wine I like best, and wound up at AR Lenoble, a family-run vineyard in Damery, Champagne. I worked long, hard hours for my meals and earned no pay. But it was also a perfect wine enthusiast’s vacation. “The camaraderie, breathtaking vineyard views, and rare glimpses of French culture can almost make the backaches disappear. The free-flowing Champagne doesn’t hurt, either.”Grasping…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Last-minute travel dealsBerkshires colorThe Red Lion Inn, the Williams Inn, and two sister boutique properties in Massachusetts’ Berkshires are offering up to 30 percent off on midweek stays. At the Red Lion in Stockbridge, rates start at $160. Book by Oct 27. mainstreethospitalitygroup.comLondon luxuryThe five-star 35-room Franklin Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge district is celebrating its recent makeover by offering special rates through Dec. 18. A twonight stay in mid-October starts at $518 a night, breakfast included. Book by Oct 31. thefranklinlondon.comCarefree in CaymanThe Wyndham Reef Resort in Grand Cayman is offering up to 25 percent off on all-inclusive four-night stays. The Beachfront Bliss package includes all meals and drinks for $425 a night per couple. Book this month for travel through Dec. 23. wyndhamcayman.com…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Technology: Google unveils new hardware“Google is going after a familiar foe: Apple,” said Mark Gurman in Bloomberg.com. The tech giant released two smartphones this week designed to compete directly with the iPhone: the Pixel and larger Pixel XL, which in functionality and pricing are comparable to Apple’s flagship device. The Pixels have the distinction of being the first smartphones entirely “designed, engineered, and tested in-house by Google.” They’re also the first phones to run Google’s new Siri-like digital Assistant, which is also the centerpiece of the new Google Home, a voice-controlled smart speaker similar to Amazon’s Echo that can be used to get updates on weather, play music, or dim a room’s lights.At first glance, Google’s new gadgets look like knockoffs of existing products, said Will Oremus in Slate.com. “Yet Google’s purpose in building…4 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Life insurance: Is your policy enough?Does someone depend on you? Then you need life insurance, said George Rowand in USA Today. Nevertheless, about 40 percent of Americans have no such policy, according to LIMRA, an international association of life insurance and financial planning companies, “and half of those who do are underinsured.” Even more concerning: One in three parents with children under 18 isn’t insured. Maybe it’s because, with people living longer, life insurance feels like something we might need far in the future, “so why worry now?” Although the options may seem overwhelming at first, there are two basic types. Term insurance, which is the most affordable, covers you for a set period of time, “such as 10 or 20 years.” Whole insurance, also known as permanent insurance, lasts a lifetime, and can be…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Pence bests combative Kaine at veep debateWhat happenedVice presidential candidates Sen. Tim Kaine and Gov. Mike Pence sharply attacked each other’s running mates in a contentious debate in which Kaine called Republican Donald Trump “a maniac” and Pence parried with scathing critiques of Democrat Hillary Clinton. The event at Virginia’s Longwood University was marred by cross-talk—Kaine frequently interrupted the Indiana governor, whose controlled demeanor offered a stark contrast to his often incendiary running mate. The Virginia senator zeroed in on Trump’s volatile temperament, saying that as the father of a son in the U.S. Marine Corps, “the thought of Donald Trump as commander in chief scares [me] to death.” Kaine condemned the businessman for questioning President Obama’s citizenship and recited a litany of Trump’s insults against women and minority groups. Pence met Kaine’s salvos by shaking…5 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016The world at a glance ...WarsawMarch for abortion rights: After tens of thousands of women protested in cities across Poland this week, the government backed away from its proposal to ban all abortions. The “Black Monday” protests in Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw, and elsewhere drew women wearing black in symbolic mourning for the loss of their rights. Abortion is already illegal in almost all circ*mstances—allowed only if the fetus is severely damaged, the mother’s life is at risk, or conception occurred through rape or incest. Under the law that was being considered by the ruling Law and Justice party, both the woman seeking an abortion and her doctor would have gone to jail. Science Minister Jaroslaw Gowin said the protests “caused us to think and taught us humility.”ParisU.N. climate pact goes live: The international Paris climate…7 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Why Obamacare is strugglingWhat are the main problems?Insurers are pulling out, premiums are rising, and many customers are being left with little or no choice of insurance plans. When it was passed in 2010, President Obama and congressional Democrats hoped the Affordable Care Act would provide uninsured Americans with private health-care coverage similar to employer-sponsored plans, with federal subsidies making premiums affordable for nearly everyone. But many of the biggest providers— including Aetna, UnitedHealth, and Humana—started out with low premiums to attract customers, and have lost so much money on the program that they’re pulling out of most of the state health-care exchanges. Only 12.7 million people enrolled on the program’s online exchanges this year—8.3 million fewer than originally forecast. As many as 19 percent of customers will have access to only one…5 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016It must be true... I read it in the tabloidsA British dog rescued an elderly woman’s prosthetic leg as it floated away at the beach. John Dooner was strolling along a Welsh beach with his German short-haired pointer, Gertie, when a distressed man ran up and said his wife’s artificial leg had been carried away by a freak wave. Knowing that Gertie loved to play fetch, Dooner threw a stone toward the floating plastic limb. The dog dove into the rough surf and paddled back with the leg in her mouth. “The woman was delighted,” said Dooner, “and Gertie is getting a big bone as a reward.” A trash-talking spectator out-putted the pros at golf’s Ryder Cup last week. Team Europe’s Andy Sullivan and Rory McIlroy were struggling to make a tricky 12-footer during a practice round in Minnesota…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Best columns: InternationalRUSSIAWhy abortion will remain legalOla Cichowlas The Moscow TimesRussia’s most powerful cleric is calling on the government to ban abortion, said Ola Cichowlas. Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, last week signed a petition for a total prohibition of the procedure, as well as of contraceptives with “abortive” side effects. But even though the Kremlin has been supportive of the church and the new wave of social conservatism, it’s unlikely to listen. The church “has little influence” over reproductive norms, and abortion is entrenched in Russian culture. The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to legalize the procedure, and for decades abortion was the preferred form of birth control, since the pill wasn’t available and Russian condoms were unreliable. Although the Soviet Union collapsed 25…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Clinton’s emails: Did Comey give her a pass?When FBI Director James Comey announced there would be no criminal charges in the Hillary Clinton email scandal, most law experts called the decision “understandable,” said Jonathan Turley in USA Today. Not anymore. It has emerged that the Department of Justice granted immunity to five people during the FBI’s investigation, including Cheryl Mills, chief of staff during Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state. Last year, Mills participated in the deletion of 33,000 emails that Clinton deemed personal—some of which the FBI later found addressed sensitive official matters. Mills was “the last person” Comey would have immunized if he had been pursuing an honest investigation, because he could have used the threat to prosecute her as leverage to get her to testify against Clinton. This revelation raises serious questions “about the…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 20169/11 bill: Why Congress has regretsWhat a “classic example of chutzpah,” said Michael McGough in the Los Angeles Times. Congress last week handed President Obama the first veto override of his two terms, upholding legislation that will enable 9/11 survivors and families to sue the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts for allegedly helping the al Qaida terrorists. Obama had opposed the law because it would overturn long-standing international precedents preventing citizens from suing foreign governments, thereby exposing the U.S. to “tit-for-tat lawsuits” in other countries. Iraqis, for example, could sue the U.S. for killing their family members during the war. Immediately after the override, Republican lawmakers experienced buyer’s remorse, and said they might need to amend the bill. “Nobody really had focused on the potential downsides,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Republicans…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Five critical swing statesAfter the Democratic and Republican national conventions wrapped up in August, Hillary Clinton opened a comfortable lead in the polls of 6 to 8 percent. Pundits were predicting that the former secretary of state would beat Donald Trump in a landslide.Two months later, the landscape changed. Polls tightened, especially in key battlegrounds where Trump and Clinton are fighting for the lead. Now Clinton has regained a significant lead, but unpredictable events could change the race again. Here’s a look at the five most important swing states, which will be crucial to winning the White House in November.FloridaWith 29 electoral votes up for grabs, Florida is perhaps the most important battleground in this election. The conventions gave Clinton a decent bump here, but in mid-September—amid the news reports about her pneumonia…5 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Author of the weekJodie ArcherJodie Archer may have just put a lot of book editors out of work, said Susanne Althoff in Wired.com. A former acquisitions editor herself, the 35-year-old Briton recently completed a fiveyear quest to determine if the novels that hit The New York Times best-seller list share a hidden language, and she now claims she can pick the runaway hits from a slush pile using an algorithm she developed with her colleague Matthew Jockers. Archer admits the pair had trouble finding an editor eager to publish their new book, The Bestseller Code. But she insists that the work affirmed her belief in the irreplaceable value of the human touch. “When I think of all the hundreds of books I read,” she says, “the ones I remember the most are those…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016The Week’ s guide to what’s worth watchingVice News TonightConventional wisdom says the nightly newscast is a relic, relevant only to an audience that values seeing ads about fiber supplements and erectiledysfunction pills. But now the alt-news source Vice has come up with a 30-minute evening program that features no anchors and aims to pull in Millennials. Will they—or anyone—tune in? Segments will be available for streaming after each broadcast. Monday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m., HBOMascotsIn the 30 years since Christopher Guest helped dream up This Is Spinal Tap, the mockumentary format exploited by that movie has become part of modern comedy’s DNA. In Guest’s new spoof—about sports mascots competing for a national title—he very much follows the ensemble-comedy formula he established in Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. But it’s nice to see so…3 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Hotel of the weekEl Dorado MaromaPlaya del Carmen, MexicoNo longer do you have to go as far as Tahiti or the Maldives to stay in an overwater bungalow, said Lacy Morris in Architectural Digest. El Dorado Maroma, a beachfront resort and spa on the Riviera Maya, has just unveiled Mexico’s first palafitos, or “stilt houses.” The 30 stand-alone suites are modeled after thatchroofed lake shelters built by the Aztecs, and each has glass floors, a plunge pool, and a Jacuzzi. During your stay, a private butler attends to every need, bringing breakfast when you rise, and co*cktails and fresh towels while you’re sunbathing. eldoradosparesorts.com; $950 a night.…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Consumer2017 Porsche Panamera: What the critics sayWired.comWhat a difference seven years makes. Better in every way than the model it replaces, the second-generation Panamera turns out to be “as capable on a track as it is in traffic, and as luxurious as a day at the spa.” Porsche’s first four-door sedan earned less respect at its 2009 debut, saddled as it was with a “bulbous derriere.” But the 2017 model is new from the ground up, and it’s now “indisputably” Porsche-like: streamlined and athletic, plus “stupid fast for a car that weighs 4,400 pounds.”AutomobileIn cities that loved the first Panamera, the“vastly improved” 2017 will sell like crazy. Even the smaller of two new turbo-charged engines can manage 180 mph and a 4.2- second sprint from 0 to 60 mph, and…4 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016The bottom lineThe average fee charged by banks for using an outof-network ATM is now a record $4.57, according to recent analysis by Bankrate. The average fee has increased every year for the past decade. CNN.com If every Fortune 500 company paid taxes on its profits sheltered overseas, the U.S. government would receive $717.8 billion, according to a new study co-authored by U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Citizens for Tax Justice. The windfall would easily cover the entire 2015 federal budget deficit of $439 billion. The New York Times The nation’s highest grocery bills are in Vermont, where per capita spending on food and beverages last year was $4,196, according to new Commerce Department data on consumer spending. That’s almost twice the level in Oklahoma, where per capita grocery spending was $2,282.…1 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016Best columns: BusinessThe shift to digital ownershipChristopher Groskopf Qz.comAs the things we buy become increasingly digital in nature, “the question of what we actually own is bubbling up in unexpected places,” said Christopher Groskopf. When you purchase a book from a physical bookstore, for example, your rights are “pretty intuitive.” As your personal property, you can sell it, lend it to a friend, or even “toss it in the fireplace.” That’s not the case for digital goods like ebooks, movies, games, and apps. They’re governed by “a maze of intellectual property law” and fine-print contracts restricting what you can and cannot do with them. Virtually everyone blindly accepts these Terms of Service agreements when buying digital items online. And it’s not just ebooks. Owners of John Deere tractors, for instance, recently discovered…2 min
The Week Magazine|October 14, 2016ObituariesThe Israeli statesman who never gave up on peaceShimon Peres 1923–2016Shimon Peres was present at nearly every momentous event in Israel’s seven-decade history. He was a young aide to the country’s founding fathers when independence was declared in 1948, and he went on to hold almost every major government office, including as president, prime minister (three times), and defense minister. Peres helped Israel become the dominant Middle Eastern military power. But he also pushed hard for peace, sharing a 1994 Nobel Prize for his efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the Oslo Accords. Dapper and cultured, Peres was known as a skilled plotter: Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a longtime rival, called him an “inveterate schemer.” But in his last years, Israelis revered him as a pillar of the…5 min
