Table of contents for February 24, 2017 in The Week Magazine (2024)

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The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Editor’s letterLive by the leak, die by the leak. When WikiLeaks was releasing a steady stream of embarrassing emails hacked from Democratic officials during the presidential campaign, Hillary Cli nton and her supporters cried foul, and urged the press not to report their contents. Donald Trump applauded every new revelation, saying the leaks provided voters with important information, and gleefully invited the Russians to find and publish emails she had deleted. “Boy, that WikiLeaks has done a job on her, hasn’t it?” Trump exulted. Now that it’s Trump who is being tortured by leaks, he’s complaining they’re illegal and “un-American.” Democrats, meanwhile, are welcoming the torrent like a rainstorm after a long drought. (See Main Stories.) When it comes to leaks, everyone is a hypocrite. “Good” leaks are ones that damage…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017... and how they were coveredThe Trump administration faced its first major national security challenge this week after North Korea successfully launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile and edged closer toward dictator Kim Jong Un’s goal of developing a nuclear-capable rocket that could reach the U.S. The Pukguksong-2 missile traveled some 310 miles toward Japan before splashing down in international waters east of the Korean peninsula. Believed to be an upgrade of a submarine-launched version Pyongyang tested last year, the missile is thought to have a maximum range of more than 1,200 miles. That’s still some 2,000 miles short of the closest U.S. soil, but a clear threat to regional allies Japan and South Korea. President Trump learned of the launch while dining with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach,…3 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Only in America▪ Tennessee lawmakers have proposed making it legal for drivers to run over protesters who block public streets. The Republican-sponsored legislation would protect motorists from civil liability if a protester were injured, provided the driver exercised “due care.” The bill comes 10 days after a car ran into people at a Nashville protest against President Trump’s travel ban. Similar driving laws have been proposed in five other states.▪ A group of Pennsylvania high school students celebrating “Hick Night” taunted black players on a rival basketball team. Sporting flannel shirts, camouflage hats, and a Trump sign, the 60 students from Connellsville yelled “Build the wall!” and “Get them out of here!” until school officials intervened. “I’ve never seen so many racist and hate-fueled comments,” one parent said.…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Boring but importantThe Trump administration is overseeing one of the biggest regulatory rollbacks ever, according to a Washington Post investigation—using legislative and executive methods to dismantle rules governing how dentists dispose of mercury fillings, how schools look after disabled students, and more. GOP lawmakers have aided President Trump by using the 1996 Congressional Review Act to nullify eight different regulations that were enacted in the past 60 days, and are considering another measure that would weaken environmental regulations on mining companies. Trump has also signed an executive order freezing new regulations for 60 days and has ordered agencies to eliminate or weaken two existing regulations for each new rule they enact.…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017PeopleStevie Nicks has survived more than four decades in rock ’n’ roll, says Will Hodgkinson in The Times (U.K.). The 68-year-old singer-songwriter, who came to fame as lead singer for Fleetwood Mac, is attracting a whole new generation of fans as a solo artist, including Adele and Ariana Grande. “Maybe they like my dogged determination,” Nicks speculates. “Christine McVie [the other woman in Fleetwood Mac] and I made a pact that we would never be treated like second-class citizens in a man’s world. We would never be in a room with Eric Clapton or Robert Plant and be made to feel we weren’t as good as them.” Did those 1970s rock gods try to lord it over them? “Never. Because we were gorgeous, we were smart, we were a force…3 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017That ‘giant sucking sound’Third-party candidate H. Ross Perot roiled the 1992 presidential election with populist economic rhetoric—including fierce opposition to NAFTA. Like Trump, the Texan was a blunt billionaire who won a large following by advocating protectionist trade policies. Perot, now 86, created one of the more memorable moments in the annals of presidential debates in an attack on NAFTA. “We have got to stop sending jobs overseas,” he said, warning that if business owners could move their factories to Mexico and “pay a dollar an hour for labor,” the resulting loss of American jobs would create “a giant sucking sound.” Whether Perot’s zinger proved prescient is hotly debated, but his message resonated: He drew 18.9 percent of the popular vote and, most experts agree, enough conservative support to help Democrat Bill Clinton…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Best columns: EuropeWhy we are still choking on smogMarek JozefiakEuractiv.comA choking Poland has finally realized it has a coal problem, said Marek Jozefiak. The smog that settled over almost the whole nation throughout January “came as a huge surprise.” The cause of this pollution is obvious: the dirty coal that Poles use to heat their homes. Every year, we burn some 11 million tons of the stuff in inefficient domestic stoves, and even before the smog wave we were suffering the consequences of our coal addiction. Poland is home to 33 of the European Union’s 50 most polluted cities, including seven of the top 10, and some 47,000 Poles die prematurely each year because of air pollution. Belatedly, the ruling Law and Justice party is scrambling to enact some regulations to bring…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017How they see us: Japan’s mixed emotions on TrumpWell, that was cozy, said Koya Jibiki in the Nikkei Asian Review. President Trump showed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe an “unprecedented level of hospitality” during his visit to the U.S. last week. Trump “held, shook, pulled, and patted Abe’s hand for 19 seconds” at a White House meeting, a bizarre ritual that the U.S. press dubbed “super-awkward.” And the effusions just kept coming. Trump offered Abe a seat on Air Force One, a “highly unusual” honor for a foreign head of state, and jetted him off to the president’s personal resort, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. The two dined and played golf and even bonded over a security crisis when news came at dinner that North Korea had tested a ballistic missile. “It was like a honeymoon.” Japan “got…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Trump vs. the courts: It’s warPresident Trump “has declared war on the judiciary,” said Dahlia Lithwick in Slate.com. When U.S. District Judge James Robart suspended his controversial executive order on immigration and refugees, the president blasted the “so-called judge,” claimed the “ridiculous” ruling put the nation’s security at risk, and said the judiciary will be to blame if terrorists strike. Then, even before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel also ruled against him, Trump said even “a bad high school student” would understand why the Constitution gave him sole, unfettered authority to determine immigration policy. Even Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Judge Neil Gorsuch, let it be known he found these dangerous attacks on judicial independence “demoralizing” and “disheartening.” By questioning the very legitimacy of the judicial branch, said Martha Minow and Robert Post in…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Bytes: What’s new in techPinterest just unveiled a new kind of search result, said Casey Newton in TheVerge.com. With a tool called Lens, Pinterest users can snap a photo of an object in the real world and then have Pinterest suggest items related to it. Take a picture of a pomegranate, for instance, and Pinterest will show results for pomegranate bread, and tips for peeling pomegranates. Snap a photo of a sweater, and Pinterest might show you pictures of the same sweater styled in different ways. Pinterest is also making it easier to buy the stuff you see on the site. Its new Shop the Look feature “identifies items in pins that can be bought,” giving a link to make the purchase. Right now, you can find brands including CB2, Target, and Neiman Marcus.Vive…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Author of the weekJason Rekulak has finally landed on a book idea too good to give away, said Alexandra Alter in The New York Times. As the longtime publisher of Philadelphiabased Quirk Books, the 45-year-old former English major has already masterminded some of this century’s most out-there best-sellers. Unable to pay big advances, he hands writers irresistible concepts instead. He gave one old pal the idea for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. He talked Ransom Riggs into writing a novel inspired by eerie Victorian photos, resulting in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. But when Rekulak dreamed up a story set in 1987 about a teenager who creates a computer game while plotting to steal a copy of Playboy, he just started writing. “This was something I wasn’t going to be able to…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Movies on TVThe Great EscapeSteve McQueen leads a who’s who of tough-guy actors, playing prisoners of war determined to break out of a Luftwaffe-run compound. (1963) 7:40 p.m., Starz Encore ActionTuesday, Feb. 21Good Morning, VietnamRobin Williams garnered an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a U.S. Armed Forces DJ whose on-air irreverence riles his superiors. (1987) 10 p.m., CinemaxWednesday, Feb. 22Training DayA rookie LAPD cop takes a ride-along with a narcotics division vet who operates outside the law. Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington co-star. (2001) 8 p.m., IFCThursday, Feb. 23Cast AwayA plane crash strands Tom Hanks on a desert island and leaves him with only a volleyball to talk to. (2000) 4:05 p.m., HBOFriday, Feb. 24Some Like It HotJack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play musicians who don drag to escape a murderous…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Wine: New discoveriesIt’s always fun to share wine from an unlikely place—“especially when the wine is good,” said Michael Austin in the Chicago Tribune. If you’re in that kind of mood, look first to places that neighbor well-known wine countries or regions. A satisfying bottle from Idaho or Uruguay “will do more for your special occasion than any humdrum wine from California ever could.”2014 Lidio Carraro Agnus Merlot($12). The complex flavors of plum, smoke, and chocolate in this wine should alert you that Brazil’s merlots are underrated.2013 Colter’s Creek Koos-Koos-Kia Red ($22). Credit Idaho with this one, a “delightful” Bordeauxstyle blend “full of ripe plum, baking spices, and vanilla.”2012 Golan Heights Winery Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon ($32). Grapes grown in northern Israel produce a cab with “grippy” tannins and “notes of blackberry, herbs,…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Hotel of the weekCape Town, South Africa A new boutique hotel is opening in South Africa’s great port city, and “it’s set to be a stunner,” said The Sunday Times (U.K.). A 1920s grain tower that was long the country’s tallest building has been converted by British architect Thomas Heatherwick into a 28-room boutique property perched above a major new contemporary art museum on the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. Rooms inside the 187-foot tower have 18-foothigh windows. If you can’t afford a stay, just stop by the rooftop champagne bar, with its glass swimming pool and spectacular views. theroyalportfolio.com; rooms from $872.…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Best properties on the market1Palm City, Fla. This three-bedroom house was built in 1986 on the edge of the St. Lucie River. Details include pecky cypress ceilings, a fireplace, and 1,500 square feet of outdoor living space. The property has its own deeded bay called the Yacht Basin, four slips, and a boat dock with two lifts. $999,000. Tom Whitehouse, The Keyes Co., (772) 233-05682 Westport, Mass. This four-bedroom home sits on 47 acres overlooking the Westport River. The shinglestyle house has an open living area, a grand staircase, a stone fireplace, and a master suite with a dressing room and a deck. The property features two barns and 800 feet of shoreline with a pier and a dock. $7,900,000. Will Milbury, Milbury and Co., (508) 525-52003 Charleston, S.C. Built in 1920, this four-bedroom…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Tip of the week...▪ Baby formula: It’s pricey stuff, so sign up for monthly coupons on the manufacturer’s website. Also see what your pediatrician can do. If your baby needs a specialty formula, getting a prescription shifts the cost to your insurer, and doctors also sometimes have free samples provided by the manufacturers.▪ Diapers: Through Amazon.com’s Subscribe and Save service, you can get 15 percent off all items you have delivered once a month. Also, big-box stores regularly have sales to promote diaper brands, offering, say, a $25 gift card when you spend $100.▪ Clothing: Buy a year ahead, during endof- season sales, to enjoy huge discounts on staples like shorts and jeans. Never buy without a coupon, since you can sign up for store coupons or find one at RetailMeNot.com. Finally, use…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Big paychecks backfire at GoogleGoogle paid staffers in its self-driving car division so well that some decided they could afford to quit, said Alistair Barr and Mark Bergen in Bloomberg.com. Google’s car project has bled talent over the past year as it struggled with leadership changes and doubts about strategy. But sources inside the company say an “unusual compensation system” is also to blame. Some early employees ultimately earned multimillion dollar paychecks, jokingly dubbed “F-you money.” The reason: Google applied a multiplier to early stock awards and bonuses based on the project’s valuation. As the promise of self-driving technology became clear, those bonuses skyrocketed, even though the goal of building a fully autonomous car remained years away. “By late 2015, the numbers were so big that several veteran members didn’t need the job security…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Charity of the weekPollution, overfishing, and habitat degradation all pose unique challenges to the health and wellbeing of the planet’s oceans. To help promote healthy ocean ecosystems, Ocean Conservancy (oceanconservancy.org) funds scientific research, mobilizes citizens to advocate for ocean sustainability, and works to ensure that both fish and the people who work in fishing economies are able to thrive. Founded in 1972, the organization engages coastal communities around the world with their International Coastal Cleanup project; in 2015 alone, nearly 800,000 volunteers collected 18 million pounds of trash along shorelines. The group has also worked to establish marine protected areas in Hawaii and Florida, and helped pass the landmark Marine Life Protection Act in California, which aims to conserve and rebuild marine ecosystems.Each charity we feature has earned a four-star overall rating from…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The last wordCrawford County, Wis., was one of the Democratic strongholds that helped give Donald Trump the White House, said journalist Claire Galofaro. Now residents are waiting for the president’s promised economic renaissance.SHE TUGGED 13 envelopes from a cabinet above the stove, each one labeled with a different debt: the house payment, the student loans, the vacuum cleaner she bought on credit.Lydia Holt and her husband tuck money into these envelopes with each paycheck to whittle away at what they owe. They both earn about $10 an hour, and with two kids, there are usually some they can’t fill. She did the math; at this rate, they’ll be paying these same bills for 87 years.In 2012, Holt voted for Barack Obama because he promised her change, but she feels that change hasn’t…9 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Main storiesPresident Donald Trump’s administration this week faced potentially explosive investigations into its connections to the Russian government, after leaks from intelligence agencies forced the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn. The three-star general resigned over several phone calls he made in December to the Russian ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, on the same day the Obama administration imposed sanctions on Moscow in retaliation for Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. When news of those calls first emerged in mid-January, Flynn denied discussing sanctions with Kislyak—a denial publicly repeated by Vice President Mike Pence. But The Washington Post reported that transcripts of the calls, made by the U.S. intelligence agencies that had intercepted them, revealed that Flynn did suggest to Kislyak that Russia not react to the sanctions…4 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017It wasn’t all bad▪ Jessica Sharman fell in love with the same man twice. When the 20-year-old Briton woke up in the hospital last March after an epileptic attack, her memory was wiped clean. She didn’t recognize her parents, or her doting boyfriend, Rich Bishop. She tried to endmember the second.”▪ An Auschwitz survivor and the Scottish commando who saved her celebrated their 71st Valentine’s Day together this week. John Mackay, 96, helped liberate a number of prisoners from the concentration camp— including Hungarian Jew Edith Steiner, now 92. The tovely to have such a real example of true love with us,” said one staff member.▪ After a Girl Scout selling cookies was robbed at gunpoint, California cops reached into their own pockets to make things right. Harsh*ta Phardwaj, 12, and her mom…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Good week forAmateur lawyers, after a minimally educated farmer in China who spent 16 years teaching himself law won a $120,000 settlement from a chemical company that had dumped toxic waste on his village’s farmland. “I knew I was in the right,” Wang Enlin said.Search parties, after the Wales Coast Guard found a man believed to be lost at sea safely drinking in a local pub. The man had been last seen cut off by the rising tide while walking on an estuary, but then turned up at the nearby Ship Aground pub, where he said he “rescued himself.”The highest form of flattery, after a newspaper in the Dominican Republic published a picture of Alec Baldwin impersonating Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live and mistakenly identified the actor as “President of the…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The U.S. at a glanceTravel ban battle: The Trump administration this week suggested it wouldn’t immediately appeal a ruling on its controversial travel ban to the Supreme Court, and would instead wait to see if the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals would revisit the case with a larger panel of judges. Last week, a three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit upheld a temporary nationwide halt to the ban, which suspends the nation’s refugee program and travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries, until its constitutionality is decided. The ruling led Trump to tweet “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!” But a judge from the Seattle-based appeals court then requested that the case be submitted to a wider vote of 11 judges—also known as an en banc panel. The Department…4 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Gossip▪ George and Amal Clooney are expecting twins in June—and the actor’s mother reveals they’ll be welcoming a boy and a girl. “It will be one of each!” says Nina Clooney. “How marvelous!” Long one of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors, Clooney, 55, wed the British hu almost started crying,” Damon said. Clooney had said for years he had no intention to marry or have kids, but then he met Amal. “All I know is that it sort of changed everything in terms of what I thought my future—my personal future— was going to be,” he said.▪ Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson last week filed a lawsuit against her nephew and longtime caretaker, alleging he subjected her to years of elder abuse and bullying. A judge granted Jackson, 86, a restraining…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Best U.S. columnsPhilip BumpWashingtonPost.comDuring the presidential campaign, Donald Trump relentlessly criticized Hillary Clinton for “jeopardizing national security” by using a private email server, said Philip Bump. But now that he’s president, his “attitude toward security seems a bit more lax.” When Trump received word about North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile last weekend, the president was in a crowded dining room at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders continued their conversation right at their table in a room full of other diners, as a singer crooned in the background. At one point, aides used the camera lights on their cellphones to light up documents on the table— a mind-boggling security breach, since foreign hackers can easily turn on cellphone cameras and microphones to…3 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Europe: Sending back the asylum seekersEuropean leaders were so smug in their condemnation of President Trump’s ban on migrants from seven mostly-Muslim countries, said Frédéric Bobin and Jean-Pierre Stroobants in Le Monde (France). “We don’t believe in walls or bans,” EU Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini proclaimed piously. Yet right now, the European Union is constructing a virtual wall against refugees. Having blocked one major migration route to Europe through last year’s deal with Turkey—under which Turkey agreed to house asylum seekers from Syria and elsewhere in exchange for cash and other perks—the EU is now cutting off a second key route. At a meeting in Malta this month, the bloc agreed to pay some $210 million to the Libyan government to seize and turn back the boats full of migrants that sail from its shore.…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017New England Patriots: A White House boycott“The champagne had not even dried in the Patriots locker room” when New England tight end Martellus Bennett threw cold water on his team’s Super Bowl party, said Dave Zirin in The Nation.com. That night, Bennett announced “there was no way” he would attend the NFL team’s celebratory photo-op at the Trump White House. Five of Bennett’s teammates have since joined his boycott. “I don’t feel welcome in that house. I’ll leave it at that,” said running back LeGarrette Blount. The White House boycott is even more striking given that the Patriots are considered “Trump’s team”: The president is friends with quarterback Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft. But who can blame the boycotters? Why would they want to legitimize a president who routinely has portrayed black…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Health & ScienceHere’s an unlikely tip for insomniacs: Spend a few nights under the stars. That’s the conclusion of a new study at the University of Colorado Boulder, which found that a camping trip could help those plagued by sleeping problems. The key to good shuteye is melatonin, reports CBSNews.com. Levels of this naturally occurring hormone should rise shortly before bedtime and drop back down when it’s time to wake up—but exposure to the artificial glow of phones, computers, and TVs can disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm. The researchers in Colorado sent five volunteers on a six-day camping expedition in the Rocky Mountains, without torches or any electronic gadgets. The campers slept for over two hours longer than normal during the trip; on their return, their melatonin levels began to rise…3 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Novel of the weekLincoln in the Bardo(Random House, $28)George Saunders’ remarkable first novel “reads like the type of tragedy Shakespeare might write if he lived in 21st-century America,” said John Freeman in The Boston Globe. Highly unconventional in form, the book is set in a cemetery where Abraham Lincoln’s son has just been laid in a crypt, and when the president visits—and even cradles the boy’s body—a chorus of cantankerous spirits is stirred to act. Though much “zooming silliness” ensues, the tale succeeds even on a metaphysical level because, in the end, “it finds a similarity between our greed to live and our need to die.” The premise is notably thin on dramatic tension, said Christian Lorentzen in New York magazine. Because the only suspense lies in whether the ghosts can help Abe…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The Grammys: Adele, Beyoncé, and the case for another boycott“It was Adele’s night. But it happened in Beyoncé’s world,” said Mikael Wood in the Los Angeles Times. At the end of a four-hour ceremony in which Adele won all the biggest honors, including Song of the Year and Album of the Year, the 28-year-old British singer helped make the resulting snub of Beyoncé’s more acclaimed Lemonade into the story people will remember about the 2017 Gram mys. “I can’t possibly accept this award,” she said as she stood onstage cradling the album trophy. Then she praised Lemonade as the superior record, addressed Beyoncé in the audience by saying, “You are our light,” and finally broke the trophy in two.“Grammys, please, please, please, stop doing this to Adele”—and to artists like her, said Carl Wilson in Slate.com. More so even…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Show of the weekEver feel like the last of the nice people? In this stylish noir comedy—the winner of the 2017 Sundance Grand Jury Prize—Melanie Lynskey of Two and a Half Men plays a worn-down nursing assistant who takes matters into her own hands when burglars hit her apartment and the cops don’t even care that her grandmother’s silver was stolen. Her crackpot neighbor—a skinny martial-arts fanatic played by Elijah Wood—joins the hunt for the wrongdoers, and their mission turns increasingly absurd, and absurdly violent, as they near their end goal. Available for streaming Friday, Feb. 24, Netflix…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Getting the flavor of...In Bellingham, Wash., the spirit of Nikola Tesla crackles on, said Brian Cantwell in The Seattle Times. The Serbian-American inventor of alternating current, who was known for his dramatic public demonstrations of electricity’s wonders, would have been thrilled by the waterfront city’s Spark Museum. Dedicated to electrical inventions through the ages, the museum displays some cool gear, including a replica of the Titanic’s Marconi wireless room and a hutch-size RCA Radiola 30, America’s first AC-powered radio. “Indisputably,” though, the MegaZapper show is the big draw. Volunteering to be a guinea pig, I sign some waivers and am soon ushered toward a menacing metal cage furnished with a simple chair. In truth, “it feels a lot like being led to my execution.” The metal door slams shut, the room goes dark,…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017ConsumerChevrolet’s new four-seat hatchback “could take electric vehicles mainstream in a way we haven’t seen before.” Unveiled a year ago but just beginning a staggered 10-month rollout to dealerships in all 50 states, the Chevy Bolt is the first affordable EV that has a 200-plus-mile range, and it’s “absolutely” fit to be an everyday car for most drivers. Given tax incentives, customers in several states will be able to buy one for well under $30,000.Car and Driver“We were a bit disappointed with its interior quality,” though the cabin’s spaciousness and tech features partially make up for the abundance of hard plastics. Better yet, the Bolt isn’t just good to drive for an electric car; “it’s good to drive, period.” Though it doesn’t exactly dance through tight corners, it combines a…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017And for those who have everything…Ever dreamed of running a food-truck business? Realize your barista fantasies with the Wheelys 5, a high-tech coffee cart created by Wheelys Café, a Stockholm-based company whose mobile café business has spread to more than 60 countries in just three years. The bike-mounted cart has running water, a refrigerator, a gas stove, a solar roof, a stereo system, integrated Wi-Fi, and even a miniature greenhouse for growing organic coffee beans. Its customizable layout can accommodate a juicing station, a creperie, and an ice-cream bar, and it can brew anything from espresso to nitro coffee.$8,999, wheelyscafe.comSource: New York magazine…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The Fed: Wall Street regulator resignsThe Federal Reserve’s “point man” on regulation is stepping down, said Renae Merle in The Washington Post. Federal Reserve governor Daniel Tarullo announced last week that he would resign in April, “nearly five years before the end of his term.” He didn’t explain the reason for his departure. Tarullo, appointed to the Fed in 2009 by then-President Obama, helped push tough policies intended to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis, including stricter capital requirements for banks to cushion against possible emergencies. His departure leaves three openings on the Fed’s seven-member board, giving President Trump the opportunity to dramatically reshape the central bank.It’s rare for a president to have this much “immediate influence” on the Federal Reserve, said Rob Garver in TheFiscalTimes.com. Governing board members are appointed to 14-year terms,…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Making moneyIt’s decision time, taxpayers, said Kay Bell in USAToday.com. Should you do your own tax return or hire a professional? The answer, of course, depends on the complexity of your financial life. “If you’re a single filer who rents an apartment and your workplace 401(k) is your only investment, tax software should work fine.” Most tax software can be purchased for less than $100, while the average tax preparer charges $273 to complete a Form 1040 with itemized deductions, plus a state return. If your adjusted gross income is less than $64,000, you can even use free software through the IRS’s Free File program. “But if you run your own business, either as your main job or on the side; buy a home; or inherit property, it’s probably a good…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Best columnsClive ThompsonWiredWhat if computer programmers are the next generation of blue-collar workers? asked Clive Thompson. “When I ask people to picture a coder, they usually imagine someone like Mark Zuckerberg.” But the typical programmer isn’t a hoodie-wearing brainiac who builds “an app in a feverish 72-hour programming jag” with the aim of getting insanely rich. This programmer probably doesn’t even live in Silicon Valley, which “employs only 8 percent of the nation’s coders.” Most programmers work 9-to-5 jobs doing important, unglamorous work, like writing code for their local bank. It’s not a path to fame and fortune, but it is a solidly middle-class job. The average IT worker in the U.S. earns about $81,000 a year, “more than double the national average for all jobs,” and the field is set…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The scientist who helped develop the MRI scannerPeter Mansfield 1933–2017A school careers counselor once told Peter Mansfield that he wasn’t clever enough to become a scientist. That assessment proved incorrect. Three decades later, the British physicist helped develop the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, an innovation that revolutionized hospital diagnostics and earned him the 2003 Nobel Prize for medicine. A noisy, doughnut-shaped machine, the bodylength scanner creates 3-D images of bones and soft tissue—a crucial tool for identifying everything from torn muscles to cancerous tumors. “Most people don’t think about where MRI scanners come from,” said Mansfield. “But I feel very pleased and proud when I receive letters from patients, thanking me for saving their lives.”Born in London to a laborer father and a waitress mother, Mansfield spent much of his childhood in poverty, said The Washington…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The Puzzle PageACROSS1 Tiniest6 Not inept10 Shot in the dark14 Doubleday of baseball fame15 Spanish word for the pawn in chess16 Quote the work of17 On Feb. 5, Qatar Airways inaugurated the world’s longest commercial flight, a 9,031-mile jaunt from Qatar to this country19 Neighbor of Yemen20 Mound metric21 Heidi of 22-Across22 America’s Got ___24 Golf shots26 Highest capital city in the world27 Make like new28 2 for 8, e.g.31 Waste maker, it’s said34 Warren before Warren Burger35 Foot part36 Thespian Wallach37 The Feb. 5 flight took just over this many hours40 Landing approximation, for short41 Rupture43 Brooklyn shooters44 Illegal ignition46 Wedding list48 World on Fire author Chua49 Plus50 Road with no lights54 Stuff in a mill56 Verbalized57 “___ you ready?”58 Orchestra instrument59 On the Feb. 5 flight, its crew served passengers…3 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017What next?Flynn’s troubles are far from over, said Josh Gerstein in Politico.com. The retired general was interviewed by the FBI after the inauguration; if he lied to agents about discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador, he could be facing a felony charge. Meanwhile, the Senate Intelligence Committee has been charged with “getting to the bottom” of the Russia scandal, said Carl Hulse in The New York Times. Democrats aren’t happy about this, because much of the committee’s work is done in secret. They also don’t trust Jeff Sessions’ Justice Department to oversee the FBI investigation and are demanding a special prosecutor. But Republicans do not want to create a special congressional commission or appoint a special prosecutor, because it would only “add to the furor.”…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Controversy of the weekLess than a month after Donald Trump took the oath of office, said Jeet Heer in NewRepublic.com, the infighting, chaos, and ineptitude within his White House are “making the president look weaker every day.” He got off to a bad start with his obsessive concern over his popular-vote deficit, rushed out a poorly drafted executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority nations, and this week was caught up in the scandal surrounding the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn. The deeper problem is that after a lifetime of running a family business, Trump “doesn’t know how government works,” has no coherent management structure, and is being undermined by a daily torrent of leaks to the media by aides jockeying for position. Morale within the White House is in free…3 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Bad week forRide sharing, after a French businessman sued Uber for $48 million, claiming that a glitch in the ride-sharing app’s software gave his wife notifications of his comings and goings, leading to accusations of infidelity and a nasty divorce.Typos, after President Trump’s official inauguration photo had to be pulled from the Library of Congress’ online store because of a misspelling. The autographed portrait featured the quote: “No dream is too big, no challenge is to great.”Flying Solo, after actor Harrison Ford, 74, mistakenly landed his single engine Husky plane on a taxiway at a California airport, narrowly missing a passenger plane preparing for takeoff. “Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?” the actor asked air control.…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The world at a glanceRussian meddling? French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has been the target of “fake news” spread by Russian media, and the victim of thousands of cyberattacks by Moscow-backed hackers, his campaign manager said this week. Kremlin-run outlets RT and Sputnik News have recently claimed that the election front-runner is supported by a “gay lobby” and is a “U.S. agent” for U.S. banking interests. The attacks began when polls showed the centrist Macron beating far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the election runoff. The Kremlin is believed to prefer Le Pen, who has accepted Russian financing for her National Front party and supports taking France out of the EU. “We want a strong Europe,” said Macron’s campaign manager, Richard Ferrand. “That’s why we are suffering attacks from [the] Russian state.” The election’s…7 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017BriefingThe trade deal many Americans blame for job losses has a complicated record of success and failure.The North American Free Trade Agreement was a 1994 accord between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that lifted tariffs on most products moving between the three nations. It was also the first trade agreement to include protections for intellectual property. NAFTA had bipartisan backing, having been negotiated by a Republican president—George H.W. Bush—and signed by his Democratic successor, Bill Clinton, after passing the Senate 61-38. But it has also met stiff opposition across the political spectrum. The nascent agreement was a flashpoint in the 1992 presidential race (see box); a quarter-century later, NAFTA and other freetrade deals fueled a wave of populist anger among voters who blamed outsourcing for the major decline in U.S.…4 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017It must be true… I read it in the tabloids▪ Leslie Ray “Popeye” Charping of Galveston, Texas, evidently will not be missed by his family. After Charping died of cancer at 75 his survivors wrote in an online obituary that he’d lived “29 years longer than expected and much longer than he deserved.” His hoed hot liquid on his wife.▪ Ronnie and Sherron Bridges of Quinlan, Texas, have a pet 2,500-pound buffalo that has the run of their house. The bison’s name is Wild Thing, and he’s lived as the couple’s pet since they sold the rest of their herd when he was a calf. Wild Thing, 11, roams freely e for the news.”▪ A pair of drunken Canadian men were arrested after allegedly passing through a McDonald’s drive-through on a couch. Police in New Brunswick flashed their lights…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Best international columnsTeaching our children black prideJoram NyathiThe HeraldZimbabweans have internalized racism so much that we no longer recognize it, said Joram Nyathi. Howls of outrage have greeted the introduction of a new school curriculum by Education Minister Lazarus Dokora of the ruling ZANU-PF party. Critics are calling it jingoistic because it requires students to join in “mass displays” and to take a pledge of allegiance to the state. Apparently these critics want to keep us forever as “Little England,” our students mindlessly parroting the history of our former colonial master. Zimbabwean history, included in the new curriculum, is not just “ZANUPF propaganda,” as the opposition claims. It is the story of our land, our people, our uprising. Children must be taught the importance of the great land reform, which reclaimed Zimbabwean…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Noted▪ More than 2 million of the nation’s roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants live in just two metropolitan areas—New York and Los Angeles—according to a new analysis of 2014 Census Bureau data from the Pew Research Center. About 61 percent of the undocumented live in 20 metropolitan areas. FiveThirtyEight.com▪ The number of Americans without health insurance dropped from 17.3 percent in 2013 to 10.9 percent last year, with some of the biggest drops occurring in states that voted for Donald Trump. The uninsured rate in Kentucky dropped from 20.4 to 7.8 percent; in Arkansas, from 22.5 to 10.2 percent; and in West Virginia from 17.6 to 6.1 percent, a new the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being analysis found. New York Post▪ Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s combative daily briefings with the White House press…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017‘The Resistance’: A liberal Tea Party?“It’s beginning to look a lot like 2009,” said Kate Zernike in The New York Times. “That year, horrified by a new president,” conservative activists took to the streets “under the Tea Party banner” to resist Barack Obama’s agenda—marching against government bailouts and storming meetings held by congressional Democrats in protest of Obamacare. The powerful grassroots movement swept House Republicans to victory in the 2010 midterms, remaking the political landscape. Eight years later, said Vanessa Williamson in CNN.com, liberals are borrowing from the Tea Party playbook to mount their own resistance to President Trump. Constituents have overloaded congressional phone lines with complaints about Trump’s Cabinet picks, while five Republican lawmakers have been driven from rowdy town hall events packed with people protesting Obamacare repeal and other Trump policies. “Could this…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Innovation of the weekA simple earpiece “promises to boldly go where no gadget has gone before—translating foreign languages simultaneously,” said Jonathan Margolis in the Financial Times. Like Star Trek’s universal translator, Pilot allows two or more people to speak to each other in completely different languages and still be understood. When someone wearing a Pilot talks to someone else wearing one, the device pipes a live translation of the conversation into each person’s earpiece. Pilot will go on sale in May for $299. But “put on hold babel-busting dreams of skipping around foreign cities conversing with the locals.” Machine translation is constantly improving, thanks to artificial intelligence, but it can still be clunky. And for now, Pilot only offers English and Latinbased languages like Spanish. You’d also have to stick a Pilot “into…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Doctors affected by travel banPresident Trump’s temporary travel ban on citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries may worsen America’s dire shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas, hospital officials warn. About 25_percent of all physicians working in the U.S. are immigrants, including more than 15,000 from Iran, Syria, and the other blacklisted nations. Many of these doctors practice in rural and poor urban areas, because it’s easier for foreign-born medical school graduates to acquire visa extensions if they work in regions with fewer doctors. The travel ban, which is being litigated in the courts, is not only affecting doctors and researchers from the seven countries it covers, the Association of American Medical Colleges warns, but also causing anxiety and uncertainty among physicians from other nations, who worry the ban will be expanded. These doctors’ fears…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History“You might think a book on cannibalism would be upsetting,” said Sy Montgomery in The New York Times. “This one’s not.” In fact, Bill Schutt’s breezy but learned survey of the subject might restore your faith that the species hom*o sapiens is no more horrifying—“or splendidly surprising”— than just about any other you might choose to study. Schutt, a zoologist, makes a strong case that cannibalism has been more common in human history than we typically acknowledge. For centuries, Europeans harvested human blood, bone, and more to be ingested for medicinal purposes, and as late as the 1960s, the Chinese elite continued to practice a long tradition of eating human flesh for pleasure. But it helps to put such tales in context: As Schutt points out, cannibalism occurs within every…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Also of interest...in elusive feelingsby Carrie Jenkins (Basic, $27)It’s time to stop treating love as an insoluble mystery, said Skye Cleary in the Los Angeles Review of Books. In her “bubbly” new treatise on the subject, Vancouver philosophy professor Carrie Jenkins claims she just wants people to think more clearly about love when she proposes that it’s rooted in biochemistry but channeled by culture into too-rigid forms. A practicer of polyamory, she too often lets that experience shape her dialogue with thinkers past and present. Even so, her openness “works to her advantage.”The Little Book of Hyggeby Meik Wiking (William Morrow, $20)Maybe the Danes really have discovered the secret to living well, said Erin Booke in The Dallas Morning News. In this charming international best-seller, the head of Denmark’s Happiness Research Institute—“yes, there is…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017TravelWhen considering a vacation in Nicaragua—land of seven active volcanoes—“ the greatest risk might be waiting to visit,” said David Rennie in 1843 magazine. With its lush jungles, nearly empty beaches, and mansion- filled colonial towns, the Central American nation is primed to be discovered by foreign tourists looking for an alternative to pricier Costa Rica. Though Nicaragua is a poor country, it “packs a lot into a small area”—as my family and I discovered when we spent a magical two weeks there this past summer during the so-called rainy season. We rode horses along the shore of Lake Nicaragua, took surfing lessons in the Pacific, and zip-lined through towering cedar trees on an old coffee plantation. Rarely did we need reservations.In León, a city whose colonial architecture rivals anything…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Last-minute travel dealsThrough Feb. 23, Scandinavian Airlines is offering a sale on summer flights to several Scandinavian cities. For May 19– Aug. 17 departures, nonstop round-trip flights from New York to Stockholm start at $696. Saturday-night stay required. flysas.comSpain for twoEnjoy a 12-day tour of Spain this spring and save up to $1,500 per couple, including $300 in air credit. Through Feb. 28, Monograms’ April 16 trip starts at $2,327 per person, double occupancy. Stops include Barcelona, Seville, and Madrid. monograms.comNext year’s cruiseCrystal Cruises is offering discounts on 2018 yacht or river tour voyages if you book by April. A round-trip West Indies cruise to Marigot Bay starts at $4,750 per person, double occupancy, a savings of nearly $1,000. crystalcruises.com…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The best of…gear for business travelersFirmer than a bead-_ lled pillow but softer than an in_ atable, this neck pillow combines sculpted memory foam with cooling air vents. It’s “by far” the most comfortable option around, and it packs down tight when not in use.$60, cabeau.comSource: BusinessInsider.comThe ShelfPackSay hello to “the portable closet of your dreams.” Developed by a well-traveled software engineer, the ShelfPack holds a “staggering” number of folded clothes between its built-in shelves. Zip it open, and the expanding shelves set up in a snap.$349, shelfpack.comSource: Huf_ ngtonPost.comHunter QLS03 HumidifierIf the dry air in a typical hotel room bothers you, tuck Hunter’s petite humidi_ er into your suitcase, then set it up on your nightstand. Its tank is a regular water bottle, so all you need to pack is the base.$27, amazon.comSource: Consumer…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Best apps...For buying what you believe in▪ Buycott makes it easy to express your ethical views with your wallet. Simply scan a product’s bar code to learn about the product and its producer, including activities the firm might wish to hide. If you choose to boycott the brand, you can notify the company with a single tap.▪ DoneGood helps you find products from lesser-known socially responsible brands. Available as a browser extension or standalone app, it lets you set ethical priorities for your online shopping. When you’re on Amazon or any other site, it’ll automatically show you products that meet your criteria.▪ Orange Harp is a shopping app for iOS that sells only products made by socially responsible companies. New producers are added regularly, but only after heavy screening by a…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The bottom line▪ Twenty-nine percent of American workers say they’ve been less productive since the election, according to a survey by software firm BetterWorks. Almost a third of respondents said their colleagues spend more time talking about politics than about work; nearly half have seen a political conversation turn into an argument.TheAtlantic.com▪ A black job candidate is nearly 50 percent more likely to get hired by a tech firm in San Francisco or New York than the average white candidate, according to online job marketplace Hired. But black tech workers are typically paid $10,000 less a year than their white counterparts.USA Today▪ Lawyers and bankers earned $1.5 billion in fees working on the Aetna- Humana and Anthem-Cigna mergers, both of which were blocked by the courts.Axios.com▪ The average American is expected to…1 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017What the experts sayThe soaring cost of college is leading some families to buy tuition insurance, said Jessica Dickler in CNBC.com. “A college education is now the second-largest expense an individual is likely to handle in a lifetime—right after purchasing a home.” Tuition insurance, also known as tuition refund insurance, can protect at least some of that investment in the event a student has to withdraw from school for medical or psychological reasons. Bad grades and expulsion generally aren’t covered, “although the extent of coverage varies from plan to plan.” Plans are purchased one semester at a time, and the most comprehensive can cost as much as 6 percent of tuition. The insurance can be used to cover nonrefundable tuition, as well as housing and other fees.A little love for active managementIndex funds…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017Issue of the week: President Trump’s dollar dilemmaWell, now we know what keeps President Trump awake at night, said Taylor Tepper in Money.com. According to The Huffington Post, the president recently placed a 3 a.m. phone call to his then– national security adviser Mike Flynn and asked whether a strong dollar or a weak dollar was better for the U.S. economy. “Flynn reportedly demurred,” suggesting Trump call an economist instead. But it’s a legitimate question, especially with the greenback hovering at a 14-year high. The simplest explanation is that a strong dollar makes foreign goods like German-made cars and shirts from China cheaper to buy for U.S. consumers. But a strong dollar hurts American manufacturers, whose exports become more expensive for overseas customers. “To answer the president’s question, then, it all depends on who you are.”This debate…2 min

The Week Magazine|February 24, 2017The Little Caesars founder who tirelessly promoted DetroitMike Ilitch 1929–2017Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian had a net worth of $5.4 billion. The pizza chain they founded in a Detroit suburb, Little Caesars, and its spin-offs today employ 23,000 people. But for the sports-mad Ilitch, the numbers that really counted were 4 and 2. Under his ownership, the Detroit Red Wings hockey team won four Stanley Cup championships, while his Detroit Tigers enjoyed two trips to the World Series. Ilitch freely used his checkbook to sign top players—he said he wasn’t bothered by the Tigers’ $138 million payroll at the end of a disappointing 2008 season. “I’m not afraid to go out and spend money,” Ilitch explained. “I’m not going to change my ways.”Born in Detroit to Macedonian immigrants, Ilitch served four years in the Marine Corps…1 min

Table of contents for February 24, 2017 in The Week Magazine (2024)

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