Home//The Week Magazine/August 19-August 26, 2016/In This Issue
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Editor’s letterIn the spring of 1818, the English journal Literary Panorama warned that a new technology was stupefying the nation’s youth. Youngsters were spending hours each day peering into kaleidoscopes, it wrote, mesmerized by the colorful patterns produced by these tin and glass tubes. “Surely this is too bad!” proclaimed the journal. “Every boy in the street studies his kaleidoscope, though he bumps his head against a wall.” The kaleidoscope fad eventually passed, and society found new dangers to panic over. In the 1890s, newspapers denounced “penny dreadfuls”—lurid pulp tales of monsters and murder—for indoctrinating young people into a life of crime and “rascaldom.” In the 20th century, we fretted about the corrupting effects of comics, rock ’n’ roll, and video games. British politician George Foulkes proposed a bill for the…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Trump’s blueprint for economic growthWhat happenedRepublican presidential nominee Donald Trump this week unveiled a broadly sketched economic agenda, vowing that he’d “jump-start America” by simplifying the tax code, slashing regulation, and renegotiating international trade deals. In a speech to the Detroit Economic Club, Trump hammered his Democratic rival’s policies, saying they amounted to more wealth redistribution and stifling regulation. “There will be no change under Hillary Clinton,” he said, “only four more years of weakness.” In contrast, Trump said his proposals amounted to “the biggest tax revolution since the Reagan tax reform.” His plan would cut the number of income brackets from seven to three and reduce taxes on all Americans, particularly the wealthy: The highest earners would see their tax rate lowered to 33 percent from 39.6 percent today. Trump pledged to scrap…3 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Only in AmericaThe University of California at Berkeley has installed an “escape hatch” at the chancellor’s office in case student protesters storm the building. Student groups mocked the decision, arguing that embattled university Chancellor Nicholas Dirks “should open the door, not create new closed ones.” The school admits that the new exit was installed because of “security concerns,” but said it was “a door,” not an “escape hatch.” The University of Wisconsin-Stout is removing two paintings over concerns that they might have a “harmful effect” on Native American students. The historical murals show French fur traders paddling canoes alongside Native Americans. But university officials said the paintings remind Natives of “an era of their history where land and possessions were taken away.”…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The world at a glance ...Les Pennes-Mirabeau, FranceBurkini day canceled: Citing threats of violence, a water park near Marseille this week canceled a planned private event for Muslim women. A women’s association called Smile 13 had booked Speedwater Park in Les Pennes-Mirabeau for a day to allow Muslim women to swim there in their full-body swimsuits, known as burkinis. But the plan drew outrage and condemnation from politicians on the secular left as well as the nationalist right, and Les Pennes-Mirabeau’s left-wing mayor vowed to ban the event. Smile 13 said it had received threats, including bullets sent in the mail. The group said it was “stunned and saddened” by the hostility. Marseille, a city of some 2 million, is home to 220,000 Muslims.MontrealWhere is everyone? The World Social Forum opened in Montreal this week…7 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The endangered European UnionWhat does the EU do?The union has dramatically changed how—and where— Europeans live and work. The EU’s core principles are the “four freedoms”—the free movement of goods, services, people, and money. Citizens of the 28 member countries can live and work anywhere in the union, confident that they have access to health insurance and social benefits, and the same legal rights they enjoyed in their birth countries. EU citizens still vote for their own national governments, but every five years they vote directly for their representatives to the European Parliament. The bureaucracy in Brussels is largely anonymous and invisible, but the hundreds of thousands of regulations it issues touch every aspect of life, from requiring booster seats for 11-year-olds to banning vacuum cleaners that use too much electricity to a…4 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Viewpoint“In a half- desacralized planet, the Olympics fire the world’s imagination in a way that many preachers can only dream of. The Games [are] one more expression of humanity’s yearning for the transcendent. Both the modern contests and their ancient Greek predecessors share many of the features of a giant sacramental feast. People coming from many different places and circ*mstances lay aside their differences, and in spectacular ceremonies declare their commitment to a single noble ideal. As all global religions must, the ceremonies affirm both human diversity and human universality. And thanks to television, the entire population of the world seems to join in.”The blogger Erasmus in Economist.com…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Best columns: EuropeUNITED KINGDOMScottish tartans are really a conBen MacintyreThe TimesThe taxonomy of Scottish tartans is a “magnificent scam,” said Ben Macintyre. McLeods and Stewarts brought up to believe that their family plaid has an ancient lineage are sadly deluded. The story of clan-specific tartans was actually “cooked up by a couple of enterprising gay Victorian fashionistas” from southern England and then popularized by a German prince. For hundreds of years in Scotland, people wore whichever tartan they fancied. Then in 1842, John and Charles Allen—probably a gay couple but posing as brothers—published Vestiarium Scoticum, which listed the “official” Scottish tartans. The book was supposedly based on a 16th-century Scottish manuscript but was actually entirely made up. “The royals went mad for it,” particularly Queen Victoria’s German husband, Prince Albert, who produced…4 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Iran payment: A ‘ransom’ for hostages?It sounds like “the opening scene of a great spy thriller,” said Lee Smith in WeeklyStandard.com. An unmarked, U.S. government–commissioned cargo plane lands in Tehran and drops off several wooden pallets stacked with $400 million worth of euros, Swiss francs, and other currencies. Later that day, four bedraggled American hostages are finally released by the Iranian government. Alas, this wasn’t a movie—as The Wall Street Journal revealed last week, it all happened for real back in January. The money was part of a $1.7 billion settlement to resolve a decades-old dispute with Iran. In 1979, the Iranian government paid the U.S. $400 million for fighter jets; when the shah was overthrown and 52 Americans taken hostage in Tehran, Washington refused to deliver the arms, but kept the money. President Obama…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Clinton: A ‘short circuit’ over emailsLast week was going so well for Hillary Clinton, and “then she ruined it,” said Olivia Nuzzi and Jackie Kucinich in TheDailyBeast.com. The Democratic nominee wisely made no news while Republican Donald Trump self-destructed—but at an event for minority journalists, she made a big blunder. In a rare question-and-answer session, NBC’s Kristen Welker challenged Clinton’s claim that FBI Director James Comey said she’d been “truthful” in her public statements about her private email server. Actually, Comey said that Clinton didn’t lie to the FBI—he never said she’d been telling the truth to the American people. Admitting Welker was right, Clinton replied, “I may have short-circuited, and for that, I, you know, will try to clarify.” She went on with a long, legalistic “Rubik’s Cube of an explanation,” that only “reminded…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Social media: Instagram clones Snapchat Stories“Instagram’s newest feature is such a clear rip-off of Snapchat, it’s almost admirable,” said Ian Kar in Qz.com. Last week, the Facebook-owned photosharing app unveiled Instagram Stories—photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours and don’t appear on a us er’s profile grid or feed. Everything about Instagram’s new feature—the design of the camera button, the colorful doodles and annotations users can add, even the name itself—is more or less identical to Snapchat Stories. But it’s easy to see why Facebook would crib from its upstart rival, if not exactly this brazenly. Snapchat Stories now accounts for about a third of Snapchat’s 10 billion daily video views. Instagram clearly wants to emulate Snapchat’s “see-it-now-or-missit-forever quality,” said Mat Honan in BuzzFeed.com. The hope is that encouraging casual, lessthan-perfect posts will get…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Author of the weekNicolaia RipsNicolaia Rips is the counterculture’s answer to Eloise, said Emily Malan in Wmagazine. The 17-year-old New Yorker grew up in a one-room apartment in the Chelsea Hotel, a place renowned for its bohemian heritage— Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, and Patti Smith were once residents— but also for housing the kind of people many parents wouldn’t want as neighbors. As Rips recalls in Trying to Float, her witty new memoir, one of her childhood babysitters probably worked as a prostitute and always greeted her young charge by offering champagne. Other adult friends included a foulmouthed screenwriter and a man who wore nothing but wings and a loincloth. “This isn’t the Plaza,” she says. “Sid Vicious lived here—that’s what we’re famous for.”Rips counted herself a misfit too, said Penelope Green in…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Review of reviews: FilmHell or High WaterDirected by David Mackenzie(R)Two Texas brothers become righteous bank robbers.“It’s time we made it official: Chris Pine is a fine actor,” said Richard Lawson in Vanity Fair. Freed briefly from his ongoing Star Trek gig, Pine gets to play a Texas holdup artist in this bracing modern-day Western, and he does it with “a flinty stare belying a manly goodness.” Pine’s Toby Howard is the smarter of two brothers who decide to go into small-time bank robbery to save their family ranch from foreclosure, and their spree yields a rare summer action flick that “packs a punch” without enlisting any superheroes. When a “delightfully grizzled” Jeff Bridges picks up the brothers’ trail, Hell or High Water becomes “a typical cops-and-robbers story—the kind that has you rooting for…3 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Movies on TVMonday, Aug. 15The SalvationMads Mikkelsen is as stoic as vintage Eastwood in this dark, stylish Western about a Danish settler who faces down an evil land baron. (2015) 8:25 p.m., the Movie ChannelTuesday, Aug. 16PhiladelphiaTom Hanks won his first Best Actor Oscar playing a gay lawyer fired by his firm when it’s discovered he has AIDS. With Denzel Washington. (1993) 7:50 p.m., StarzWednesday, Aug. 17Home of the BraveA black World War II veteran describes in flashbacks the causes of his emotional breakdown. James Edwards stars. (1949) 8 p.m., TCMFriday, Aug. 1942nd StreetDirector-choreographer Busby Berkeley hit an early peak with this backstage Broadway drama that builds into a series of spectacular dance numbers. (1933) 8 p.m., TCMMonday, Aug. 22PollockEd Harris is a ringer for American splatter painter Jackson Pollock in this…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Beer: Big-name microbrewsDon’t ever underestimate craft brewing’s top brands, said Brad Japhe in Eater.com. No matter how big a Sierra Nevada or Sam Adams gets, it’s probably run by folks who are “still home brewers at heart.” Which is why, when a heavyweight offers a limited-edition release, it’s usually worth hunting down. Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Quad With Cherries ($10/750ml). Roughly once a year, the granddaddy of craft brewers puts out a malty abbey ale. In this recent batch, peppery yeast flavors yield to a plummy finish. New Belgium Lips of Faith Le Terroir ($14/22 oz). The Fort Collins, Colo., outfit known for Fat Tire Amber Ale was just experimenting when it developed this “uniquely tart” brew whose “surprising depth” helped kick-start the craze for sour beers. Firestone Walker Parabola ($17/22 oz).…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Hotel of the weekThe Bulgari HotelLondonSo sleek is the interior design at the new Bulgari that at times you won’t be sure where a wall ends and a door begins, said Juyoung Seo in Forbes.com. Set near Hyde Park in the heart of Knightsbridge, London’s first purpose-built luxury hotel in 40 years exudes “a sense of calm and peace throughout.” Polished wood, black marble, and hand-wrought silver appear everywhere from the cigar lounge to the 85 rooms and suites. The jeansfriendly restaurant has a “distinctively Mediterranean feel,” and many guests stay here just for the impossibly sumptuous spa.Bulgarihotels.com; doubles from $643…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Best properties on the marketThis week: Homes in San Diego County1 Chula Vista The Starkey House is a five-bedroom Colonial Revival home built in 1896. Features include three fireplaces, a game room, a sleeping porch, and French doors that open to a pool terrace. The property has a onebedroom guest cottage, a carriage house, solar panels, rain barrels, and an electric-car charger. $1,590,000. Janna Hernholm, Pacific/Sotheby’s International Realty, (619) 985-41262 San Diego The Albert Frost House, a designated city landmark, lies in Mission Hills. Built in 1916, the six-bedroom home includes original woodwork, five fireplaces, exposed beams, and oversize windows throughout. The 0.3-acre corner lot has a covered dining area, a pool, a spa, an outdoor kitchen, and a guesthouse. $3,250,000. Elizabeth Coutiér, Willis Allen/Christie’s International Real Estate, (619) 813-66863 Rancho Santa Fe This…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The bottom lineHigh-speed trading is getting closer to the speed of light. It takes financial technology firm Metamako LP just 85 nano seconds—85 billionths of a second—to send data back and forth to a stock exchange, giving trading firms that buy Metamako’s ultrafast switches a tiny but critical edge. That’s about the same amount of time it takes a beam of light to travel from home plate to first base.The Wall Street Journal Average pay per employee at Goldman Sachs has fallen 24 per cent since 2010 and 39 per cent since 2007. The drop in pay has coincided with the bank’s effort to scale back on risky but lucrative lines of business, in the face of tighter regulations enacted since the financial crisis.The New York Times Gas prices nationwide are the…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016What the experts sayHow patience paysWant to know the secret to health and wealth? A little patience, said Adam Creighton in The Wall Street Journal. A new study has found that “patient people grow richer and healthier than their more impetuous peers.” Researchers examined elderly Americans’ willingness to delay financial gratification, asking 600 respondents how much they’d be willing to accept in a year’s time instead of $100 today. More than half said they’d want to receive at least $160 to wait a year for the payout. But wealthy respondents were typically more willing to accept a payment closer to $100—a more realistic rate of return on an investment—than their less welloff counterparts, and were also less likely to smoke, drink excessively, or miss doctor visits.Toughening up the ‘death tax’Dodging the “death tax”…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Issue of the week: The disconnect between jobs and GDPAnother month, another “expectation-smashing jobs report,” said Bourree Lam in TheAtlantic.com. The U.S. economy added a whopping 255,000 jobs in July, far exceeding the 179,000 predicted by economists. After a “fantastic” jobs report in June, hiring was once again strong across almost every major industry, and average hourly wages posted impressive gains. Although the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.9 percent, it was for the very good reason that more people were looking for work. “Yay, jobs!” said Mark Whitehouse in Bloomberg.com. “Now if only the economy would catch up.” U.S. GDP grew an anemic 1 percent in the first half of the year, the weakest start in five years. And since the end of the recession, our average economic growth has been a disappointing 2.1 percent a year—the weakest…3 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The Brazilian surgeon who nipped and tucked the rich and famousIvo Pitanguy1926–2016Known as the “Michelangelo of the scalpel” and the “Botticelli of the breast,” Ivo Pitanguy was arguably the world’s most famous cosmetic surgeon. Though he never revealed the names of his many famous patients— ”I’m a doctor, I have to be discreet,” he said—he was believed to have sculpted and tightened the faces and bodies of Sophia Loren, Jackie Onassis, and Frank Sinatra. Yet Pitanguy never felt the need to go under the knife himself. “The most important thing is to have a good ego,” he said. “Then you don’t need an operation.”The son of a surgeon, Pitanguy was born in Brazil’s mountainous Belo Horizonte region, said The Times (U.K.). “He fainted the first time he saw an operation, but at 15, with his father’s help, he lied about…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The Puzzle PageACROSS1 Stop with water6 Traffic sign10 (Had) done, as laps14Uncle Tom’s Cabin novelist15 Manner of speaking16 Extremely, melodramatically17 On July 26, two Swiss pilots completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth in a plane that ran on this19 Nourish20 Wedding features21 They may be picky23 In good order24 Philosopher with a famed dialectic25 Leg bones28 Florentine polymath30 Abba from Israel31 He debated Palin in 2008 and Ryan in 201232 “Let’s see...”34 Brooks or Tillis35 From 1897 to 1904, George Schilling reputedly became the first person to circle the globe this way37 Org. that helps people locked out of their cars38 Amigo39 Red as ___40 Archaeologists’ worksites41 Desserts, from the French for “foam”43 Puts it in the net45 Winning46 It may sell Dr. Brown’s soda47 Break a date49 KFC cover53 Not…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Republicans in turmoil over TrumpWhat happenedRepublicans were in a state of full-blown panic this week, as Donald Trump dropped precipitously in the polls, and caused a new furor by suggesting the only remedy for a Clinton presidency would be an armed rebellion by “Second Amendment people.” Several national polls showed Trump trailing Hillary Clinton by double digits, while a Wall Street Journal/NBC/Marist poll put him behind in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania (by 11 points), Ohio (5 points), and Iowa (4 points). Appalled by Trump’s running feud with the parents of a fallen Muslim-American soldier and his unorthodox foreign policy views, a growing group of Republican lawmakers, officials, and donors repudiated Trump. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Virginia Rep. Scott Rigell, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois all announced they wouldn’t be voting…4 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016It wasn’t all badA Philadelphia Uber driver used to giving other people rides is getting a free one to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Ellis Hill is the proud father of shot-putter Darrell Hill, and he tells all of his passengers that his son is on Team USA. But, with money tight, Hill couldn’t afford to travel to Rio for the 2016 Games. His story stuck with passenger Liz Willock, who organized a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his airfare: Within two days, it had raised $7,500. “I can’t wait to see [Darrell],” said Hill, “and let him know I’m 100 percent in his corner.”Jeni Stepien’s father was murdered a decade ago, but his heart was with her when she got married last week. The Pennsylvania schoolteacher was walked down the aisle by…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Boring but importantObama cuts sentencesPresident Obama commuted the sentences of 214 federal inmates last week, including 67 with life sentences, bringing his total number of commutations to 562—significantly more than any other president in recent history. Nearly all of the inmates were serving sentences for nonviolent drug crimes like possession and intent to distribute cocaine and other drugs, the White House said, and were “incarcerated under outdated and unduly harsh sentencing laws.” Some will be immediately released; others will be released by 2018, and many will be required to attend a residential drug treatment facility. Obama has commuted the sentences of more inmates than the past nine presidents combined and has also pushed for Congress to pass a criminal justice overhaul.…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016PeopleThe woman who invented SpanxIn 1998, 27-year-old Sara Blakely was invited to a party, said Emily Cronin in The Sunday Telegraph (U.K.). She had some tight white pants to wear, but she couldn’t find any underwear that gave her the “smooth canvas” she was after. So Blakely cut the feet off a pair of control top tights, and wore them. The rest is retail history. Sensing an opportunity, Blakely developed a prototype and began sending samples to potential celebrity ambassadors. One pair found its way to Oprah Winfrey—and in 2000, Oprah declared it, on TV, her favorite product of the year. Now Spanx are sold in 60 countries and worn religiously by everyone from the Kardashians to Hillary Clinton. Blakely is now worth an estimated $1 billion. Money, she says,…3 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Birth of the unionAfter two devastating world wars, European leaders sought to bind their countries’ economies together to make war unthinkable. Winston Churchill envisioned what he called a “United States of Europe” that would “re-create the European Family, or as much of it as we can, and provide it with a structure under which it can dwell in peace, in safety, and in freedom.” In 1957, France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands formed the European Community, a free-trade bloc. The U.K. held off at first, but eventually it and other nations joined, and in 1992, the bloc adopted the Maastricht Treaty, which birthed the European Union and committed it to ever-deeper political integration and monetary union. But the EU has brought more than peace among member nations: By encouraging free…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016I read it in the tabloidsA Manhattan jeweler claims he mistakenly tossed $865,000 in diamonds into the trash, and now he wants his insurance company to pay for the lost gems. Bobby Yashaya was hurriedly packing for a convention when he placed four 8- to 12-carat diamonds and a pair of diamond earrings into a paper pouch. But Yashaya believes he unknowingly knocked the pouch into the garbage. Insurer Lloyd’s of London has refused to cover the loss. “I’m upset myself at how stupid I am,” Yashaya said. “[But] this is why we have insurance, for accidents.” A terrifying life-size statue of Lucille Ball that was nicknamed “Scary Lucy” by residents of her New York hometown has finally been replaced with a less frightening likeness of the I Love Lucy star. When the original bronze…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016South Africa: The end of one-party ruleThis is “a thrilling turning point” for South Africa, said Justice Malala in The Observer(U.K.). The country is no longer on course to become a perennial one-party state like its neighbor Zimbabwe. This week, the African National Congress suffered its biggest election setback since taking power at the end of apartheid in 1994. In municipal elections across the country, the ANC lost control of several of the largest cities. While it took 53 percent of votes overall and maintained strong support in the poverty-stricken countryside, “its losses in urban areas were shocking and comprehensive.” Pretoria, Cape Town, and Johannesburg were all taken by the opposition. Even Nelson Mandela Bay, a majority black city named after the ANC’s first president, has chosen as mayor Athol Trollip, a white ex-farmer from the…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016NotedOnly 37 of 435 House seats, fewer than 9 percent, are rated competitive this fall, because of gerrymandering and growing geographic partisanship. In most districts, House members are so certain to win general elections that they only have to worry about primary challenges from their own party. FiveThirtyEight.com Former Olympic host cities have used their facilities in a range of unusual ways when the games have ended. In Lake Placid, N.Y., host of the 1980 Winter Olympics, the building used to house athletes now serves as a federal correctional institution, holding 765 prisoners. In Turin, Italy, host of the 2006 Winter Olympics, athlete housing holds more than 1,100 refugees from 30 different countries. WashingtonPost.com Forty-five percent of athletes at the Rio Olympics are women— the highest proportion ever. When women…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Innovation of the week“There are dozens of inexpensive ways to buy glasses online today, but getting a new eyeglass prescription is as old-school as ever,” said Devindra Hardawar in Engadget.com. Smart Vision Labs wants to help those of us with imperfect vision to bypass the arduous process of booking an eye exam with a self-guided, smartphone-powered vision test. With SVOne Enterprise, eyeglasses stores can administer eye exams without keeping an optometrist on staff. Guided by a smartphone app, patients take the exam by looking into a specialized eyepiece known as an autorefractor, which bounces a laser off of the retina as the smartphone’s camera takes several photos. The results are then sent to a remote eye doctor who approves the final prescription. “You can then download the prescription at any time and take…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The nose: A trove of new antibiotics?In their quest for new antibiotics to fight drug-resistant “superbugs,” researchers have discovered a promising candidate right under our noses—or, more precisely, among the bacteria that live inside them. While mouth or gut microbes feast on a constant flow of food, nasal bacteria dwell in a kind of wasteland, and as a result they have developed potent weapons to compete for scant nourishment and ensure their survival. After raiding this antimicrobial arsenal, a team in Germany found a bacteria, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, that produces the chemical compound lugdunin, possibly a powerful antibiotic against resistant bacterial strains that threaten to kill 10 million people a year by 2050. Tests in mice showed that lugdunin is effective against a range of potentially deadly infections, including methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which is acquired…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The Book ListBest books...chosen by Garry TrudeauGarry Trudeau is the creator of Doonesbury, the popular political comic strip that has racked up four Pulitzer Prizes since its 1970 debut. His latest book is Yuge!, a compilation of 30 years of Doonesbury cartoons that satirize Donald Trump.Tribe by Sebastian Junger (Twelve, $22). The latest from perhaps our best observer of war. Curious as to why vets who had no combat exposure were suffering PTSD at rates comparable with those who did, Junger developed an intriguing argument: Humans are wired for community, and the shattering of the powerful bonds of military kinship can prove devastating.Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard (Harper Perennial, $16). I developed a serious grad-schoolboy crush on Dillard when this 1974 book came out. Technically, this “pilgrim” was just a…4 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016New on DVD and Blu-raySupergirl: Season 1(Warner, $50)“Even at its clumsiest,” this DC Comics– based series has been fun to watch—thanks to the likability of its stars, said the Los Angeles Times. Melissa Benoit plays Supergirl as a sunny can-do nerd, who in her civilian life must contend with Calista Flockhart as a “hilariously demanding” boss.The First Monday in May(Magnolia, $27)Andrew Rossi’s documentary about the annual Met Ball is a “delicious excuse to gawk,” said The Austin Chronicle. Follow Vogue editor Anna Wintour and museum curator Andrew Bolton as they mount the celebrity-packed New York gala known as the Super Bowl of social fashion events.11.22.63(Warner, $30)This eight-part TV adaptation of a Stephen King novel was a “veritable feast for history buffs and lovers of period pieces,” said the Newark, N.J., Star-Ledger. James Franco, muffling…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Show of the weekGomorrahForget the honor-bound gangsters of The Godfather and the track-suited endearingness of Tony Soprano. The mobsters of Gomorrah are irredeemable baddies, and this Italian TV series, adapted from Roberto Saviano’s best-selling exposé of Naples’ Camorra crime syndicate, redefines the mob genre. The first season is a tale of shifting loyalties as we follow Ciro, a Savastano family consigliere who ends up battling for control of the family with both the wife and inept son of an imprisoned capo. One bloody episode and you’ll pledge your loyalty. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 10 p.m., SundanceEmanuela Scarpa/Sundance TV, Tina Rowden/AMC…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Getting the flavor of...Resurgent GreenvilleThe turnaround of Greenville, S.C., over the past generation counts as “one of the great smallishtown successes in the U.S.,” said Alan Solomon in the Chicago Tribune. Not long ago, when its textile mills shut down, this city of 60,000 fell into “crime and crumble.” But Michelin and BMW plants brought jobs, and local visionaries remade the downtown. Today, Main Street buzzes with boutiques, galleries, and cafés, and on Saturdays street musicians turn the farmers’ market into a party. A road that hid the waterfall at the center of town was torn down and a lush park created around the rushing water. A minor league ballpark rose nearby, and across the street, Shoeless Joe Jackson’s old house has become a museum. You can find shrimp and grits downtown, as…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016ConsumerThe 2017 Infiniti QX30: What the critics sayForbes.comThe new QX30 should turn out to be “precisely the vehicle that Infiniti needs to revitalize its brand.” For years, Nissan’s luxury division sat idle while German-made luxury crossovers took off. But Infiniti’s engineers used the delay to tweak a platform developed by their partners at Mercedes-Benz, and “the added sophistication and refinement shows.” The new smallest Infiniti exhibits road manners that are “Miss Manners perfect.” What’s more, it’s “attractive, fun to drive, and genuinely hip.”AutomobileThis Infiniti has a lot in common with its German cousin. The QX30 swiped from the Mercedes GLA-class not only its turbocharged, four-cylinder engine but also many cabin details. “But you know what? You shouldn’t care.” Infiniti has added some distinctive design flourishes, and the many borrowed parts…4 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Candy Crush for soul-crushing jobsA smartphone game about the drudgery of climbing the corporate ladder has become an unlikely hit in South Korea, said Jonathan Cheng in The Wall Street Journal. In Don’t Get Fired!, which has been downloaded more than a million times, players “rise through the ranks at a nameless corporation by performing an endless string of mind-numbing tasks.” Along the way, they try to avoid a list of 29 fireable offenses, such as not laughing hard enough at an executive’s joke, and to get promoted faster, which they can achieve by nagging underlings. Don’t Get Fired! has struck a chord in a nation where more than 10 percent of young adults are unemployed; those who do land jobs are often temporary workers with few protections. The game’s creator, Lee Jin-po, modeled…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Charity of the weekA child who endures a severe burn needs more than just medical care. The Children’s Burn Foundation (childburn.org) is dedicated to providing support services for child burn survivors that address their physical, psychological, and social needs. Founded in 1985, the organization helps provide medical services such as reconstructive surgery and physical therapy that may not be covered by health insurance, as well as transportation and housing assistance for family members. Recognizing that young burn victims can feel isolated, the organization also hosts camps, retreats, and holiday parties where child burn survivors can create lasting friendships. Overseas, the organization’s international outreach program provides on-site education in hospital burn units in Zambia, India, and Guatemala, as well as side-by-side surgical work with local doctors and nurses.Each charity we feature has earned a…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The priest who became the face of Bloody SundayEdward Daly1933–2016On Jan. 30, 1972, Father Edward Daly was on a civil rights march in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, when British soldiers opened fire on the protesters. Jackie Dudley, a 17-year-old standing near the Catholic priest, was shot in the back. As gunfire continued to ring out, two men picked up the youth and Daly led them to safety, waving a bloodstained white handkerchief in front of him. Dudley died that day, along with 12 other unarmed civilians, and photographs of his attempted rescue became the iconic images of the Bloody Sunday massacre. Yet Daly, who later became a powerful voice for peace as bishop of Londonderry, lamented his newfound fame. “It changed my life completely,” he said. “All the other things I did were forgotten. I was the priest with…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016From private grief to national spotlightSIX MINUTES AND one second. That was all it took for the 66 years of Khizr Khan’s life to become an American moment.It was not something that he could have anticipated. For years, he and his wife, Ghazala, had lived a rather quiet existence of common obscurity in Charlottesville, Va. He was known in circles that dealt with electronic discovery in legal proceedings. Another overlapping sphere was the rotating cast of cadets that passed through the Army ROTC program at the University of Virginia. His wife was a welcoming face to the customers of a local fabric store.The past dozen years for the Khans had been darkened by their heartbreak over the death of a military son, Humayun, whose body lies in Arlington National Cemetery, his tombstone adorned with an…9 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The Week ContestThis week’s question: While much of the world’s population continues to grow taller, the average American has actually shrunk slightly in the past two decades— possibly because of the nation’s consumption of sugary and fatty processed foods that lack many essential nutrients. Please come up with a medical term to describe this junk food–induced loss of height.Last week’s contest: A team of scientists in India has discovered that the “milk” produced by the Pacific beetle co*ckroach for its offspring is a superfood that packs four times the nutritional punch of cow’s milk. If a company were to start selling this wonder bug juice in the U.S., what appetizing brand name should it put on the bottle?THE WINNER: La CucaLeche —David Howle, Temple, TexasSECOND PLACE: Pesti-Cola David Sonstroem, Storrs, Conn.THIRD PLACE:…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016What next?Trump is already making noises about upending another political norm, said Jonathan Chait in NYMag.com: the presidential debates. He raised concerns last week that two of the three scheduled debates clash with NFL games, and now says he’ll “have to see the conditions” before committing to participate. Ordinarily, it’d be crazy for a candidate trailing in the polls to “skip the only scheduled high-profile campaign events left.” But Trump dominated the Republican debates with his “insult and run” technique only because they were substance-free food fights involving multiple candidates. When he has to respond to specific policy questions, he’s exposed as “a howling chasm of ignorance.” That’s why he’d probably struggle in a one-on-one debate against someone as well prepared and knowledgeable as Clinton. Trump’s threat to skip the debates…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Trump: Can he be trusted with nuclear weapons?What kind of president would Donald Trump be? said Emily Arrowood in USNews.com. “Maybe the kind that starts a nuclear war.” As if there weren’t reason enough already to doubt the Republican nominee’s fitness for office, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough reported last week that in a recent foreign-policy briefing, Trump demanded to know why the U.S. couldn’t use its nuclear weapons against its enemies. “If we have them,” Trump reportedly asked three times, “why can’t we use them?” The Trump campaign denies that report, said Robert Bateman in Esquire.com, but even in live TV interviews, Trump has been “running his mouth about using nuclear weapons with the flippancy with which most of us deploy angry-face emojis.” He has refused to rule out using nuclear weapons in Europe—“Europe is a big place”—and…4 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The U.S. at a glance ...Janesville, Wis.Ryan victory: Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan easily defeated his primary challenger in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District this week, despite his opponent receiving a surge of late attention after being praised by Donald Trump. With more than 90 percent of precincts reporting, Ryan had clinched more than 80 percent of the vote—crushing Wisconsin businessman Paul Nehlen, who had cast Ryan as a “soulless globalist” and a tool of Wall Street. Nehlen had the backing of several pro-Trump conservatives, including Sarah Palin, who predicted in May that Ryan was “soon to be ‘Cantored,’ as in Eric Cantor,” the former Republican House majority leader who suffered a shocking defeat in his 2014 primary. Ryan, who in the past has supported freetrade deals and immigration reform, now faces the challenge of trying…4 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016GossipGeorge Zimmerman was punched in the face at a Florida restaurant last week after he allegedly boasted that he was “that guy who killed Trayvon Martin.” Zimmerman, 32, sparked nationwide protests for his 2012 killing of Martin, 17, an unarmed African-American who walking back to his father’s apartment in Zimmerman’s Sanford, Fla., gated community. Since Zimmerman’s acquittal the following year, he has had numerous confrontations with motorists and girlfriends. In this latest episode, Zimmerman made a 911 call reporting that he had been assaulted at a restaurant in Sanford. “This man just punched me in the face,” he told police. “He said he’s gonna kill me.” Witnesses say he had introduced himself to patrons as the guy who shot Trayvon Martin. Another patron—who reportedly was white—then asked, “You’re bragging about…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Best columns: The U.S.The challenge of covering TrumpJim RutenbergThe New York TimesIf journalists believe Donald Trump is “a demagogue playing to the nation’s worst racist and nationalistic tendencies,” and that “he’d be dangerous with control of the United States nuclear codes,” should they cover him differently from ordinary political candidates? Every newsroom that seeks to provide readers with nonpartisan, balanced coverage has been struggling with how to cover Trump’s unique candidacy. He has shattered all previous political norms. No major-party presidential nominee has ever feuded with the family of a fallen American soldier, invited his supporters to commit violence, questioned whether the U.S. should defend fellow NATO nations from Russian aggression, or slandered Muslim-Americans and Mexican-Americans. Trump’s volatile temperament, relentless lying, and personal attacks on all critics continue to alarm and horrify even…3 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Turkey: Turning away from the WestMigrants could soon start flooding into Europe again, said Cécile Boutelet in Le Monde(France). Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week threatened to renege on his five-monthold deal with the European Union, “which has helped stem the flow” of Syrian and other refugees attempting to reach the bloc from Turkey. Under the pact, Turkey agreed to house nearly all the migrants in exchange for financial aid from the EU, visa-free travel for Turks across Europe, and progress on EU membership talks. But the visa waiver, which was supposed to start in June, has been delayed because of mounting European concern over Turkey’s harsh anti-terrorism legislation and its crackdown on Erdogan’s critics following last month’s failed coup. In an interview with this newspaper, Erdogan said the EU showed an “obvious lack…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Sex: Why Millennials are having less“Sam Wei, a 26-year-old financial analyst in Chicago, has not had sex since her last relationship ended 18 months ago,” said Tara Bahrampour in The Washington Post.She now prefers cuddling to sex. Noah Patterson, 18, is a virgin. He likes watching p*rn, but isn’t interested in actual sex. From what he’s seen, he says, “there isn’t really anything magical about it, right?” Wei and Patterson aren’t as unusual as they sound. A surprising new study published by the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that about 15 percent of 20- to 24-yearolds have not had sex since turning 18—way up from 6 percent in the early 1990s. These younger Millennials also reported fewer sexual partners than any group since the 1960s—an average of eight, compared with 11 for the Baby Boomers.…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Satan: Heading to a school near youWatch out—“an After School Satan Club could be coming to your kid’s elementary school,” said Katherine Stewart in The Washington Post. Leaders of the Satanic Temple, an advocacy group that offers “tongue-in-cheek support for the fallen angel” in order to draw attention to their fight over the constitutional separation of church and state, last week announced their intention to establish the devilish clubs in public grade schools nationwide, beginning this academic year. “Christian evangelical groups already have infiltrated the lives of America’s children through after-school religious programming,” says the Temple, and kids deserve another choice. Satanic imagery does not belong in our schools, even if it’s satirical, said the Marietta Daily Journalin an editorial. What’s next? “A sheet-knitting Ku Klux Klan course”“Before you get too excited,” said Amanda Whiting in…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Poll watchPresident Obama’s approval rating has climbed to 54%—a gain of four points since the Democratic National Convention. His approval rating is on par with Ronald Reagan’s at this point in his presidency, and nearing Bill Clinton’s 57% at this point in 2000. CNN/ORC65% of Americans say they are “not too” or “not at all worried” about the Zika virus infecting them or an immediate family member. 35% report feeling “somewhat worried” about infection, while 12% are “very worried.”Washington Post/ABC News…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Bytes: What’s new in techCrashing the auto insurance party“The insurance industry has a $160 billion blind spot: the driverless car,” said Leslie Scism in The Wall Street Journal. Auto insurers pulled in $200 billion in premiums last year, but analysts say that “as much as 80 percent of the intake could evaporate in coming decades” if safer driverless cars come to dominate the roads. Industry executives are “spending millions” on research and inking partnership deals with car companies to test new autonomous driving technologies. Actuaries face major puzzles: “How do they prepare for a world of so many fewer auto accidents? In the future, will underwriters be insuring drivers or computer code?” What’s certain: Major changes—and lower profits—are headed their way.Ad-free YouTube for kidsWorried about your child being bombarded with ads on the YouTube…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Late-summer fiction: On the hunt for deeper truthsYou Will Know Meby Megan Abbott(Little, Brown, $26)Megan Abbott, “like a coy jazz drummer,” is a master at playing just behind the beat of a story, said Lloyd Sachs in the Chicago Tribune. In her latest, she tosses readers into the high-pressure world of competitive gymnastics and generates sustained tension “so beautifully unbearable, you may be unable to leave the couch.” Devon Knox, a 15-year-old phenom, appears Olympic-bound when we drop in on a team celebration seen through the eyes of her mother, Katie. But the suspicious hitand-run death of a fellow gymnast threatens to derail Devon’s path to glory, while foregrounding the delusions of the adults in her circle. You probably won’t like many of them, said Marion Winik in Newsday. Katie doesn’t really know her own daughter, one…4 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The Week’ s guide to what’s worth watchingLost City of GladiatorsBeneath the pastures east of Vienna lie the remains of a complex where Roman gladiators once trained, fought, and died. Discovered only recently, the site was part of the city of Carnuntum, an important northern outpost of the empire whose ruins lie buried, and relatively undisturbed. This documentary reveals how archaeologists used MRI and ground-penetrating radar to uncover Carnuntum’s secrets. Monday, Aug. 15, at 8 p.m., Smithsonian Channel2016 Rio Olympics: Men’s DecathlonEven among the accomplished track-and-field performers who will be competing in the Olympic decathlon, 28-year-old Ashton Eaton of Oregon occupies a class of his own. During the two days before the Games’ closing ceremonies, the current world record holder will seek to become the first American since Bob Mathias to win back-to-back Olympic gold in the…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Bluefish escabeche: How everyone should eat from the fridgePeople these days are hungry for a certain kind of bold flavor—“for something that tastes just exotic enough, yet touches on the familiar too,” said Ratha Chaupoly and Ben Daitz in Num Pang (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). That’s the sweet spot we were aiming for several years ago when we created what has become New York City’s favorite sandwich—our Cambodianinspired num pang. But the same thinking goes into everything we make.The escabeche below is a “beautiful” dish to keep in your refrigerator in the summer. For the three days it keeps, you can pull it out anytime and serve it. Or bring it in a Mason jar to a picnic and “really impress your host.”Recipe of the weekBluefish escabeche with blood oranges and chiles12 oz bluefish filletKosher salt and freshly ground…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016This week’s dream: Hiking Scotland’s last wildernessTo get to mainland Scotland’s remotest pub, you can take one of two routes, said Jill Robinson in the San Francisco Chronicle. Most people ride the ferry from Mallaig, a small fishing port, to Inverie, a village with only 100 residents, and with no roads in or out. But “the truly dedicated” take an 18-mile footpath across the Knoydart peninsula—“ along a sea loch, up through a mountain pass, past waterfalls and streams and shaggy Highland cows.” I wanted to see this beautifully rugged land, which is often described as the last wilderness in Scotland. And the Old Forge—a cozy pub famous for its seafood, venison, and live music— beckoned me with a cold pint of golden ale.My trek began on the shoreline of Loch Hourn (“Loch Hell”), and it…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Last-minute travel dealsA fall foliage cruiseEnjoy a 10-day October cruise from New York City to Quebec City and save $2,000 by booking this month. The Crystal Cruise ship stops in several New England and Canadian harbors. Rates start at $3,685 a person, double occupancy. crystalcruises.comNormandy and moreJoin a 12-day tour of northern France next month and save $1,780 per person. Virgin Vacations’ Sept. 15 tour starts at $3,369 per person, double occupancy, and includes airfare from New York to Paris. Use promo code VNB29NF890. virgin-vacations.comSan Francisco summerSave 20 percent when you book a two-night stay through Sept. 5 at participating Joie de Vivre boutique hotels across the U.S. With the discount, doubles at the Marker, in downtown San Francisco, start at $295 a night. jdvhotels.com…1 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Retail: Walmart snaps up Jet.com for $3.3BWalmart is making its biggest move yet “to boost its e- commerce firepower,” said Sarah Halzack in The Washington Post. The world’s largest retailer announced this week that it’s buying the fastgrowing e-commerce startup Jet.com for $3.3 billion. Jet, which sells products from groceries to electronics, launched last summer promising to “deliver the best deals on the internet through a unique approach to pricing.” Instead of discounting each item, Jet determines prices by the specific combination of products in a customer’s basket. Walmart executives now hope to match Jet’s technology with Walmart’s vast supply chain, creating a “digital shopping juggernaut.”“It’s tempting to think of this as Walmart’s shot at Amazon,” said Brian Barrett in Wired.com. Amazon racked up more than $79 bil lion in online sales last year, making it…3 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Family budgets: Strategies for back-to-school savingsThere’s a reason that retailers look forward to the end of summer, said Beth Braverman in Consumer Reports.org. Six in 10 parents say that they’ll spend more on school supplies this year than they did last year, according to a recent survey by Project Rubicon—$917 per child on average. Spending on back-to-school items has increased nearly 55 percent over the past decade, according to the National Retail Federation. But parents don’t have to break the bank. The most important thing you can do is “go shopping with a plan.” Set a budget before venturing out, with a clear list of what your child needs and how much you’re willing to spend. “Do a quick inventory at home, too, to make sure you’re not re-upping on things like pens and pencils…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016Best columns: BusinessSilicon Valley can’t win in ChinaFarhad ManjooThe New York TimesUber just became the latest U.S. tech giant to see its dreams of world domination grind to a halt in China, said Farhad Manjoo. After investing billions of dollars to gain a foothold in the country’s fast-growing ride-hailing market, Uber threw in the towel last week, selling its Chinese operation to homegrown rival Didi Chuxing. It’s been a “similar script” when other Silicon Valley firms have tried to enter China. “Plagued by opaque and ever-shifting regulations and a culturally abstruse way of doing business,” they’ve fallen one by one to Chinese heavyweights, including Google to Baidu, Facebook to WeChat, and Amazon to Alibaba. As a result, “today there is the Chinese internet, and there is the internet of the rest of…2 min
The Week Magazine|August 19-August 26, 2016The eccentric prosecutor who took on the mobDavid Margolis1939–2016David Margolis was a rumpled and irreverent presence in buttoned-down Washington, D.C. During his 14 years as head of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, the prosecutor sent dozens of mafiosi to prison, including John “Teflon Don” Gotti and Carmine “The Snake” Persico. Among other high-profile assignments, he investigated the 1993 suicide of Bill Clinton aide Vince Foster and the outing of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame. In all, Margolis worked 51 years at Justice, through eight presidential administrations. Asked in 2011 how he’d survived so long, he said: “I rely on guile, bluff, balls, and the good work of my colleagues, not to mention some luck.”Growing up in Hartford, Conn., Margolis “wanted to be a disc jockey,” said The Times (U.K.). But his interest in politics…2 min
