From Harper’s Weekly Review:
The Belgian government warned its citizens not to eat their discarded Christmas trees, Poland’s agriculture ministry ordered 82,000 apples for handing out at meetings, the Ukrainian military apprehended a 51-year-old Italian pizza chef who was assisting the Russian army in invading the Donbas, and North Korea announced that cooking hot dogs will be considered an act of treason.
From Harper’s Weekly Review:
[T]he inferno in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood caused the Rams football team to relocate their home game to the Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium, named for the eponymous insurance company that months earlier canceled fire insurance policies for hundreds of Palisades homeowners.
Pacific Palisades homeowners lost, big. The Rams, however, won.
Along with the Daily News letters to the editor, I’ve seen polls about Joe Biden’s presidency. Seems a big majority of Americans judge him poorly.
Thing about Biden’s presidency is, we were able to heave a major sigh of relief on January 20, 2021. We were given a four-year break from having to pay attention to every bizarre word and action that came out of the Trump White House. Remember?
Some of us did pay attention to Biden now and again, and did notice how remarkably successful Biden was at doing good things, even while half the federal legislature was devoted to furious sulks and saying “No.” And never mind SCOTUS.
But don’t ask me to enumerate and analyze Biden’s victories. Ask the estimable journalist and professor Nicholas Lemann. His comprehensive and readable article in the November 4, 2024 New Yorker (the day before last election day) tells all. It will cause your mouth to drop open in wonderment and stay open as you breathe pure air. The Biden administration was really, really that good.
It’s full title is, THE BIG DEAL: Joe Biden’s economic policies are starting to transform America. Will anyone notice?
Yes. You will.
It’s a must read, because it’s about what really, factually happened. About how great ideas and an experienced, knowledgeable, middle-class executive can and did transform our government and alter the track of our economy. About the sort of wonderful, intelligent public servants who enter government to make a difference. And do make a difference.
Moreover, I’m not sure Trump and his MAGAts, with their dopey blather about indicting everyone and dismantling our government (while invading Greenland), will be able to do any real damage to the foundation Biden and his people built for us.
Read it.
