Dead on arrival: With loud opposition from both sides of the aisle, it looks like the long-awaited American Health Care Act is hanging on life support. Jamelle Bouie breaks down the botched rollout: “Republicans had years to build an actual coalition for repeal and replace. But they never did the work.”
Backup plans: Henry Grabar reports from Iowa on unauthorized immigrants rushing to make plans for their children should the parents be detained or deported. “The past few weeks have been unlike any that immigration lawyers and advocates can remember” as the parents prepare for worst-case scenarios, Grabar writes.
Emotional support: Katy Waldman analyzes why Trump brought out grieving families during his joint address to Congress last week. It’s long been standard practice for politicians to exhibit the inconsolable to cultivate emotion for their cause, but Waldman argues that Trump still ended up using his guests to laud himself.
Return of the king: Kong: Skull Island brings King Kong back to the silver screen, and the unruly ape is bigger than ever—standing eye-to-eye with its former stepladder, the Empire State Building. But while the monsters are “mightily impressive,” writes Sam Adams, the flick’s disposable plotline and lackluster human counterparts leave more to be desired.
For fun: Meet the youngest, cutest National Spelling Bee contestant ever.
Dusting off my dictionary,
Chau
