Team Plus,
Slate rolled out “infinite scroll” this week—no more article pagination and a cleaner look for the site. We’re excited about the changes, which we think make the site better both for casual readers and for Slate fans like you. But this does mean the end of the inline commenting feature for Plus members. Some of you liked seeing comments display automatically at the end of article pages; others are happy to see them relegated to an optional popover. Either way, let us know your thoughts—and tell us what you’d like to see from your Plus membership.
From Slate
This week in Trump: The Slate politics take on Trump is Jamelle Bouie’s, which argues that Trump is the product of a racist backlash against the Obama presidency. ProPublica’s Eric Umansky called it “the single best story I’ve read on the rise of Trumpism.” But the Slate culture take on Trump is Jessica Winter’s close reading of Trump’s daughter Ivanka, the poised, gracious, talented young woman who is, terrifyingly, standing at her father’s side. If that’s not enough Trump, be sure to subscribe to Slate chief Jacob Weisberg’s new Trumpcast, available from the Slate Plus podcasts page.
This week outside of Trump: Eviction used to be rare; now it’s a tragic epidemic. If local newspapers stopped writing boring headlines, maybe aggregators wouldn’t be able to steal their clicks. Is Merrick Garland the most political Supreme Court nominee of all time?
Not from Slate
The best political thing I read this week is Benjamin Wallace-Wells’ assessment of Rahm Emanuel, which suggests that Emanuel’s failure in Chicago is a cautionary tale for Hillary Clinton. The best not-so-political thing I read this week is Jacqui Shine’s assessment of the wigs in The People v. O.J. Simpson, which informed me that you can turn John Travolta into Robert Shapiro by means of tiny eyebrow toupées.
Some more recommendations:
“Last Stop!” by Jason Sayer, Architect’s Newspaper
My favorite thing about this piece on retired NYC subway cars getting dumped into the ocean to create reefs and foster marine life—besides the fact that it taught me that retired NYC subway cars get dumped into the ocean to create reefs and foster marine life—is that the subway cars are sometimes plopped into the ocean just 10 days after being decommissioned. That pole you’re holding could end up in the briny deep next week! —Julia Turner, editor in chief
“Finding purpose in the Trump crusade: ‘This is bigger than big’ ” by Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post
This is a beautiful little piece of reporting on the man who runs the Stark County Trump campaign in Ohio. It doesn’t aspire to be anything bigger than a profile of this one unremarkable guy, but it ends up offering such an empathetic, illuminating look inside pro-Trump middle America. —Laura Bennett, senior editor
Also: Jamelle Bouie called this is a “must-read” piece about how Christianity is portrayed on The Americans, the hit show on FX. Reihan Salam learned that “height discrimination in China is fascinatingly blatant and extreme.” And for a good part of Thursday Aisha Harris was stuck at her desk and overcome with tears of joy, thanks to this tiny piglet.
Very Short Q&A
This week’s personal question is for Slate senior editor Rachael Larimore.
Slate Plus: So why was everyone so surprised to see you working yesterday?
Rachael Larimore: March Madness Thursday should be a national holiday, and my husband and I typically treat it as one. We play hooky from work, find a good bar (or bars), and watch as much basketball as we can. This year Jim couldn’t get his day-off request approved, and I was just getting back to town after a trip to Slate NY. It’s not terrible to spend the day working from the couch, in front of the television, but we have already vowed to get back on track next year.
Thanks Rachael! And thank you for your Slate Plus membership. See you next week.
Gabriel Roth
Editorial director, Slate Plus
