Is Donald Trump going to win? What if he wins and the GOP gets a congressional majority? Do the anti-Trump rioters hurt Trump or help him? Is this whole thing really about “the establishment”? Or is it about racism? What should ambitious Republicans do about it? Has Hillary Clinton figured out how to rattle him? How about the press? What does the Trump University scam tell us about the campaign? About ourselves? About the housing crash? About life?
Should you run a marathon? No.
Should you become a pilot? Uh, yeah, maybe!
Do we have anything for you to read that’s not from Slate? Glad you asked.
“A Renegade Muscles in on Mister Softee’s Turf,” by Andy Newman and Emily S. Rueb, New York Times
“If you park your ice cream truck on the wrong corner of Manhattan, you may face violent retribution from a rival confection gang. Savor this unnerving crime story about the turf war between NYC ice cream vendors.”—Jeffrey Bloomer, associate video editor
“Paula Broadwell, David Petraeus, and the Afterlife of a Scandal,” by Jessica Bennett, New York Times
“This piece made me so mad on Paula Broadwell’s behalf. Why should David Petraeus’ career make a full recovery and not hers? I also support Broadwell’s crusade against the word mistress. I have already copy-edited it out of Slate’s pages once since reading it.”—Heather Schwedel, copy editor
“Obama’s Myths About War,” by Max Boot, Commentary
“Boot argues that the world has been more peaceful since 1945 because the United States has been a ‘liberal and benevolent hegemon.’ He worries that our collective unwillingness to engage is making the world a more dangerous place—and an isolationist Donald Trump would make it worse.”—Rachael Larimore, senior editor
Also: Frog and Toad are friends, yes—but are they more than friends? Steve Lickteig got lost in this curated archive of memorable New York Times obituaries. And Emily Bazelon wants you to read all the way to the end of this wonderful New Yorker story, “Lost at Sea on the Brink of the Second World War.”
Very Short Q-and-A
This week’s personal question is addressed to new Slate editorial assistant Marissa Martinelli.
Slate Plus: Welcome back! Since we last saw you, you’ve been studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. What did you eat?
Marissa Martinelli: St Andrews is a small, isolated coastal town, so since you’re just steps from the harbor, there are plenty of seafood joints, including one that’s been recognized by the National Fish and Chip Awards. (Yes, that’s a real thing. The British take their fish and chips very seriously.) It’s also a college town, which means lots of fast food, curry places, and a bakery that even has a vending machine for students who have after-hours doughnut cravings. Then, there’s classic Scottish cuisine, by which of course I mean haggis.
Also, a note to the copy desk: There is no period in St Andrews, and the town predates the apostrophe, so the name has been confusing writers and plaguing grammatical pedants for centuries. [Copy ed. note: Ugh.]
Thanks, Marissa! And thank you for your Slate Plus membership, which makes our journalism possible. See you next week!
Gabriel Roth
Editorial director, Slate Plus
P.S. Want more Slate in your life and your inbox? Check out our new flagship newsletter The Angle.
