Tag: Niall Ferguson

The story itself, although ugly, isn’t that important. But it offers a window into a reality few people, certainly in the news media, are willing to acknowledge: the bad faith that pervades conservative discourse. And yes, I do mean “conservative.” There are dishonest individuals of every political persuasion, but if you’re looking for systematic gaslighting, insistence that up is down and black is white, you’ll find it disproportionately on one side of the political spectrum. And the same kind of bad faith can be seen in other arenas — very much including college campuses. Which brings me back to the Stanford story. Not surprisingly, the invitation provoked student protests. It’s true that self-proclaimed conservatives are pretty scarce among U.S. historians. (There aren’t a lot of liberals in police departments — or, contra Trump, the F.B.I.) Alternatively, scientists may be reluctant to call themselves conservatives because in modern America being a conservative means aligning yourself with a faction that by and large rejects climate science and the theory of evolution. The people making these demands claim to want fairness.

Today in 5 Lines Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie said there are “numerous fatalities” after a gunman opened fired at a high school in Parkland, Florida, adding “It is a horrible day for us.” President Trump spoke with Florida Governor Rick Scott about the shooting and offered condolences to the families of the victims. Senate moderates are expected to unveil a bipartisan proposal on immigration Wednesday evening. Today on The Atlantic Inside Peak: A network analysis of previous administrations shows that Donald Trump’s inner circle of close advisors surprisingly resembles Bill Clinton’s more than Richard Nixon’s. (Niall Ferguson and Manny Rincon-Cruz) ‘Deep Breaths and Calmer Second Thoughts’: The incensed reaction to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s comments about Anglo-American legal heritage is “merely absurd” and threatens to inspire counter-radicalization. (David Frum) Inching Toward the Senate Seat: North Dakota Representative Kevin Cramer received an offer from Oklahoma oil tycoon Harold Hamm to be his finance chair—the clearest sign yet that Cramer may launch a campaign to unseat Senator Heidi Heitkamp. (Elaina Plott) Economy, Exhaustion, and Equilibrium: President Trump’s poll numbers seem to be improving. Here are three reasons why. (David A. Graham) Follow stories throughout the day with our Politics & Policy portal. Snapshot What We’re Reading This Isn’t Normal: Why is the American media constantly calling out President Trump for being unconventional when his presidency has been relatively normal? Trump called it a compromise, but the deal was rejected by Democrats and some Republicans who oppose cuts to legal immigration.