After affirmative action, Black enrollment declined or remained flat at nearly all highly selective public and private colleges, but increased at public flagships. And a growing share of students declined to report their race in applications.

About half of teens can't tell the difference between news and opinion, even when a piece is labeled "commentary." Chuck Salter, CEO of @newslit.org, talks about the "news literacy" crisis (and how to fix it) in this week's @washingtonmonthly.com's podcast: washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/11/g...

Teens’ distrust in news is a crisis. Better “news literacy” can help. Podcast host: @anne-s-kim.bsky.social washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/11/g...

An expert on mass atrocities and genocide, Alexander Laban Hinton explains what to fear in Trump’s term and how to manage the chaos ahead. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/11/a...

Beyond lowering prices, an affordability agenda needs to reckon with how the economy actually feels, @dylangyauchl.bsky.social writes. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/11/w...

Included in the excellent new issue of @washingtonmonthly.com!

Our @dylangyauchl.bsky.social has a new piece in @washingtonmonthly.com this morning, about affordability politics and why they need to grapple with an economy that feels increasingly "like a never-ending series of extortions." Give it a read! washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/11/w...

Donald Trump won a second term with increased support among voters of color despite his many racist transgressions. But now that he has failed to deliver the economy he promised, while letting immigration agents run wild, he is hemorrhaging support across racial lines, @billscher.bsky.social writes.

By discouraging and blocking international student enrollment, the Trump administration harms the U.S. economy and benefits American rivals, including China. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/10/t...

“Donald Trump Is Really Racist” My latest on why that matters, for @washingtonmonthly.com washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/10/d...

The Trump administration's proposed health care plan will bringer higher prices, less coverage, and more uninsured Americans. @mccourtschool.bsky.social's @edwincpark.bsky.social dissects the "Great Healthcare Plan" for @washingtonmonthly.com open.substack.com/pub/washingt...

Marvin Kalb's reporting from the Soviet capital about seven days that changed the world. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/09/d...

The Republican Party’s turn against liberal internationalism is not a passing Trump aberration but a reversion to long-standing illiberalism on the American right, George Thomas writes. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/09/t...

I got a contributor's copy (I wrote a book review), and started paging through it, and this is a pretty amazing issue. tons of eye-opening reporting/analysis of grocery pricing and affordability issues for starters. highly recommended.

@davidaustinwalsh.bsky.social calls @lkatfield.bsky.social's Furious Minds "a nuanced and sophisticated look at MAGA’s intellectual and institutional infrastructure," for @washingtonmonthly.com. Check out the full review here:

How Worried Should Democrats Be About Trump Stealing the Next Election? Be vigilant, be imaginative, but also remember that everything the president is doing to impose restrictive voting measures is backfiring on Republicans, just like his previous efforts, @billscher.bsky.social writes.

Envious of Putin, Xi, and other authoritarians who have no clock ticking, the president is more dangerous than ever. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/06/t...

“How Worried Should Democrats Be About Trump Stealing the Next Election?” My latest for @washingtonmonthly.com washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/06/t...

Trump’s ICE Problem J.D. Vance said “we’re focused on Minneapolis because that’s where we have the highest concentration of people who have violated our immigration laws.” A lie-78 metro areas have higher percentages of undocumented than Minneapolis.   washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/02/t...

Playing the grinch at the 250th. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/05/p...

The president’s denial that he lost to Joe Biden now turns to a Tulsi Gabbard-led fishing expedition. What could go wrong? washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/05/t...

Rahm Emanuel is a long shot for 2028, but even as an “also-ran,” he’ll shape the debate and the future. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/05/r...

It's time to curtail the president's pardon power, @davidoatkins.bsky.social argues. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/05/i...

Jack Rakove (@jrakove.bsky.social) playing the Grinch at America's 250th birthday party washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/05/p...

"In the past few weeks, Minneapolis has become our Boston, and its citizens have become modern Sons of Liberty." Historian Jack Rakove in @washingtonmonthly.com: washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/05/p...

On affordability, Democrats have the stronger hand. They just need to stop folding. The winter issue of the Washington Monthly is here, featuring @glastris.bsky.social, @jrakove.bsky.social, @alexbronzini.bsky.social, @billscher.bsky.social, @gooznews.bsky.social + more: shorturl.at/38NmN

Still good reading, I think. And for all you Cubs fans and Madisonians, look for another piece tied to the relation between the Revolution and the events in Minneapolis that will go live at the Washington Monthly's website tomorrow.

On affordability, Democrats have the stronger hand. They just need to stop folding. The winter issue of the Washington Monthly is here, featuring @glastris.bsky.social, @jrakove.bsky.social, @alexbronzini.bsky.social, @billscher.bsky.social, @gooznews.bsky.social + more: shorturl.at/38NmN

The young Bernie Sanders was an oddball and a perennial candidate. But even then, he saw a reality other politicians ignored. @chrisirmscher.bsky.social reviews "Bernie for Burlington" by @dchiasso.bsky.social washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/02/b...

The percentage of undocumented residents in Minneapolis doesn’t even scratch the top 75 American metro areas. So why the disastrous immigration crackdown? @garrettepps.bsky.social argues that the administration wants the residents of this "sanctuary city” to give up their constitutional rights.

A surprise proposal from CMS to rein in Medicare Advantage fraud by insurers could save billions—and sent Wall Street into a panic, writes Kainoa Lowman. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/03/c...

Trump’s firing of Lisa Cook from the Fed Board of Governors has even the conservative justices sounding squeamish. Hopefully they see that kneecapping independent agencies isn’t needed to give presidents influence over policymaking, constitutional scholar @petermshane.bsky.social writes.

Something about the Fed seems to put the Roberts Court in a pragmatic mood. I wish it were equally attentive to the institutional dangers of applying its unitary executive narrative to the rest of government. Today's @washingtonmonthly.com essay: washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/03/t...

Trump’s firing of Lisa Cook from the Fed Board of Governors has even the conservative justices sounding squeamish. Hopefully they see that kneecapping independent agencies isn’t needed to give presidents influence over policymaking, constitutional scholar @petermshane.bsky.social writes.

Three Takeaways from the Taylor Rehmet Texas Shocker 1. Latino Voters Are Fleeing the GOP (and Screwing Up the GOP Gerrymanders) 2. The Democratic Brand Is Not in Crisis 3. Property Taxes May Be a Sleeper Issue More from me: washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/03/t...

A surprise proposal from CMS to rein in Medicare Advantage fraud by insurers could save billions—and sent Wall Street into a panic, writes Kainoa Lowman. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/03/c...

The percentage of undocumented residents in Minneapolis doesn’t even scratch the top 75 American metro areas. So why the disastrous immigration crackdown? @garrettepps.bsky.social argues that the administration wants the residents of this "sanctuary city” to give up their constitutional rights.

The raids will continue; ICE can make warrantless arrests. Protesting is “domestic terrorism,” observing is “obstruction”; news coverage is “conspiracy”; Walz & Frey can be prosecuted for criticizing ICE. If this be "de-escalation" . . . washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/02/trumps-ice-problem-and-ours/

If this be "de-escalation," imagine what escalation would be like.

Very pleased to be published in @washingtonmonthly.com today! And —“Bernie for Burlington”…what a fabulous biography!

Thanks to conservative justices, the law doesn’t allow Trump to compel cities, like Minneapolis, to bow to his immigration orders, and so he used ICE thuggery. It backfired. Now what? From legal affairs editor @garrettepps.bsky.social washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/02/t...

The young Bernie Sanders was an oddball and a perennial candidate. But even then, he saw a reality other politicians ignored. @chrisirmscher.bsky.social reviews "Bernie for Burlington" by @dchiasso.bsky.social washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/02/b...

One-party domination of rural areas contributes to political extremism, argue political scientists @smettler.bsky.social and Trevor Brown, @snfagora.bsky.social. Plus, catch up @washingtonmonthly.com with my roundup this week: washingtonmonthly.substack.com/p/why-democr...

Devastating report from @themarshallproject.org: Children and infants are being held in unspeakable conditions, with "moldy, worm-filled food and foul-tasting, undrinkable water," and no access to education or toys. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/29/i...

The load-bearing pillar of the MAGA-era Republican Party is crumbling under the weight of Trump’s poor economic stewardship, writes Bill Scher (@billscher.bsky.social). Will the Minneapolis homicides be the last straw? washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/30/t...

“Trump Is Losing the White Working-Class” — my data dive for @washingtonmonthly.com washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/30/t...

If you want to understand the roots of the MAGA crack up we are witnessing in real time, read this review essay @washingtonmonthly.com washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/29/t...

My latest in @washingtonmonthly.com: a review essay of @lkatfield.bsky.social's FURIOUS MINDS, which I thought was an excellent overview of the various strains of the MAGA Right even as they may (hopefully) be imploding in real time. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/29/t...

“It turns out that Charlie Kirk was the glue holding MAGA together,” historian @davidaustinwalsh.bsky.social writes in his review of @lkatfield.bsky.social's book on the MAGA new right. Now, the movement is fracturing between donors, intellectuals, influencers, and an increasingly radical base.