Good morning, Welcome to MS NOW's Sunday Spotlight, where you can find a selection of the week's most interesting and important stories. President Donald Trump got some bad news from the Supreme Court's chief justice. Meanwhile, the president is ignoring the "you break it, you buy it" rule of foreign policy, a stronger-than-expected jobs report can't mask a more concerning pattern, and the White House is not supposed to literally be a gilded cage. Plus, the sports legend who needs to move on. Don't forget to check out more top columns and videos from the week below. |
Strike One? With two short sentences, Chief Justice John Roberts might have shown why the Trump administration's attempts to overturn birthright citizenship will fail, Jordan Rubin argues. During a Supreme Court hearing Wednesday, the justice seemed skeptical of arguments made by Solicitor General John Sauer about foreign nationals coming to the U.S. to give birth so their children will be citizens. While Sauer claimed such births show the world has changed since the 14th Amendment was ratified, Roberts dismissed the point as essentially irrelevant. "It's a new world," he retorted. "It's the same Constitution." Read more. |
Scared strait: Trump reportedly told aides that he would be willing to end the Iran war even if the country doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But the president's own actions toward Iran — from tearing up a nuclear deal in his first term to his unprovoked attack — make it likely the country will not allow crucial shipping traffic through the strait soon, political scientist Nicholas Grossman argues. The closure has hurt the world economy and by extension Trump, whose approval ratings are sinking. That makes the strait a major pressure point for Iran in any attempts to deter more attacks. Read more. |
Jobs con: The president has claimed that the economy is "roaring back" and that bad employment reports are a "con job." But while the most recent jobs report was well above expectations, there's rot underneath, personal finance expert Helaine Olen argues. There's little turnover or hiring in the job market, especially for recent graduates, tariffs have raised prices, the Iran war made gas more expensive, and some economists think stagflation — the much-hated combination of low growth and high inflation — is coming. Read more. |
Trump House: Trump spent much of his life putting his name in gold letters on everything from skyscrapers to apartment buildings to resorts. Now he's bringing those same tacky impulses to remaking the White House, Michael Steele argues. The man who reportedly called the building "a real dump" is trying to add a grandiose ballroom with staircases that lead nowhere and ornamental windows with no purpose. His remodel shows that he doesn't know that what made America great was not Corinthian columns, but the Constitution. Read more. |
Tiger, Tiger, burning out: There is an insatiable demand for golfing legend Tiger Woods to return to top form. But his recent brush with death after a car crash shows how this has warped the response to his frequent troubles, sports journalist Mike Wise argues. Woods' history of accidents, DUIs, arrests and marital trouble shows a human being who needs help, and the constant focus on whether he will recover in time to play the next tournament is preventing him from getting it. The PGA of America, its corporate partners and golfing fans need to let Woods go, and he needs to stop trying to fix his swing and start trying to fix himself. Read more. |
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The start of Easter week prompted two very different sermons. The first, by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at his monthly prayer service at the Pentagon, was a bloodthirsty call for "the annihilation of the enemies of the United States." The second, by Pope Leo XIV in his Palm Sunday homily, emphasized Jesus' humility and called him the "King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war." Many Americans would be surprised to learn that the two sermons came from the same historical tradition, medieval scholar Matthew Gabriele argues. From its earliest days through the Crusades and on to the modern era, Christianity has struggled with how to respond to violence. "Through the centuries, Christians have heard competing calls for violence and peace," he writes. "And at any moment, they can choose to listen to their better angels." Read the column here. — Ryan Teague Beckwith, newsletter editor |
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This week on "The Best People," Nicolle Wallace is joined by Alex Wagner to discuss why some of MAGA's most ardent supporters aren't happy with Donald Trump and how the administration is gamifying the Iran war. Listen now, and subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening and bonus content. |
In the latest episode of "Main Justice," MS NOW Legal Analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord examine the dangerous precedent set by the Justice Department's $1.25 million settlement with former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Plus, they unpack Minnesota's case against the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security alleging state investigators have been blocked from accessing evidence in the Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and Julio Sosa-Celis shootings. Listen now, and subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening and bonus content. |
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