Sunday, November 16, 2025 |
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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 is in a no-win situation with a certain federal inmate. Meanwhile, the end of the government shutdown didn’t solve a looming problem for many Americans, there’s a little math problem with Trump’s latest promise, and the idea of taxing the rich is older than you think. Plus, Target’s latest idea for winning back customers won’t put a smile on anyone’s face.
Don't forget to check out more top columns and videos from the week below. |
The Ghislaine problem: Trump doesn’t just have a Jeffrey Epstein problem; he also has a Ghislaine Maxwell problem. The president faces thorny issues tied to Epstein’s longtime confidant and convicted child sex trafficker, who wants him to commute her sentence, writes Zeeshan Aleem. New reports of Maxwell’s relaxed prison conditions have raised questions about a possible quid pro quo after she met with the deputy attorney general. All of these stories are a challenge for Trump and will continue to provoke scrutiny no matter how he handles it. Read more.
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Health care shutdown: The government shutdown ended after 43 days, but for millions of Americans, the uncertainty has only just started. Because the deal to end the shutdown didn’t extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, millions of families are seeing their insurance rates for next year spike, writes Dr. Uché Blackstock, founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity. Health policy research organization KFF estimates the average annual premium payment for subsidized enrollees could more than double, from $888 to $1,904. Read more.
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Bounced check: Trump’s latest pledge to send “low- and middle-income” Americans a $2,000 tariff rebate check should be taken with a grain of salt. The biggest problem is that the math doesn’t add up, writes Philip Bump. Sending checks to everyone making less than $100,000, for example, would require $249 billion, far more than tariffs are likely to raise by year’s end. The other problem is that American consumers already pay 55% of tariff revenue, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis. That means that any tariff checks would just be moving money from one group of Americans to another. Read more.
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Target misses: Target has long been a favorite of Black shoppers because of a policy of boosting Black entrepreneurs. But its decision to end its vaunted diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives earlier this year has hurt its standing with Black customers, causing shares to plummet 30% for the year to date, writes Jarvis DeBerry. Target’s solution? Demand its staff smile more. The new policy not only won’t help, it will make things worse for the retailer’s Black employees, as research shows white people often misinterpret genuine smiles on Black faces. Read more.
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In a new lawsuit, Florida’s Republican attorney general accuses Planned Parenthood of “misrepresenting the safety” of abortion pills and alleges its activities constitute “racketeering” — a charge usually applied to organized crime. He is seeking $350 million in penalties and asking the court to consider shutting the organization down, writes UC Davis law professor Mary Ziegler. While public opposition to abortion restrictions has given pause to the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, a judge in a red state might not have the same qualms. Meanwhile, Missouri’s Republican attorney general is making similar claims. Neither lawsuit is meant to be limited to those states, however, as the damages would have an effect nationwide. Read the column here.
— Ryan Teague Beckwith, newsletter editor |
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