Hello! Don Jr. is engaged for the third time—will it be the last? Also, ISIS is back, but was it ever gone? And: I’m feeling a little sad that I gave away my ticket to see Lorde last night. |
|
|
Republicans Have Found a New Kind of U.S. Citizen They Can’t Accept |
What makes an American an American? … My husband is German and has a green card, but we’ve already discussed when he’ll be eligible for U.S. citizenship and his plans to go for it (especially since Germany recently made it easier for its citizens to have two passports). Of course, with the unpredictable actions of the Trump administration, it’s hard to divine what future risks there may be to pursuing such a path, and legislation introduced this month by Sen. Bernie Moreno—himself a naturalized citizen, born in Columbia—would have U.S. citizens revoke all other citizenship, to prove their Americanness of course. Aside from all the logistical reasons this would suck for people who are lucky enough to hold multiple passports, there’s the issue of identity at stake. I really like the way Pablo Andreu, who is American and is a Spanish citizen, explained the dilemma in his thoughtful, personal piece today. He writes: “Moreno believes that the only way to be a ‘true’ American is to slough off your heritage and pledge your exclusive loyalty, whereas I, like many others, believe that the U.S. is at its best when it activates all participating cultures—and at its worst when it attempts to homogenize them.” Amen.
|
Don Jr. is engaged (again) ... and Heather Schwedel writes that he’s right on schedule. “If Don Jr. is using his father’s romantic life as any kind of model, he is right on schedule for Wife No. 2,” she writes. “The elder Trump married Marla Maples in 1993, at age 47, and wouldn’t you know it, Junior is currently 47 (with a birthday coming up at the end of the month, tick tock). Donald Trump also established a blueprint for wife hair-color succession—that blueprint being, naturally, blond-blond-brunette. If his father married two blonds before defecting to the only other hair color conservative women are sometimes allowed to have, then Don Jr.’s second marriage simply had to be to a blond like Bettina Anderson.” Don Jr.’s brunette ex-fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle was apparently never gonna make it.
|
Is ISIS making a comeback? … I wondered this aloud in an editorial meeting this week and thankfully Fred Kaplan stepped in to answer. While the attacks in Bondi Beach and Syria over the past week may have brought ISIS back into our headlines, the terrorist group never did go away. Fred talked with Georgetown professor and homeland security expert Bruce Hoffman, who noted that while “we defeated the caliphate,” referring to the stretch of land—one-third of Syria and two-fifths of Iraq—that ISIS ruled from 2014–19, ISIS itself was not ameliorated. Rather, it “reverted to its roots and has emerged as a highly capable international terrorist organization” that “still poses a threat to the security of Western countries.”
|
|
|
It’s the 12 days of Slatemas ... and the gifts are for you! Every day we’re giving you access to something fun to read or do. Today’s the seventh day, and your gift is … a group of (mer)men a-swimming who took to the seas for charity. Revisit this classic Slate piece, from contributor Brian Barth, about a men’s social club in Newfoundland whose annual merman-themed calendars became an international sensation.
Still have some last-minute gift shopping to do? Give a Slate Plus membership and get the Slate fan in your life unlimited reading, bonus episodes of all of Slate’s podcasts, and more. |
|
|
In case you missed it, check out ICYMI |
I live with a very online teenager, so I have a decent grasp of the latest internet controversies and memes (6-7 is over, people!). But if you aren’t so lucky, and want to know what's happening online without falling into an internet abyss, listen to ICYMI Wednesdays and Saturdays. Today’s show looks at how the Heated Rivalry fandom made the show an international sensation (you can also read David Mack’s great take on it); after you listen, go to slate.com/icymiplus to use promo code ICYMI50 and get half off a Slate Plus subscription! It’s so worth it.
|
|
|
See you tomorrow! —Hillary |
|
|
|
