Book Exclusive: As Unruly Electorate Grew, so Did Elite 'Deep State'
RealClearInvestigations
In this exclusive book excerpt, Philip Hamburger, a leading scholar on the "deep state," writes that the unelected federal bureaucracy grew last century as elites worried about the rough-and-tumble character of representative politics, and about the tendency of newly enfranchised groups to reject progressive reforms. What the knowledge class preferred: a more elevated mode of governance. Has the Democratic Party Gotten Too Rich for Its Own Good?
New York Times
Journalist and progressive academic Thomas B. Edsall writes that the near 50-50 Republican-Democrat split in the upper crust spells trouble for Democrat leaders: "Asking people to think of themselves as compassionate and to pay higher taxes is one thing — many Democrats have made that leap — but ask them to live in a mixed income neighborhood or ask them to have their kid give up her spot at Princeton, and you get a different response." Mexico Pays the Price for America's Heroin Habit
Washington Post
The opioid epidemic that has caused so much pain in the United States is also savaging Mexico, contributing to a breakdown of order in rural areas. Heroin is like steroids for drug gangs, this report from the scene says, pumping money and muscle into their fight to control territory and transportation routes to the United States.
Key to Saving Somalia Gathers Dust in British Countryside
Foreign Policy
English scientist Murray Watson was leading a groundbreaking effort to help Somalis adapt to climate changes, a "blueprint for climate adaptation that could end a civil war." But in 2008, Watson was kidnapped, presumably by members of the extremist group al-Shabab. He has not been seen again.
Why China Is Leading the World's Boom in Electric Vehicles
Forbes
Most of the rising demand for electric vehicles is coming from China, where there is only one car for every six individuals in the country (in the U.S., the ratio is nearly one to one). The logic is compelling: Electrics allow the aspiring classes to have their cars without jeopardizing air quality in already polluted cities. Texas: Why Dallas Is One of the Most Refugee-Friendly Cities
Buzzfeed
Texas has long been a prime destination for refugees, and not just Mexicans, thanks to a strong economy and lower housing prices. The city of Dallas took in more refugees than any other metro area in the U.S. last year. And one Texas ministry illustrates why this city is one of America's most welcoming places for newcomers. How the Self-Esteem Craze Took Over America
New York Magazine
For an idea with only a nugget or two of truth behind it, the self-esteem craze of the 1980s and 1990's - believe in yourself to succeed - had a far-flung effect on the national consciousness. It had an especially strong influence on the education methods that shaped today's millennials. And at the root of it was one eccentric California state legislator, who stumbled upon the psychological research on self-esteem and ran with it. | 
