Issue of January 26, 2009

A Lonesome Death
Facing off with William Zantzinger.
by David Simon

Q. Can we credibly compare this to "Frost/Nixon"? Was Zantzinger sufficiently repentant?

A Smarter Stimulus
The logic of Obama’s rebate.
by James Surowiecki

Q. What's your strategy for a rebate? Does the wealth/income argument make sense? Is there a hidden genius in this strategy?

Getting There from Here
How health-care reform really happens.
by Atul Gawande

Q. Is upgrading the telephone system a legitimate analogy to "fixing" health-care? If Massachusetts' universal insurance is working (and is popular), why shouldn't the rest of the country take notice? What health-care financial problems will universal coverage not help?

The Dystopians
Among contemporary doomsayers.
by Ben McGrath

Audio: Ben McGrath discusses doomsaying.

Q. Are doomsayers ever effective contributors to society? At what points do they risk credibility?

Newspapers and the American Revolution.
by Jill Lepore

Q. Do revolutionaries like newspapers? Or just until they obtain power? Did you know to what "Gazette" refers? What's the strangest named newspaper?