WHAT EXACTLY IS TRUMPSIM?

TOP OF THE NEWS:

- What Exactly Is Trumpism? (National Review) "If Trump were to start a third party, what would be its chief tenets? TRADITION: Trump showcases 'Merry Christmas!' because his parents did. He believes in dressing formally and being addressed as Mr. Trump. And he insists that his children be well-behaved and polite. POPULISM vs. ELITISM: The billionaire Trump won by going after elites of both parties —attacking the protected classes of the Left as politically correct snobs, and those of the Right as crony capitalists (Trump confessed that it took one to spot one) or as uppity no-fun scolds and professional Washington hacks and political handlers. NATIONAL GREATNESS: In Trump’s mind, the U.S. is a paradise thanks to its exceptional values and the hard work of past generations; the mess elsewhere (to the degree Trump worries about it) is due to human failing that is not America’s fault. MAKING STUFF: Using one’s hands or one’s mind to create something concrete and real is valuable in and of itself, and a much-needed antidote to the Pajama Boy–Ivy League culture of abstraction. ABROAD: On matters of foreign policy, Trump is not a realist, isolationist, or neoconservative, although at times he can sound like all that and more. Instead, he is a Jacksonian who wants a huge club at the Department of Defense largely to ensure that he’ll never have to use it. MONEY: In Trump’s dog-eat-dog world, only a few bruisers make it to the top and the real, big money — the ultimate barometer of competence. He sees the 'winners' as knights to be enlisted in behalf of the weaker others."

ENTERTAINMENT:

- U2 will bring 'Joshua Tree' to the Rose Bowl in May (LA Times) "The group has announced a full tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of 'The Joshua Tree,' its landmark 1987 album. U2 will play 'The Joshua Tree,' widely regarded as the band’s best, in its entirety, alongside a slate of other hits."

HEALTH:

- Vaccine skeptic Robert Kennedy Jr. says Trump asked him to lead commission on ‘vaccine safety’ (WaPo) "If Trump follows through, the stunning move would push up against established science, medicine and the government’s position on the issue. It comes after Trump — who has long been critical of vaccines — met at Trump Tower with Kennedy, who has spearheaded efforts to roll back child vaccination laws."

POLITICS:

- Jared Kushner’s Rise to Unimaginable Power (NY Magazine) "Then, about a year ago, Kushner said, he had started traveling the country with Trump, going to rallies where thousands of ordinary Americans shouted in fury about government regulations and the Common Core curriculum. The gilded scales fell from his eyes. Kushner believes Trump’s victory was a repudiation of the media and both political parties — the entire governing Establishment. He said he was 'proud' Trump had won only 4 percent of the vote in Washington, D.C. Kushner’s impact can be seen in the centrist tilt of Trump’s economic team, which is heavy on Goldman Sachs guys. During the campaign, Trump hired and fired many aides, but Kushner was frequently the last person he consulted before making major decisions. His decision to leave behind his business, his prior political affiliations, and quite a few friendships in order to serve Trump remains mystifying to many people who thought they knew him. and Jared Kushner Named Senior White House Adviser to Donald Trump (NYT) "Mr. Kushner has been described by numerous transition staff members as the first among equals in Mr. Trump’s high command. His new title belies the sweeping influence he will have behind the scenes. The scion of a prominent Democratic family active in New Jersey politics, Mr. Kushner showed few early signs that he would become a national political power player. A Harvard graduate, he is a lifelong Democrat, liberal on social issues. Like his ideologically limber father-in-law, he has donated to Democratic candidates."

- Democratic Obstructionism on Cabinet Nominees (National Review) "By the time of his inauguration (in 2009), Obama had nominated cabinet heads for twelve of the 15 executive-branch departments. Of those nominations, the Senate unanimously confirmed five and confirmed another five in broadly bipartisan votes in the span of a mere six days at the end of January. The GOP senators never engaged in anything remotely like 'obstruction,' and the OGE head didn’t appear to have any problem with the quick pace. Even Timothy Geithner and Eric Holder — Obama’s nominees for the Treasury and Justice Departments, respectively — were confirmed by February 2, despite the concerns of some GOP senators, related in the case of Geithner to possible tax evasion."

BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:

- Amazon Echo's Alexa Went Dollhouse Crazy (Fortune) "Echo devices, powered by Amazon (amzn) Alexa, the tech giant's artificially intelligent voice assistant, reportedly woke when they heard the name 'Alexa' spoken on household television sets. Jim Patton, an anchor on the show, had remarked, 'I love that little girl saying 'Alexa ordered me a dollhouse.'"

- 2016, Officially the Year of the Dumpster Fire (Wired)

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