All of the Trump cabinet appointees are likely to be, in my estimation, bad choices. There are few elite Republicans whose position on the function of the federal government I share in any way. That said, there are two clear types of appointees. 1) Those who are eager to use the coercive power of the…
The New York Times ran a story about an amazing c-section survival in 1337. But historians of medieval medicine don’t think it happened. By Monica H. Green On Wednesday, 23 November 2016—the day before the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.—the New York Times ran what it likely assumed to be a “fun fact” story, a…
Tomorrow I’ll have a gorgeous guest post on medieval c-sections (or not!), the New York Times, peer review, and the production. Today – commerce and art! I have a band. We play rowdy Irish music. It’s not the most sublime form of musical art in the world, but it is the most fun ever (for…
In late summer, someone I respect told me that rumors were circulating around Barron Trump being autistic, based on his behavior on camera at the RNC. I looked at the rumors, found them believable but not confirmable, and felt it would be unethical to report on them in any way. Still, I knew that if…
Major story to follow out of Illinois. Investigative reporters Michael J. Berens and Patricia Callahan published an expose of widespread abuse and total lack of oversight in group homes for people with disabilities in Illinois. These homes, known as Community Integrated Living Arrangements, or CILAs, are all over the state, theoretically regulated, but in fact…
Medieval history professor Matthew Gabriele, of Virginia Tech, has published a powerful new article about the word “crusade” in both its modern and medieval contexts. He’s arguing not just that modern people mis-use Crusade, which they do (he digs into the famous W. Bush quote about a ‘Crusade against Evil’), but that medievalists need to…
The Chronicle of Higher Education ran a reasonable piece on a group of young, smart, writers associated with high-end literary and political magazines, under the rubric: “The New Public Intellectuals.” I don’t think the causality – these folks went public due to lack of jobs – is at all proven. But writers need hooks, so I…
Here’s a storify on a recent internet fight around literature, cultural appropriation, and autism. It ended when Michael Grant, a famous YA author, called another author’s autistic child a “burden.” He later apologized. Everyone wants to understand why Hillary Clinton lost the campaign and what it means for the future. Usually, it means that whatever…
Ben Carson is not going to be Secretary of Education. This is good. I’ve been guessing Michelle Rhee or someone similar, which is not good. Honestly, there’s no one that Trump would consider for any major cabinet position who I suspect I would endorse – that’s why I didn’t vote for him. But as Carson’s…
Steve Bannon’s long history promoting sexist, antisemitic, and racist views are very much in the news right now, appropriately. I’ve been saying it’s the first major test/fight of the President Trump era. He can place this man in the heart of American power. There’s no Congressional approval. But here is where we find out if…