Trumps Go East [#59]
Moshi Moshi,
Hope you had a great Halloween and what a mesmerizing World Series, eh? I'm back in Japan and so is Ivanka Trump. Donald J and Melania arrive on Sunday. It's gonna be the president's longest trip abroad so far, and his first trip to Asia as Commander in Chief. We are running around reporting a lot of stories in a compact amount of time, but my mind is distracted by the deeply wounding crisis at my employer, NPR, where we must deal with fallout after the public learned the top news chief was sexually inappropriate with underlings for decades. "Difficult, difficult, lemon, difficult."
News
The tragic tale of Jeremy the snail. How money came to be the most "important" metric. Lies about taxes. Hitting rock bottom in Foggy Bottom. Censorship in South Korean maps. Understand the Rohingya crisis. The inherent flaw in "father-son talks" to stop sexual harassment. This is the best piece on Weinstein, IMHO. This is the funniest. And this is the best one that widens the conversation to the thorny issue of consent. Matt McGorry, aka "Woke Bae" on how to be an ally. Meat theft is surprisingly common in Texas (h/t Chris Agan). How to read better. The best interpretation of the Jim Comey resignation letter, ever. Social media crackdowns at the NYT and WSJ. "Screw it, just do it." Japanese mascots getting stuck in things.
Werk Werk Werk
A conversation from Tokyo on Japan's snap election night. What Japanese voters told us about their votes. What it's like to be put in a coffin, for the Planet Money podcast episode on death. Friend Ben accidentally chatted me a poem on risk.
Recommendations
Ozark! (Why wasn't this more of a thing?)
Seth Meyers' takedown of systemic misogyny.
Doria. Apparently it's a made-up rice casserole dish, but I had it at a Belgian friend's house the other day and am now really into it.
You Recommended...
My Dad Wrote a Porno, a podcast that is apparently very big in Europe but not as big in the US.
Programming Note
Tune into NPR's flagship afternoon program, All Things Considered, later this month as I'll be co-hosting the show with the indefatigable Ari Shapiro and the unflappable Robert Siegel, who is retiring in January. I'm looking forward to this big privilege and hope not to eff it up.
Send your quips/comments/questions anytime, as well as recommendations, and I can feature them! More to come after I'm off Trump duty.
Domo,
E