Opinion: What to read now

Recommended publications, from David Leonhardt and from readers. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, November 24, 2017 [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [David Leonhardt] David Leonhardt Op-Ed Columnist First, Tom Friedman has [an important column]( reported from Saudi Arabia, this morning. Holiday shopping. As you read this, people are jostling each other in stores across the land. I have a different suggestion for holiday shopping: Buy a subscription — for yourself or as a gift — to a publication that does great work and that needs more help than, say, The New York Times. The Times is thriving, [as I explained yesterday]( but not all publications have the financial advantages we do. And some of these publications do vital work that a democracy needs. They provide local and regional coverage. Or they focus on a specific subject. Or they write about the world from a particular perspective. Below is a list of publications I recommend that you consider. It includes some reader recommendations, too, and of course this isn’t intended to be a complete list. (Readers sent in more 1,000 recommendations this week, and I plan to check out many more than I’ve listed here.) At the bottom, I’ve also listed some excellent free publications, some of which have subscription options. Local coverage. This is my No. 1 recommendation: Support a source of local journalism in your area. Research has shown that an absence of local coverage may [lead to increased corruption]( — and local journalism is under tremendous financial strain. One option is your traditional local newspaper. Another is newer sources. In your emails to me, you praised [Vermont’s VT Digger]( [The Texas Tribune]( and [the New Mexico Political Report]( among many others. A third option is [your local public-radio station](. If none of these intrigues you, you can also consider subscribing to a regional publication from elsewhere with national relevance. Every time I read it, I’m impressed by The Dallas Morning News — and Texas is full of big stories, like immigration, education and the future of American politics. The Los Angeles Times will let you follow the center of the Trump resistance: California. The Denver Post, Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Tampa Bay Times and Boston Globe are all strong regional papers. The single most common suggestion from readers falls into the broad category of regional news: [High Country News](. As one newsletter reader, Suzanne, explained to me: The name is “not a reference to marijuana.” Instead, “‘High Country’ is an older term for the Western U.S.” The publication covers land use, climate, wildfires and many other issues. I started reading this week and will become a regular. Tech, media and business. Ben Thompson’s newsletter, [Stratechery]( is one of the most interesting sources of analysis on any subject. Policy. For decades, [The Washington Monthly]( was a famous training ground for policy journalists, and it remains excellent. It also takes [a social-justice approach]( to college rankings. Conservative ideas. The Republican Party controls every branch of the federal government and most state governments, yet conservatism is in crisis. The Republican Party doesn’t know what to do with its power. If you want to be reminded of the intellectual side of conservatism, consider reading [National Affairs]( a cross between a magazine and a journal. Liberal ideas. A similar publication on the left is [Democracy](. I receive the paper version and am always happy to find it in my mailbox. Baseball. I’ve mentioned [Joe Sheehan’s baseball newsletter]( before, and, if you’re a fan, it ranks with Stratechery for consistent sharpness. Mentioning it again here allows me to close this section by quoting Sheehan’s favorite line about media: “Individuals will recognize and support quality if given that option.” Free media (some of which have pay options): Law: [Lawfare]( was another common recommendation from newsletter readers and provides some of the best analysis of Russia and other Trump scandals; and [The Marshall Project]( run by a former executive editor of The Times, focuses on the moral outrage (my words) of mass imprisonment, among other issues. Policy: [ProPublica]( a source of important investigative work; [Vox]( which is one of my favorite publications of any kind, thanks to work by Dara Lind, Sarah Kliff, Dylan Matthews and others there; [Slate]( an early model of clearly written analytical journalism and more recently the creator of a successful [podcast network]( and Axios, the new venture that several of you praised — and I agree — for [its daily succinctness](. Health care: [Kaiser Health News]( which does a lot of local journalism in addition to its national policy work, and [Stat]( a new entrant created by The Boston Globe. Higher education: [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( and [Inside Higher Ed]( both of which have daily newsletters. Sports and pop culture: [The Ringer.]( Founded by Bill Simmons, who was forced out of ESPN, The Ringer employs top-notch young writers (and the middle-age ones are good, too). As I said, this is not close to a complete list. And the larger point isn’t any specific publication. In the next few weeks, I hope you’ll consider financially supporting a publication that you appreciate. In the old days, advertising played that role, but the world has changed. The full Opinion report from The Times follows. Op-Ed Columnist [Saudi Arabia’s Arab Spring, at Last]( By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN The crown prince has big plans to bring back a level of tolerance to his society. Op-Ed Columnist [On Feeling Thankful but Fearful]( By PAUL KRUGMAN America gave me so much, but are we still that country? Op-Ed Columnist [America: The Redeemer Nation]( By DAVID BROOKS Trying to find a new national narrative. Op-Ed Columnist [My Brother Kevin’s Not Tired of Winning]( By MAUREEN DOWD In his annual Thanksgiving column, Kevin Dowd answers the burning question about his continuing support of Donald Trump: How can he? Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Bridging the Canyon Across the Holiday Table]( By TIMOTHY EGAN In the Trump era, we’ve reached peak domestic hatred. Rose Blake [Contributing Op-Ed Writer]( [When You Teach Girls to Be ‘Good’]( By JILL FILIPOVIC What parents want for their sons versus their daughters can set up dangerous dynamics in the future. Editorial [Telling the Truth About the Cost of War]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD As civilian casualties appear to rise, the American military is not acknowledging the extent of the problem. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Oh, No! Live Drama and Unwritten Humor]( By DICK CAVETT Let us give thanks for those occasional onstage mishaps that make even the feeblest theatrical productions memorable. Op-Ed Contributor [Is Anyone Good Enough for an H1-B Visa?]( By FRIDA YU Many of my Stanford classmates and I had plans to use our education to contribute to this country. Instead, we’re being kicked out. HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [leonhardt@nytimes.com](mailto:leonhardt@nytimes.com?subject=Opinion%20Today%20Newsletter%20Feedback). ADVERTISEMENT [The Horses on Standing Rock Get a Checkup]( [Kallen Harrison with his mare, Oreo. Behind them are volunteers from the Rural Veterinary Experience Teaching and Service program, which provides free and low-cost care to horses in areas with few veterinarians.]( Kallen Harrison with his mare, Oreo. Behind them are volunteers from the Rural Veterinary Experience Teaching and Service program, which provides free and low-cost care to horses in areas with few veterinarians. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times By VICTOR J. BLUE Traveling veterinarians, their patients and tradition. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Germany Embraces a Third Gender. What’s Next?]( By JOCHEN BITTNER The country has taken a big step forward, but its politicized gender wars could lead to a backlash. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [The Pakistani General Who Wouldn’t Go Away]( By MOHAMMED HANIF Pervez Musharraf, the former military leader, is trying to make a comeback. Again. Editorial [Russia’s Other Dirty Trick: Tarnishing Olympic Gold]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD President Vladimir Putin continues to dismiss his country’s well-documented cheating in recent Olympics. LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. ADVERTISEMENT Letters [Vary the Minimum Wage by Region?]( Readers discuss whether the minimum wage should reflect living costs in the area. SIGN UP FOR THE VIETNAM ’67 NEWSLETTER Examining America’s long war in Southeast Asia [through the course]( of a single year. FOLLOW OPINION [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytopinion]( [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »](  | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Opinion Today newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018