Nicholas Kristof: A Dummy’s Guide to Democratic Policies

Some exciting wonkiness View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Thursday, March 28, 2019 [NYTimes.com/Kristof »]( [Cory Booker’s proposal to reduce wealth gaps is one of many ideas being put forward by Democrats.]( Cory Booker’s proposal to reduce wealth gaps is one of many ideas being put forward by Democrats. John Locher/Associated Press Something exciting is happening: Democrats are offering a series of big policy ideas that would reshape American life. After decades of suggesting tweaks at the margins, Democrats are proposing far-reaching changes in child care, health care, regulation and more. We in the media often complain that politicians aren’t serious about policy, and then we don’t treat their policy proposals seriously. So in [today’s column]( I’m going to offer, in a spirit of orgiastic wonkishness, my Dummy’s Guide to Democratic Policies. [Here it is!]( Incidentally, what emerges from a serious review of the policy proposals is that Elizabeth Warren is the policy wonk among the Democratic presidential candidates. I don’t think she’d be a strong general election candidate, but her proposals are the most researched and thought-through. Half a world away, in Yemen, the tragedy continues. A Saudi air strike hit a hospital, and cholera cases are on the rise. The U.S. has its fingerprints on this crisis because of our support for the Saudi/Emirati coalition responsible for the bombings. Now [here’s my take]( on what’s good and what’s not among the Democratic policy proposals. At a time when 70,000 Americans a year die from drug overdoses, when suicides are at a 30-year high, when the top one-tenth of 1 percent own as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent, we need some new ideas. [Here’s what I think would help!]( ADVERTISEMENT What I’m Reading The mass atrocities in Myanmar against the Rohingya have faded, but a new report underscores the human toll. “[Sold Like Fish]( by a couple of human rights organizations, notes that 170,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar and Bangladesh over a few years, and many were captured by human traffickers, tortured or otherwise abused, and occasionally murdered. It’s a reminder of the need for global pressure on Myanmar to accept that the Rohingya are citizens. You can connect with me on [Facebook](. If you have friends who might enjoy this newsletter, forward this email or tell them they can [sign up here](. Send feedback or tech questions to kristof-newsletter@nytimes.com. Recent Columns [Our Chess Champion Has a Home]( The 8-year-old refugee who last week was thrilled to have a trophy suddenly has so much more. [New Zealand Shows the U.S. What Leadership Looks Like]( Other nations’ leaders learn from experience. But Congress and President Trump refuse to act on guns. What I’m Reading in The Times [Want to Reduce Opioid Deaths? Get People the Medications They Need]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Drugs like buprenorphine could sharply curb the nation’s opioid overdose crisis. But federal laws make it difficult for people who need such medications to get them. [Why Trump’s New Push to Kill Obamacare Is So Alarming]( By NICHOLAS BAGLEY It’s not just the potential damage to the health care system and the people who depend on it. It’s also the threat, in the administration’s legal position, to the rule of law. ADVERTISEMENT NEED HELP? Review our newsletter [help page]( or contact us [for assistance](. FOLLOW NICHOLAS KRISTOF [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nickkristof]( [Instagram] [nickkristof]( 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 Nicholas Kristof newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2019 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018