Murder Mystery

A Confounding Case, Mr Smith Goes to Washington

From podcasts to documentaries to Netflix series, Americans are obsessed with murder mysteries. Whether we’re reading Agatha Christie or watching Knives Out, we can’t seem to get enough. But we’re currently encountering a new kind of murder mystery that’s sweeping across the nation — and given our reputation, it’s threatening the American way of life. The case being presented to us today goes something like this: People aren’t murdering as much anymore. In fact, violent crimes are down almost everywhere. That includes places where there are more police on the street, and places where there are fewer. The country is experiencing “a once-in-a-lifetime improvement in public safety despite a police-staffing crisis. In August, the FBI released its final data for 2024, which showed that America’s violent-crime rate fell to its lowest level since 1969, led by a nearly 15 percent decrease in homicide—the steepest annual drop ever recorded. Preliminary 2025 numbers look even better.” Henry Grabar in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Great Crime Decline Is Happening All Across the Country. “There are many plausible explanations for the recent crime downturn: sharper policing strategy, more police overtime, low unemployment, the lure of digital life, the post-pandemic return to normalcy. Each of these surely played a role. But only one theory can match the decline in its scope and scale: that the massive, post-pandemic investment in local governments deployed during the Biden administration, particularly through the American Rescue Plan Act, delivered a huge boost to the infrastructure and services of American communities—including those that suffered most from violent crime. That spending may be responsible for our current pax urbana.”

+ NYT (Gift Article): What’s Behind the Staggering Drop in the Murder Rate? No One Knows for Sure. “Researchers have long struggled to explain why crime fluctuates. Research has credited policing strategies and incarceration rates, mental health treatment and gun laws, the beautification of vacant lots and the phasing out of lead, which impairs brain development, from gasoline in the 1970s.” (We may never know for sure what’s causing the drop in violent crime, but at least in this case, the suspense is not killing us.)

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We Are Not Alone

Usually, the phrase We are not alone refers to the search for other intelligent life forms somewhere out there in the universe. These days, it feels like we’d be lucky to find intelligent life when consuming the daily news. But we are not alone. There are many people, including many leaders, who feel the same as you do when it comes to the attacks on American values. So let’s take note when they speak out. Today, Jack Smith testified in front of Congress. “If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Democrat or Republican. No one should be above the law in this country.” (Believe it or not, that is still mainstream opinion.) Here’s Smith’s opening statement. “President Trump has sought to seek revenge against career prosecutors, FBI agents, and support staff simply for having worked on these cases. To vilify and seek retribution against these people is wrong. Those dedicated public servants are the best of us, and it has been a privilege to serve with them. After nearly 30 years of public service, including in international settings, I have seen how the rule of law can erode. My fear is that we have seen the rule of law function in our country for so long that many of us have come to take it for granted. The rule of law is not self-executing. It depends on our collective commitment to apply it. It requires dedicated service on behalf of others, especially when that service is difficult and comes with costs. Our willingness to pay those costs is what tests and defines our commitment to the rule of law and to this wonderful country.”

+ “I do not understand why you would mass pardon people who assaulted police officers. I don’t get it. I never will.” It’s critical to note that Smith is making these public statements knowing full well that Trump’s corrupted justice department will do ‘everything in its power’ to indict him. Here’s the latest on the hearing from CNN and NBC.

+ “I’m not naive. These guys are gonna try to take me down.” Gavin Newsom at Davos. Here’s the full conversation.

+ A couple exceptions like these not convincing you that we are not alone? Well, consider this from the NYT: The Voters Who Have Taken a U-Turn on Trump.

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No Checks on Kash

“When Kash Patel was nominated, we all knew in our bones that the bureau was going to be a very different environment than any of us had experienced before. He regularly referred to us as government gangsters. He was also the author of three children’s books in which he’s a self-styled wizard who saves King Donald Trump from the evil forces of the Justice Department.” The NYT Magazine goes deep with forty-five current and former FBI agents on the changes that are undermining the agency and making you less safe. A Year Inside Kash Patel’s F.B.I.

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The Handwriting is On The Wall

I spent many afternoons during third grade being forced to practice my terrible penmanship on the chalkboard in Mrs. Mitchell’s classroom. At one point, I paused and remarked, “Isn’t this punishment just making me better at doing cursive on a chalkboard when the real issue is that I’m not good at doing it with a pencil on paper?” The result? I spent many moreafternoons during third grade being forced to practice my terrible penmanship on the chalkboard. This is all a long way of saying to the children of New Jersey: I feel your pain. Cursive Makes a Comeback in New Jersey Schools. “Proponents of cursive cite studies that link handwriting to better information retention and writing speed, and say ... that knowing script can help people read the original U.S. Constitution.” (Maybe we should have that translated into block text, fingerpainting, hieroglyphics, or whatever it takes to get it back into the mainstream...)

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Extra, Extra

Schoolyard Bullies: The federal government is going after the worst of the worst criminals ... at your local primary school. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a 5-year-old on his way home from school on Tuesday and used him as ‘bait’ to knock on his front door to see if anyone was home.” (Feel safer?) Meanwhile, 2 Women Arrested Over Protest of Minnesota Pastor Linked to ICE. Sadly, things are likely to get worse before they get better. NYT (Gift Article): ICE Said Agents Can Enter Homes Without Judicial Warrant, Group Claims.

+ Oh That’s Rich: “In effect, inequality has become a race between the housing market and the stock market.” Rich Americans Had a Good 2025. Everyone Else Fell Behind. (It’s notable that this trend was in full effect during the Biden years, and still many of the richest of the rich felt they were being victimized by the system.)

+ Bank Shot: “President Trump sued JPMorgan Chase for $5 billion on Thursday, alleging the nation’s biggest bank improperly closed his accounts over an unsubstantiated ‘woke’ belief that it needed to distance itself from him after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.”

+ This Time, It’s Personal: “Google is leveraging its artificial intelligence technology to open a new peephole for its dominant search engine to tailor answers that draw upon people’s interests, habits, travel itineraries and photo libraries.” All you have to do is let them analyze your emails and photos. Even if you don’t give AI access to this information, you’re probably sharing a lot. 5 things to avoid asking AI, according to security experts.

+ Hate the Sin, But Love the Sinners: “Sinners leads the 2026 Oscar nominations with a record-breaking 16 noms.” Here’s a full list of nominations and the snubs and surprises.

+ Double Talk: “The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday that daytime and late-night TV talk shows featuring interviews with political candidates must comply with ‘equal time’ rules that give airtime to views of opposing candidates.” (Holy sh-t, yes. Let Kimmel interview them on live TV...)

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Bottom of the News

Need more motivation to keep those New Year’s resolutions alive? Do it for the airlines! “As Americans slim down with the help of weight-loss drugs, U.S. airlines could be among the surprise beneficiaries, a new report suggests. That’s because the lighter a plane is, the less fuel it requires — and fuel is one of an airline’s biggest costs.” (It’s even more helpful if you can slim down enough to fit in an overhead compartment...)

+ The bathroom door scandal: why hotels are putting toilets in glass boxes.