Things That Are Working, and Things That Aren’t: Weekend Reads

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This week brought us a wide range of stories about governance – the countries and policy makers that get it right and those that, well, not so much. From themes like Brexit to the Mueller report and Medicare, and places like Japan, Kosovo and Gaza, our reporters looked deep into successes, failures and cases that still have a long way to go to be figured out. We hope you enjoy these and more of our best stories from the past seven days in this installment of Weekend Reads.

The Brexit Day That Wasn't Leaves Britain Counting the Cost
The costs are mounting for the Brexit day that wasn’t. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s deferral of the divorce until at least April 12 came too late for companies that spent months assuming the crunch would arrive as scheduled. Joe Mayes, Irene Garcia Perez, and Aine Quinn tell the story of businesses that are now spending millions for naught. There’s also this piece from Alan Crawford that explains how Britain’s tortured relationship with Europe just got worse.

One Week Into the Mueller Report Fight, Battle Lines Are Drawn
While Attorney General William Barr determined that the findings in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report into the 2016 election didn’t warrant an obstruction charge, there may still be plenty that the White House wants to keep secret and that Democrats want to see. Read about how, even before the investigation ended, the squabble over who’d get access to its contents had already begun.

Trump’s Russia Ties Were Never What Voters Cared About
While the battle over the Mueller report continues to unfold, out in the real world, most voters are focused on jobs, climate, and health care, but not Russia. Read Joshua Green’s running list of subjects voters raise with Democratic candidates on the campaign trail that have nothing to do with Mueller and impeachment.

How ‘Medicare for All’ Could Mean Change for Everyone
“Medicare for All” has emerged as a rallying cry among Democrats in the early stages of the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign. John Tozzi and Danielle Parnass explain, however, that extending the benefits that help one in five U.S. citizens pay for doctor visits, blood tests, prescription drugs, hospital stays and hospice care means completely different things to different people.

A Buttigieg Boomlet Gives South Bend Mayor Lift in 2020 Contest
The 37-year-old with the difficult-to-pronounce name (it’s “Boot-edge-edge”) has been wading through crowds and grabbing every interview he can to get noticed in a pool of heavyweights. Emma Kinery writes that Pete Buttigieg, who’s gunning to become the first openly gay U.S. president, sees the sheer number of democratic candidates as an advantage, not a drawback.

Why Japan Still Matters
Three decades is but a blink in the fullness of Japanese history, yet there’s a widespread sense that the country has had an epically bad run. Still, as Brian Bremner reports, it looks like an island of stability, as ordinary Japanese aren’t afflicted by American-scale inequality, grappling with a slow-motion train wreck like Brexit, or coping with French-style yellow vest protests.

Dead Sons Haunt a Corner of Europe Where Peace Remains Fragile
Two decades since the war in Kosovo, the country remains haunted by the thousands of victims mourned by still-grieving family members. Andrea Dudik writes how the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia are risking opening old wounds as they try to mend relations and break a deadlock that has prevented them from integrating more closely with Europe.

As Gaza Seethes at Neglect, Hamas Tries to Turn Focus on Israel
Gaza is roiling after another flare-up between Hamas and Israel and as a fraught anniversary approaches. Amy Teibel reports on a backlash against the group that runs the third-most densely populated polity in the world, where an Israeli and Egyptian blockade has confined 2 million people in towns and cities lacerated by neglect and wars against Israel’s overwhelming military might.

And finally … A useful lesson from the Ivy League bribery scandal is this: Grab an oar and start rowing. While slipping cash to crew coaches to get underperforming kids into schools like Yale isn’t a great idea, signing them up can be. Sophie Alexander and Ben Steverman share a fascinating look into how being an athlete provides a big advantage in admissions, and the average rowing team has up to four times as many spots than a basketball squad and far fewer qualified candidates.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net

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