Calling someone a “fascist” screams Nazis & stormtroopers. Today authoritarians play the long game—stacking courts, muzzling media, and hollowing institutions. It’s a slow creep, not a blitz, designed to look legal while democracy crumbles from within. The danger is the subtlety.

Authoritarians love performative policy—fixing problems is secondary to looking like they’re fixing them. Think “build the wall” chants while building lagged. The goal? Reassure voters, not solve issues. Same with strongman regimes: chaotic in the moment, coherent in hindsight.

Divided dinner table? Tips for peace: 1) Breathe to stay calm. 2) Shift from debating opinions to discussing concerns. 3) Build empathy—ask about lives, not just politics. Respect is key, but engagement isn’t required with those who demean or threaten. npr.org/2024/11/19/g-s…

Today’s lesson plan is inspired by the concept of “bread and circuses”—policies designed to distract rather than solve real issues. Ancient Rome mastered this, keeping citizens content with free bread and violent entertainment to avoid addressing deeper political problems.

Al día, corillo: Gaetz paid for sex, Hegseth faces assault claims, and Musk wants feds back in-office to spark mass resignations. U.S. blocks an Israel cease-fire. Nvidia soars, Target tanks, and a $6.2M banana stole the show. Oh, and Biden’s 82—cake incoming.

Follow me on bluesky. Slowly migrating over! bsky.app/profile/urbanp…

Republicans went from “the sky is falling” to “things are fine, actually” faster than a politician at a photo-op.

A sneak peek at the cover of next week’s issue, which celebrates Zohran Mamdani’s historic win. #NewYorkerCovers newyorkermag.visitlink.me/451hFM

.Barack Obama: "Bad Bunny's halftime show... This is what a community is. People who did not speak Spanish and have never been to Puerto Rico, they saw that elderly woman serving a drink and the kids dancing with their grandmas. It was intergenerational. It was a reminder of what