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Good morning,
Today, we’re looking at the murder of two Israeli embassy aides, the Republican tax bill (and what it left out), the federal takeover of Rikers, poverty in the U.S., and the Justice Department’s pro-cop move.
Don’t forget to write to us at editors@city-journal.org with questions or comments. |
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Israeli embassy aides Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were murdered in a brutal shooting on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. Elias Rodriguez, the alleged killer, reportedly said that he “did it for Gaza” and chanted “free, free Palestine” as police took him into custody. The murders are the latest in a string of violent incidents that have been tacitly endorsed by some progressive public officials.
City Journal senior editor Charles Fain Lehman argues that Wednesday’s shooting, like the firebombing of Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro’s estate and the murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, has deep roots in left-wing ideology, which considers violence an appropriate response to supposed oppression. “Such nihilism has no place in a civilized society,” he writes, “and should be met with the full force of the law.”
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President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” just secured passage in the House, marking a critical step forward for the GOP’s tax agenda. But as Tax Foundation analyst Alex Muresianu argues, the bill in its current form falls short in two key ways: “it doesn’t prioritize economic growth, and it doesn’t simplify the tax code.” As a result, the U.S. will lose out on almost half a percentage point of GDP growth, according to Tax Foundation modeling. The bill also “clutters the tax code with a range of temporary tax breaks” on tips, overtime, auto-loan deductions, and other areas, adding needless complexity.
The good news, writes Muresianu, is that there’s still time to ensure that the final legislative package puts economic growth and a simpler tax code at the top of the agenda again. |
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“Rikers has been a mismanaged, dangerous, and inhumane detention center for years now,” writes Wai Wah Chin. “Detainees regularly obtain drugs and weapons, violence is rampant, and deaths in custody are far too frequent—with a high of 19 in 2022 and five so far this year.”
That’s why the federal takeover is such a welcome development, Chin argues. An independent manager will focus on fixing the jail within three years, bringing long-overdue reforms to the New York City Department of Correction. Read more about what receivership will mean for the city and its correctional system. |
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Last week, Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Rob Henderson spoke with officials at the Department of Health and Human Services about poverty in the United States. Education and employment were among the tools discussed for promoting better economic prospects, but Henderson highlighted a different set of factors that can help: most notably, the “success sequence.”
It’s a three-step pattern that “dramatically lowers the risk of poverty: graduate from high school, secure full-time employment, and marry before having children,” he writes. “Ninety-seven percent of Americans who follow all three steps avoid poverty by age 30.”
Read why he believes that focusing on cultural factors—not just economic ones—is necessary for reducing poverty. |
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On May 21, the Justice Department announced that it would dismiss civil rights lawsuits against the police departments of Minneapolis and Louisville and would retract findings of constitutional violations in six other jurisdictions. The move aligns with President Trump’s recent executive order on policing, which directs federal agencies to eliminate the use of so-called disparate-impact liability in civil rights enforcement.
This is good news, argues Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael Mangual. Disparate-impact investigations, often launched after police use-of-force incidents went viral on social media, frequently led local police to reduce “proactive enforcement,” which in turn led to spikes in serious crime.
Allowing police departments once again to focus enforcement on high-crime areas promises to “yield crime declines that will disproportionately benefit the communities suffering the most,” writes Mangual. |
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Charles Fain Lehman, Rafael Mangual, Jesse Arm, and Tal Fortgang discuss the murder of Israeli embassy aides Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, the DOJ’s investigation into Chicago’s hiring practices, and President Trump’s feud with Bruce Springsteen.
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“Public schools fail because they are run by the govt. If Apple were run the same way, it would have filed for bankruptcy years ago.”
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Photo credits: The Washington Post / Contributor / The Washington Post via Getty Images |
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A quarterly magazine of urban affairs, published by the Manhattan Institute, edited by Brian C. Anderson. |
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