Jill Lepore on Our Unamendable Constitution

A special interactive report. Plus: the Fetterman and Oz debate in Pennsylvania; sanctions against Russia; and the deer who lived upstairs. View in browser | Update your preferences Wednesday, October 26, 2022 In today’s newsletter, elusive amendments, and then: • The John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz Senate debate • Will sanctions against Russia end the war? • The deer who lived upstairs The United States’ Unamendable Constitution How our inability to change America’s most important document is deforming our politics and government. Illustration by Ben Hickey Thomas Jefferson figured that the U.S. Constitution might last about nineteen years. Instead, it’s remained in place for more than two hundred and thirty years, and, perhaps more remarkably, has not been amended in any significant way in more than half a century. That’s left what the historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore identifies as a “brittle” document, one that may be unequal to the urgent and escalating challenges facing our democracy. In an engaging and deeply informative interactive feature, Lepore explores why the Constitution, a document designed to be altered, has been so resistant to change—and shares the rare moments in history that have upended the status quo. In the piece, you’ll be asked for your own answers to some of the most pressing constitutional questions of our moment, and see how participants in a national survey responded. Should abortion rights be written into the Constitution? Should the Second Amendment be altered or abandoned? What about a national popular vote to select the President? Find out who agrees with you—and if anything is likely to change. —Ian Crouch, newsletter editor Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk The Political Scene What to Make of John Fetterman’s Struggles at the Pennsylvania Senate Debate The cognitive effects of the Democratic candidate’s recent stroke were evident as he faced off against Mehmet Oz. Will his performance imperil his party’s chances? By Benjamin Wallace-Wells Postscript Mike Davis Could See the Future Often misread as a “prophet of doom,” the Marxist historian was actually an optimist and a dreamer. By Hua Hsu Our Columnists Polls Suggest the Battle for the Senate Is Still a Cliffhanger Recent surveys show a shift to Republicans, but in the key battleground states the outcomes remain highly uncertain. By John Cassidy A Reporter at Large Will Sanctions Against Russia End the War in Ukraine? D.C. bureaucrats have worked stealthily with allies to open a financial front against Putin. By Sheelah Kolhatkar Editor’s Pick Afterword The Deer Who Lived Upstairs Dillie, a whitetail from Ohio, defied many expectations during her unexpectedly long life. By Susan Orlean Culture Dept. On Television Guillermo del Toro’s “Cabinet of Curiosities,” a Horror Anthology Fit for the Streaming Age In his new eight-part Netflix production, the director acts as a benevolent landlord of the horror genre, carving out space for others in the crowded pop-culture terrain. By Adam Nayman Culture Desk On Outscoring My Father What would he make of my middle-age obsession with basketball? By Thomas Beller The New Yorker Documentary A Couple’s Grief Mixes with Enchantment in “The Silent Shore” In this documentary, nature comes to life, and mourning encompasses more than sadness. Film by Timothée Corteggiani and Nathalie Giraud Text by Maya Chesley Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Will Nediger Daily Shouts The Dark Underbelly of Cartooning Finding inspiration is no joke. By Harry Bliss and Steve Martin Crossword A Lightly Challenging Puzzle Surprised Pikachu, for one: four letters. By Patrick Berry Daily Cartoon Wednesday, October 26th By Jon Adams P.S. In 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, Dana Goodyear spoke to Mike Davis about living to see some of his worst fears come true. “This seems an age of catastrophe,” he said, “but it’s also an age equipped, in an abstract sense, with all the tools it needs. Utopia is available to us. If, like me, you lived through the civil-rights movement, the antiwar movement, you can never discard hope. I’ve seen social miracles in my life, ones that have stunned me—the courageousness of ordinary people in a struggle.” Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.