At Politico, President Obama debunks the oft-stated myth that he removed the bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office and sent it back to the British embassy. In fact, it is in the living quarters of the White House and, appropriately, a bust of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., now graces the Oval Office.
In Sunday's Washington Post Outlook section, a biographer of Harriet Tubman debunks five myths about her. I am delighted that Tubman is going on our currency, but the precise measure of the lack of historical knowledge in this country is evidenced by the fact that a Democratic administration chose to have Tubman replace Andrew Jackson, the founder of the Democratic Party, rather than Alexander Hamilton, whose attitudes towards big business still animate today's Republican Party. I suppose Team Obama did not want to hurt their chances at scoring tickets to the musical.
Speaking of "Hamilton," its creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared at the end of this brilliant segment by John Oliver, pleading for help for Puerto Rico. Oliver does a better job explaining the debt crisis in Puerto Rico than any I have seen, just how quirky the laws are that led to the crisis, and how dishonest the ads opposing Congressional action are.
