The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: An Apple a Day

Today in 5 Lines

President Trump lauded the “wonderful” new health-care legislation released by House Republicans on Monday, while some GOP lawmakers criticized it for not going far enough to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would bring the bill to the Senate floor if and when it passes the House. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump has “absolutely” no regrets about his claims that former President Obama ordered a wiretap on him, despite offering no evidence to back them up. WikiLeaks published thousands of documents allegedly taken from the CIA. All 100 U.S. senators signed a letter urging the Trump administration to do more to respond to the new wave of threats against Jewish facilities across the country.

Today on The Atlantic

• A Case for Optimism: Clare Foran spoke with Ruy Teixeira, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, about what liberals can gain from remaining positive in the Trump era. “Anger is ultimately demoralizing,” Teixeira said. “If you want to sustain a political movement over the long-term then optimism is essential.”

• The Conservative Uprising: On Monday, House Republican leaders unveiled their legislative plan to replace Obamacare—now they have to sell it. That challenge could be in jeopardy amid criticism from key conservatives that the proposed health-care law does not go far enough to erase the Affordable Care Act. (Russell Berman)

• When Scientists March: The March for Science began with “vague ambitions, a hastily designed logo, and a Facebook page inspired by a throwaway Reddit comment,” writes Ed Yong. It has since blossomed into a movement set to hit hundreds of cities around the world on April 22. But what does it mean to march for science?

The Atlantic is hosting a conference call for subscribers between David Frum, author of our March cover story, "How to Build an Autocracy," and Yoni Appelbaum, senior politics editor. On Friday, the two will go behind the story; analyze recent developments with the Trump presidency; and respond to readers' questions. Subscribe today to receive your invitation.

Snapshot

What We’re Reading

Lots to Unpack: Sarah Kliff breaks down the Republican health-care bill and examines the two big questions it leaves unanswered. (Vox)

Face Time: Instead of holding a public town hall to hear from constituents, California Representative David Valadao is meeting with them one-on-one. Valadao says it allows for constructive dialogue, but critics argue he’s afraid to face protesters. (Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times)

The Worst Job in Washington?: President Trump didn’t offer evidence when he accused former President Obama of tapping into his phones at Trump Tower, and he didn’t cite any sources when he complained of massive voter fraud in the election. But his advisers are expected to defend his claims anyway. (Shane Goldmacher, Politico)

‘A Colony in a Nation’: In 1968, Richard Nixon likened the African American community in the United States to “a colony in a nation.” Chris Hayes writes how American criminal justice serves as an example of this: “One (the Nation) is the kind of policing regime you expect in a democracy; the other (the Colony) is the kind you expect in an occupied land.” (Vanity Fair)

Introducing Ronna Romney McDaniel: In an interview with McClatchy, the new Republican National Committee chairwoman discusses her plans to balance the interests of Donald Trump’s coalition with those of the traditional GOP establishment. Can she unite the fractured party? (Katie Glueck)

Visualized

Compare and Contrast: House Republicans have proposed their own health-care plan to replace Obamacare. This chart shows what will stay—and what will be changed—under the new proposal. (Haeyoun Park and Margot Sanger-Katz, The New York Times)

Question of the Week

This week, a Northern Virginia school district is shutting down for the day after a number of staff members asked for the day off to participate in “A Day Without a Woman,” a day of protest to highlight the contributions of women to society. A few weeks ago, a number of restaurants and fast-food chains closed down for “A Day Without Immigrants” to spotlight immigrant contributions to the United States. Fill in the blank with a group of people you think deserves to be commemorated, and tell us why: A Day Without ___ .

Send your answers to hello@theatlantic.com, and our favorites will be featured in Friday’s Politics & Policy Daily.

-Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey) and Candice Norwood (@cjnorwoodwrites)