Still Searching for the Holocaust’s Victims

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. has many staggering displays. One of its most powerful is a multi-floor walk through that shows hundreds of photos arranged all around four walls. They are pictures of people at play in the snow, in casual poses of love and friendship, and formal settings of commemoration. The pictures, you learn, are all from a particular shtetl, Eishishok, which was located in modern Lithuania. The photos are touching upon viewing, at least in the way that all old photos are. Eventually, the reader learns that in 1941, an SS death squad slaughtered the entire Jewish population of Eishishok in a matter of days. The photos then are transformed from windows on simple, family life in Europe into mirrors that reflect the blackest parts of the human soul.

538 has a piece up today that discusses one element of the atrocities. After so many years, at least one million of those lost are still unaccounted for. For Carl Bialik’s story, go here.

CBO Report: Obamacare More Expensive, Still Leaves Millions Uninsured Over Next Decade

The Congressional Budget Office released a report Monday that forecasts the Affordable Care Act to cost in the neighborhood of $2 trillion over the next decade and will still leave around 30 million Americans uninsured. Remember, this $2 trillion is on top of what is spent elsewhere on health care. That is not a total cost, it is the cost of expanding insurance availability.

Romney’s Mormonism in 2016

Vox‘s Brandon Ambrosino asks a mildly interesting question about a Romney campaign in 2016. If he runs again, will Romney be more willing to discuss his Mormonism? While Romney did not necessarily hide his religion in 2012, he appeared a little defensive about its particulars. As a result, voters knew little about how his faith animated his beliefs. In some ways, Romney is a known commodity, but in other ways he was not able to define himself properly for the electorate. Reintroducing yourself is tricky, however.

Idiocracy Draws Nearer, Part 1

KFC is now promoting a Double Down Dog in foreign markets. Yes, it is what you think it is: a hot dog wrapped in a bun made of fried chicken. Here’s hoping it comes with a side of defibrillator.

Oklahoma Executions Put on Hold

Several upcoming executions in Oklahoma will likely be put on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court determines the constitutionality of the drugs being used in the execution process. Essentially, after an execution last year, in which the inmate experienced severe pain and did not die until about 45 minutes after the lethal injection, extra scrutiny is being brought to bear against the state’s proposed drug cocktail, which has not been used before.