Reviews | It might not be right now, but there’s a world of good we can do

Gaëlle: It sounds wonderful, and in the spirit of the season, I will refrain from mentioning government funding.

Bret: A similar program is Minds Matter, which I started donating to after my wife, Corinna, volunteered to be a tutor. It’s an amazing mentoring organization, with chapters across the country, that prepares bright kids from low-income families for college, and even covers the cost of college visits. The dedication of the students is humbling: They drop out almost every Saturday of the school year for three years to complete the program, and their success rate is proportionately high.

Gaëlle: Great when you can recommend groups from such close personal experience.

Bret: Another charity that matters, Gail, is Compass to Care, which I discovered thanks to my friend, legendary auto industry journalist Paul Ingrassia, who passed away in 2019. The charity helps families of children with cancer to cover the cost of transportation to treatment. centers. It was a favorite of Paul’s remarkable son Charlie, who also died far too young of cancer at age 39. It’s also a good reminder that some of our greatest needs lie in the little seemingly small things that can make all the difference.

Gaëlle: So agree with you.

Now I hate to be depressing, but while people work so hard to bring joy to the season, Congress is busy… unsuccessful.

Bret: You despair. I applaud.

Gaëlle: I still support Joe Biden’s plan to bring more relief to poor families, lower the cost of child care and medical care, and tackle climate change.

Guess you’re still in Grinch mode?

Bret: The Grinch Who does not make a heart grow at the end. For Democrats, it would be much smarter to break the Build Back Better bill into separate pieces of legislation, then move each separately to Congress. This strategy has the advantage of reducing the overall cost of legislation. This gives Joe Manchin a lot more flexibility to vote for a party while still being a Democrat. And it could allow Democrats to mark their victories without putting all their proverbial eggs in one yellow doggie basket.

Gaëlle: I love all of these eggs. Of course, if Biden had to sacrifice one thing to win, I would always celebrate with an eggnog toast. Alas, I have a feeling there will be a lot of shredding if he has to go piece by piece.