The presidential pardon, patients’ rights, and Betsy DeVos, in Slate's daily newsletter.

Why the backlash? Dana Goldstein looks at Betsy DeVos’ track record and tallies up reasons why Democratic senators are dismayed at the prospect of her assuming the position of secretary of education. (Goldstein’s piece asks: “Is she underprepared or a zealot?” One Slatecommenter rejoins, “Can’t she be both?”)

What’s fair?Ruth Graham writes in praise of Barack Obama’s clemency for Chelsea Manning on Tuesday. Even as critics Paul Ryan and Lindsey Graham found fault with the commutation of Manning’s sentence, Graham argues that the whole point of presidential pardons is the exercise of a divine quality of mercy.

On obligations: Dr. Jane M. Zhu argues that doctors need to get politically involved, and to stand up for patients’ rights, starting with the current battle over the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

House of lies: Josef Stalin’s deployment of misinformation kept Soviet citizens miserable, paranoid, and in the dark for decades, M. T. Anderson writes. What can we learn from that disaster as we head into the Trump years?

For fun:Fiona Apple has released the perfect song for Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington.

Tiny Hands,

Rebecca

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