There Is Joy In Sharing Something New

• Who has more cash on hand going into 2024: Ted Cruz or Josh Hawley?

• Who are my favorite examples of masculinity in film?

• How many exceptions to hearsay are there in the federal rules of evidence?

• Can two-ingredient pancakes really be called pancakes?

These are just a few of the questions I researched for my job over the last 24 hours. 

Some take more time than others, some may be more important to you than others, but what I love about working here is that we privilege the curiosity to explain. Whether it’s the most pressing political news of the day or how to celebrate National Banana Day, we seek to unravel, to illuminate, and to translate.

And—as I hope you can tell—it brings us a lot of joy. 

Our primary job is to help you cut through the confusion, chaos, and spin out of Washington. We aim to make your news consumption easier by focusing on the things that really matter and leaving the crazy to cable news and the outrage outlets on the left and the right. We seek to simplify but we never “dumb things down”—our readers don’t need it and they’d be insulted if we tried. Above all, we try to present you with reporting and commentary worth your time, even when it’s a little bit geeky.

The community of Dispatch members are fellow travelers in this nerdom. They are people seeking truth and facts but who also take unbridled pleasure in learning something new every day—even if it challenges a previously held belief about how the world works. 

This is a pitch for you to join us and join this community of the curious (or remnants, if you will). And I hope you will, but let me also use it as an opportunity to thank you even if you’re not yet a member. Your emails and tweets have challenged me to dig deeper and go just a little further even when I’m out of gas. And as a result, I inevitably find another treasure trove of interesting stuff to share in the next newsletter or podcast. To say this wouldn’t be nearly as fun without you is an understatement. You are what makes us want to work harder every day because the joy is in sharing what we find with you! 

Now is a good time to give a Dispatch membership a try: We’re offering a free 30-day trial of a Dispatch membership, risk free. Sign-up through the link below to get members-only access to the full edition of The Morning Dispatch, Capitolism and Vital Interests newsletters; and bonus mid-week editions of The French Press and G-File newsletters. 

This offer is only available through Friday, April 30. Cancel anytime. 

So thank you, join us if you can, and now I’ve got to go do some more reading! 

Sarah Isgur

Programming note: This Wednesday, April 28 President Biden will address a joint session of Congress–his first such address and a stand-in for a State of the Union address. Public opinion polls show Biden’s approval rating hovering around 52 percent. What will Biden emphasize as his achievements in his 100 days as president? Will he negotiate with Republicans on infrastructure? What are his next steps on Iran? What will he say about race, guns, China, the economy, COVID-19? 

I’ll be your host for a members-only edition of Dispatch Live along with my colleagues David French, Steve Hayes, and Jonah Goldberg starting at 8:45 p.m. ET. We’ll do a quick preview of the speech before the address begins and then come back again after the speech to break down what we heard starting 5 minutes after the conclusion of President Biden’s remarks. 

By becoming a member today, you can join this members-only virtual gathering. I hope to “see” you there.