Frank Rich finds lessons for Democrats in the midterms: seeking “the political center,” as recommended by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff, running on “clean-government themes and promises of incremental improvement to the health-care system rather than transformational social change,” is “ridiculous.” Frank writes about politics for New York magazine and is executive producer of Veep on HBO.

Also: Is Trump’s appointment of a new acting attorney general, Matt Whitaker, legal? He hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate—or even nominated. Erwin Chemerinsky comments—he’s dean of the law school at UC Berkeley, and his new book is We the People: A Progressive Reading of the Constitution for the 21st Century.

And a report on the motives and goals of the people on that caravan from Central America headed across Mexico toward Tijuana, from Laura Carlsen, who has been with the caravan. Trump has stopped talking about it, now that the midterms are over and his fearmongering failed to win key House seats.