When speculating about causes of trends in mortality rates: (a) make sure that what you’re trying to explain has actually been happening, and (b) be clear where your data end and your speculations begin.

A reporter writes: I’d be very interested in getting your take on this recent paper. I am immensely skeptical of it. That’s not to say many Trump supporters aren’t racist! But we’re now going to claim that this entire rise in all-cause mortality can be attributed to the false sense of lost status? So so …