'The United States needs to up its game'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
'A world without reliable U.S. leadership would be a world of authoritarian predators'
Robert M. Gates in Foreign Affairs
America faces "graver threats to its security than it has in decades, perhaps ever," says Robert M. Gates in Foreign Affairs. China has more "economic, scientific, technological, and military power" than any adversary in memory. Russia is belligerent and prone to dangerous miscalculations. But "Congress has descended into bickering, incivility, and brinkmanship," and successive presidents have let America's global leadership suffer. Washington must fix its "political dysfunction" to ensure its "democratic values" prevail.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'The GOP wants to trick Americans into believing they're somehow softening on abortion'
Jessica Valenti in The New York Times
Republicans are twisting themselves into knots to make their "anti-abortion policies sound less extreme," Jessica Valenti opines in The New York Times. "With post-Roe outrage showing no sign of waning," they're dumping the term "ban" — something Americans "overwhelmingly oppose" — and "pushing for a 15-week 'standard' on abortion — which, to be clear, would be a ban." But "changing the way Americans talk about abortions" won't change how they feel, "which is, right now, very pro-choice."
'Biden is deeply unpopular, in part due to his response to migration'
Lee Fang at UnHerd
The "American Left" attacked Donald Trump's immigration policy for four years, says Lee Fang at UnHerd. Those were the days of “hipsters with 'Abolish ICE' T-shirts," and Democratic lawmakers protesting "alleged fascism" at detention centers. But "their zeal appears to have backfired." America faces a "record surge in migration" that has pushed El Paso to the "breaking point," according to its mayor, and President Biden faces a bipartisan backlash magnified by the attention his party focused on the border.
'Should I expect men to pay on dates as a form of reparations for generational harm?'
Jean Guerrero in the Los Angeles Times
Splitting the bill on first dates seems a good way to break "bad generational patterns" by affirming that men and women are equals, writes Jean Guerrero in the Los Angeles Times. But many women consider it "properly feminist to expect men to pay." Call it "reparations" for the gender wage gap. The math isn't universal, though. As feminist writer Rebecca Solnit noted, overall pay inequality doesn't mean a "carpenter has to pay for lunch with the corporate lawyer."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 4, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - reflections in the pond, riding shotgun, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 high-caliber cartoons about Kristi Noem shooting her puppy
Cartoons Artists take on the rainbow bridge, a farm upstate, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is the world running low on blood?
Podcast Scientists believe universal donor blood is within reach – plus, the row over an immersive D-Day simulation, and an Ozempic faux pas
By The Week Staff Published
-
'A financial windfall for Iranian terrorism'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Biden tackles campus protests, deplores 'chaos'
Speed Read Students have a "right to protest but not a right to cause chaos," the president said
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Xi comes to Europe: what's on the agenda?
The Explainer China's president visiting for first time since 2019, with spotlight on support for Russia over Ukraine and trade tensions with EU
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Box Trump in for real if he pulls another stunt. Put him behind bars.'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Can we — the people who have bought so much already — really keep buying more?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Coming to America
Opinion Why the melting pot should be a source of national pride
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Chechnya in jeopardy: what would death of Ramzan Kadyrov mean for Putin?
Today's Big Question Strongman leader is 'terminally ill', stoking fears of armed conflict in the North Caucasus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published