'The anti-abortion movement's religious worship of the union of egg and sperm'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'Would you expect a firefighter to run into a burning building to save a frozen embryo?'
Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times
The Alabama Supreme Court just "ruled that frozen human embryos are people too" in the most ridiculous example yet of the anti-abortion right's "religious worship of the union of egg and sperm," says Robin Abcarian. A frozen embryo is "a tiny blob of undifferentiated cells," not an "extrauterine" child. Alabama has already criminalized abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Now fertility centers face legal peril, too, as the state "slides toward theocracy."
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.
'Trump's GOP is a confederacy of fakers'
Thomas L. Friedman in The New York Times
Former President Donald Trump's Republican Party will stoop to "any form of crow eating, bootlicking, backtracking and backstabbing to stay in his good graces," however "un-American his demand," says Thomas L. Friedman. "Trump decides to just dump Ukraine? Bye-bye, Zelensky." Trump dislikes a bipartisan "grand bargain on immigration reform? Gone." The GOP is stuck in a "doom loop" of "performing for Trump" to get clicks, donations, and votes. "It is all fake." The trouble is, our enemies are real.
'Biden rewrites "An American Tragedy"'
Arthur Herman in The Wall Street Journal
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
President Joe Biden "is poised to become the most discredited American president since Richard Nixon," says Arthur Herman. And his "diminished mental and physical capacity" is only part of it. "Instead of uniting Americans as he promised in 2020, he has made us weaker and more divided." He "handed out concessions" to enemies, abandoning Afghanistan to the Taliban and letting China buy Russian oil despite sanctions over Moscow's Ukraine invasion. "We had a right to expect more."
'The House should find a way to vote on supporting our allies'
National Review editorial board
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) "doesn't dare" bring up the $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, says the National Review editorial board. Passing it without funding to secure the U.S.-Mexico border "would cause a revolt among the GOP's fiercest opponents of Ukraine aid." But Johnson has to get it done. Failure, "as Russia gains the upper hand in Ukraine" and Israel defends itself "against its terrorist enemies," would fuel the image of Republican "dysfunction."
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.
-
5 hawkish cartoons about Pete Hegseth's meeting of military muscle
Cartoons Artists take on fat generals, bravery medals, and more
-
Why are American conservatives clashing with Pope Leo?
Talking Points Comments on immigration and abortion draw backlash
-
9 haunted hotels where things definitely go bump in the night
The Week Recommends Don’t fear these spirited spots. Embrace them.
-
‘Conspiracy theories about her disappearance do a disservice’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Why is this government shutdown so consequential?
Today's Big Question Federal employee layoffs could be in the thousands
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
‘This isn’t just semantics’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Miami Freedom Tower’s MAGA library squeeze
THE EXPLAINER Plans to place Donald Trump’s presidential library next to an iconic symbol of Florida’s Cuban immigrant community has South Florida divided
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US