'America's conservative party has collapsed'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'America cannot sustain itself without a functional and sane center-right party'
Tom Nichols in The Atlantic
"Every nation needs parties of the left and the right," said Tom Nichols in The Atlantic. But the "carnival of abominable behavior" as Republicans steer the nation to a government shutdown nobody wants proves that America's conservative side has come undone. We no longer have a functioning "center-right party that represents traditional conservatism, or even respects basic constitutional principles such as the rule of law." We'll suffer the consequences long after "Donald Trump is gone."
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 mere passage of time doesn't change the fact that Kaepernick was done wrong'
Andre Gee in Rolling Stone
It's great that Usher was named to headline the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, said Andre Gee in Rolling Stone. The R&B icon is the latest Black performer honored with this "rite of passage for American music's top-tier stars." But spotlighting African American entertainers doesn’t make up for the NFL's "veritable blackballing of Colin Kaepernick," who has been denied a spot on a football roster since 2017 for his kneeling protests against police brutality.
'Why would a president take sides like that?'
Chicago Tribune editorial board
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
It's easy to understand why President Biden visited auto workers on the picket line, said the Chicago Tribune in an editorial. Michigan could be crucial in the 2024 election, "and Democrats need to shore up support." But if the strike drags on, it could threaten "the economic health of the country." It will be hard for Biden to act as an "honest broker" to settle the dispute "for the good of the nation" after "visibly" taking sides.
'Keeping a student suspended for having long hair is a step too far'
The Dallas Morning News editorial board
The suspension of Texas high school student Darryl George is "testing the limits of a new state law" protecting Black students from discrimination on the basis of their hair, said The Dallas Morning News in an editorial. Administrators argue the 17-year-old's loc hairstyle "violates the district's dress code." Fine. Let the court decide how far protection of ethnic hairstyles goes. Meantime, "show some good faith" by putting education first and lifting the suspension.
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.
-
Is New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s plan for free buses realistic?
Talking Points A transit innovation or a costly mistake
-
5 side hustle ideas to supplement your budget
the explainer Almost two-thirds of Americans are looking to get a second job in the next year
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
‘The illusion of wealth can encourage people to take on more debt’
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
‘An exercise of the Republicans justifying their racist positions’
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
Are inflatable costumes and naked bike rides helping or hurting ICE protests?
Talking Points Trump administration efforts to portray Portland and Chicago as dystopian war zones have been met with dancing frogs, bare butts and a growing movement to mock MAGA doomsaying
-
‘Are we just going to stand in passive witness to the degradation of our democracy?’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day