'The more complex question of why remains'

Police tape is seen outside of the American Reproductive fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, after it was bombed on May 17, 2025.

The American Reproductive fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, is seen after it was bombed on May 17, 2025

(Image credit: Gabriel Osorio / AFP via Getty Images)

published 20 May 2025

'The fringe philosophy believed to have inspired Saturday's domestic terror attack'

Frank Figliuzzi at MSNBC

A Palm Springs fertility clinic was bombed because it was a "tangible representation of human reproduction," says Frank Figliuzzi. It's "one thing to identify with a particular philosophy; it's another thing to take the giant step of planning and executing violence." If "there's something we have no shortage of in today's world, it's fringe online communities, social isolation and young men searching for meaning." Law "enforcement officials, parents, teacher and counselors should take heed."

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People have "stupid ideas all the time," says Dave Schilling. The "only stupid ideas that are a problem are the ones where the actual government considers cosigning them." The "actual process of winning citizenship is obviously too boring to film." Humans have been "game show props since the invention of the form." It's "only now that such a concept feels enough in line with the zeitgeist of immigration paranoia" that Republicans "felt emboldened to speak freely about it."

Journalism is "under siege, attacked by our politics, by the economy and by technological change," says Jessica Sibley. The "attention economy is controlled by tech platforms that are indifferent, if not outright hostile, to quality journalism." But "amid this upheaval, something remarkable is happening: many of the world's leading media companies are now being led by women." This "doesn't feel like a glass cliff. There are too many of us. We're not symbolic hires or last-ditch efforts."

The Heritage Foundation "unleashed a policy paper titled Project Esther: A National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism," which "basically consists of criminalizing opposition to Israel's current genocide and exterminating freedoms of speech," says Belén Fernández. If the "Trump administration seems to be taking Project Esther and running with it, it is more out of concern for propagating a white Christian nationalist agenda that utilizes Zionism and antisemitism charges to its own extremist ends."

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.