'Will growth slow, or is the economy about to fall off a cliff?'

'Will the economy slow or fall off a cliff?'

Liz Peek at The Hill

This week's surging unemployment claims suggest the economy is "weakening," says Liz Peek at The Hill. The White House insists "things are going great," but in reality the economy is "supported by three shaky pillars: over-the-top government spending, an overly concentrated stock market and unprecedented illegal immigration" that pressures unskilled wages. The Federal Reserve will slash interest rates "if the economy suddenly falters." But the central bank might not be "nimble enough to stave off" a recession.

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'The bastardization of the Boy Scouts'

National Review editorial board

The Boy Scouts of America insists renaming itself Scouting America doesn't change its mission, says the National Review editorial board. But the organization, "founded 114 years ago by men who were concerned about the disappearance of traditional boyhood," already started admitting girls and gay adult leaders. The latest change fuels the impression that the "Boy Scouts have abandoned their traditional role of instilling traditional masculine virtues in boys, becoming yet one more arm of a progressive culture-war blob."

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'MAGA Republicans are already doubting the 2024 election results'

Eugene Robinson in The Washington Post

MAGA Republicans have made it clear if former President Donald Trump loses to Joe Biden again this year their attempt to overturn the election "could be even worse than last time," says Eugene Robinson. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and other potential Trump running mates have been "shameless" in their refusal to commit to respecting the November result. The GOP no longer believes in democracy. "Many leading Republicans deserve to share the blame" with Trump.

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'Why am I lonely? Lack of social connections hurts Americans' mental health.'

Evan Feinberg in USA Today

America is facing what the Surgeon General calls a "loneliness epidemic," fueled by political polarization and social media, says Evan Feinberg. "Nearly 40% of high school students — and half of high school girls — say their mental health has struggled in recent years." Many lack close friends. Throwing money at the crisis might chip away at the shortage of mental health providers, but it won't address the "root cause." People need to reach out in "mutual support."

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