'Europe is now beginning to tackle its military to-do list'

'Europe is finally cranking up its creaky defense factories'

The Washington Post editorial board

With Congress deadlocked over fresh military aid for Ukraine, it's good to see the European Union "taking important steps to fill the gap," says The Washington Post editorial board. Europe sat back while the U.S. guaranteed its security for the last 75 years but it's now investing to "bolster ammunition and artillery shell production" in E.U. nations. This will help both Ukraine and NATO. "Alliances work best when all parties make the most of their strengths" and address "shared weaknesses."

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'The economy is OK. Biden's economy, not so much.'

Harold Meyerson at The American Prospect

New polling in swing states looked bad for President Joe Biden, says Harold Meyerson. He trailed Donald Trump in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and tied him in Wisconsin. Many voters were "decidedly gloomy" on Biden's handling of the economy, even though his economic policies, including taxing the rich and expanding childcare, "poll very well." But if he's to defeat Trump, "abortion and Trump himself are the themes he most needs to sound." 

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'New poll: Americans have much in common'

Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board

Social media and the press bombard Americans with messages about the nation's "polarization," says the Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board. And politicians "play to the vocal extremes," exaggerating our differences because it helps them win elections. "Many people are now conditioned to fear differing points of view" instead of welcoming the nation's rich ideological diversity. "Yes, Americans have varying beliefs and political outlooks," but that's a sign of strength in a free society.

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'Big donors want to shape college campuses. Why that needs to stop'

Jerel Ezell in the San Francisco Chronicle

America's top universities have always been "rooted" in corporate philanthropy, says Jerel Ezell. Tycoons with names like Cornell, Rockefeller and Stanford put their "distinctive stamp" on their respective schools' academic programs. But today's "American elite" aren't content to have campus buildings named after them. The recent push to silence pro-Palestinian views has shown they want to "remake their alma maters in their political images." Administrators should tell them to butt out or "take a hike."

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