'A speaker courageous enough to stand up to the extremists in his own party'

'A GOP speaker risks his neck to finally help a desperate Ukraine. He deserves Democratic support.'

Chicago Tribune editorial board

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is risking his job by pushing Ukraine aid over Republican hardliners' objections, says the Chicago Tribune editorial board. "It's to America's shame" that Congress has failed to approve more military aid for Kyiv while civilians are "dying in Russian missile and drone attacks for lack of defensive weaponry." Lawmakers must pass the Ukraine bill, and Democrats should keep their promise to protect Johnson if GOP extremists try to oust him.

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'How to burn tax dollars and have little to show for it'

Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board

The "progressive paradise of California" has spent $24 billion in five years to "attack homelessness," says the Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board. But the problem has only gotten worse. Still, the Democrats who rule the "one-party progressive Eden" appear "wholly uninterested in determining whether spending billions in taxpayer money under the guise of getting people off the streets does indeed get people off the streets." Californians can't complain. They're getting "what they voted for."

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'What USC got wrong when it canceled its valedictorian's speech'

David Kaye at Slate

The University of Southern California's decision to cancel the graduation speech of its pro-Palestinian valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, was a "troubling" violation of free expression, says David Kaye. Provost Andrew Guzman said the move was necessary to maintain campus safety during the ceremony. But Guzman failed to justify the "draconian measure," which came after pro-Israel groups launched a campaign against Tabassum, with any evidence the "hardworking" young scientist planned to "incite any kind of disruption."

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'The kind of surprise no one likes — a medical bill'

Nedra Rhone in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

America needs "more transparency in medical billing," says Nedra Rhone. A Federal Reserve study found that more than 20% of U.S. adults had "received major, unexpected medical bills," the priciest often coming from out-of-network providers working under contract with in-network providers. Patients didn't know they were "even receiving out-of-network services" until the bill arrived. Many of us are equipped to fight iffy bills from mechanics or contractors, but few know how to fight the "medical bureaucracy."

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