‘The Taliban delivers yet another brutal blow’

‘Afghanistan’s internet blackout was a warning’

Shabana Basij-Rasikh at The Washington Post

Millions in Afghanistan “went dark in an unprecedented nationwide internet shutdown that lasted more than two days,” and “blame immediately fell on the Taliban. Properly so,” says Shabana Basij-Rasikh. This “most recent episode seemed like a ratcheting-up to total information control.” The “Taliban is very obviously working on implementing a dark vision.” They “made the internet go dark for two days. They can do it again, and they can do it for much longer. This cannot be allowed.”

Read more

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

‘Jane Goodall taught us to see the natural world. Now it’s our turn to act.’

Jeff Corwin at USA Today

Jane Goodall’s “remarkable story was the light bulb moment that sparked my dream to share the wonders of nature with the world,” says Jeff Corwin. Goodall “used patience, not force, to build trust with animals. It paid off.” At a “time when the scientific establishment prized distance and detachment, she chose connection. She treated animals with respect, giving them names, not numbers.” Goodall “proved you don’t need prestige to make lasting discoveries. You simply need to care.”

Read more

‘Gold is not a risk-free asset’

Allison Schrager at Bloomberg

The “jaw-dropping spike in gold prices is a reminder of what primal creatures we humans are,” says Allison Schrager. But the “surge should also remind us of the importance of calling on the more evolved parts of our brain.” There is “nothing safe about gold as an asset. Like any other commodity, its prices are extremely volatile. All it adds to a portfolio is risk.” If “markets turn, there is no guarantee gold will hold its value.”

Read more

‘The danger of weaponizing our personal boundaries’

Margeaux Feldman at Time

“Emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills are all the rage now,” says Margeaux Feldman. If you “can’t afford a therapist, you can find tips and tools to support your emotional growth through Instagram and TikTok.” But it is “impossible to capture the nuance of such complex topics in ten to twenty slides.” Any “blanket statements about boundaries are woefully inadequate because the contexts of our relationships matter,” and “disregarding the impact of our boundaries on others is irresponsible.”

Read more