'The arts are not just expressions of creativity'

'America's greatest export may be its culture'

Megan Beyer and Gregory Houston at the Chicago Tribune

One of "our most effective yet underused assets is American culture," say Megan Beyer and Gregory Houston. The arts are "powerful drivers of economic growth, job creation, urban revitalization and global influence." Investing in "arts and culture is good policy — plain and simple. It strengthens our tax base, supports small businesses, enhances public health and well-being, and reinforces America's leadership on the world stage." America's "creative edge remains one of its most valuable assets."

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'ICE has no right to anonymity'

Jamelle Bouie at The New York Times

ICE officers "aren't anonymous commentators on a social network; they are representatives of the state, acting on its behalf and empowered to use force if necessary," says Jamelle Bouie. The "people have the right to know who is operating in their government." If an "ICE officer does not want to risk identification — if he does not want the public he serves to hold him accountable for his actions — then he can choose another line of work."

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'Will the Democrats learn from Zohran Mamdani's victory?'

Bernie Sanders at The Guardian

The Democratic Party "can learn the lesson that the Zohran Mamdani campaign taught us on Tuesday," says Sen. Bernie Sanders. And "that is: Have the courage to address the real economic and moral issues that face the majority of our people, take on the greed and power of the oligarchy and fight for an agenda that can improve life for working families." You "don't get a Mamdani victory without the extraordinary grassroots movement that rallied around him."

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'NATO's 5% spending pledge is a threat to people and the planet'

Nick Buxton at Al Jazeera

NATO "agreed this week to invest 5% of their countries' gross domestic product (GDP)" on defense, says Nick Buxton. This "certainly is historic in terms of military escalation, but will it deliver security?" It "reflects a huge escalation of military expenditure over the next decade from an already very high level." The "money will be diverted — most of all from social and environmental spending — even though 30% of Europeans report difficulty in making ends meet."

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