'These businesses have appealed to generations'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'An awkward truth about American work'
Lora Kelley at The Atlantic
Moments of "cultural change present openings for cons," as "early in the pandemic, the number of multi-level-marketing schemes (or MLMs) exploded," says Lora Kelley. MLMs "promised a kind of life that was too good to be true." The "low quality of many legitimate jobs has long provided cover for shadier schemes." Many of the "messages that MLMs adopt to reel in workers rely on a central contradiction, criticizing the corporate grind while extolling the free market."
'The end of writing and reading will be the end of freedom'
Nicole Krauss at The Washington Post
At the "crossroads where we now stand, among the many other things at stake, is the future of reading, writing and literature," says Nicole Krauss. We have "lost not just our ability to concentrate on deciphering long passages of written language." Writing and reading "are not effortless," but without that effort, we will slide deeper and deeper into inchoateness, darkness, violence, diminished freedom for all and a diminished state of human being."
'Trump's pause on infrastructure funding impacts more than just highways'
Deborah N. Archer at Time
Without "protections in place, a new wave of infrastructure will repeat old patterns of destruction," says Deborah N. Archer. For "too long, we have treated transportation as if it exists outside of politics and justice." Our "highways, roads, and transit routes are more than lines on a map — they are tools of opportunity and weapons of exclusion." They "reflect our values, and for decades, they've sent a painful message to Black communities: You are disposable."
'Romania's postponed reckoning'
Veronica Anghel at Foreign Affairs
Romania has "narrowly avoided electing a president who openly opposes the country's democratic foundations," says Veronica Anghel. The "breadth of support for him also raises larger questions about whether institutional guardrails in Romania, and in Europe overall, can be effective in countering a far right that seeks to undermine those democratic institutions." Allegiances have "obscured widespread disaffection among ordinary Romanians with their own Western-leaning political class," and many "Romanians have been disillusioned by a political establishment that has resisted reform."
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
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DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
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Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
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‘The illusion of wealth can encourage people to take on more debt’
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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‘An exercise of the Republicans justifying their racist positions’
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
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Are inflatable costumes and naked bike rides helping or hurting ICE protests?
Talking Points Trump administration efforts to portray Portland and Chicago as dystopian war zones have been met with dancing frogs, bare butts and a growing movement to mock MAGA doomsaying
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‘Are we just going to stand in passive witness to the degradation of our democracy?’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Venezuela: Does Trump want war?
Feature Donald Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a drug cartel and waging a narco-terrorism campaign against the United States