‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’

‘What’s lost when liberal arts schools close’

Kevin Carey at The New York Times

A “wave of closings” of liberal arts colleges “would be devastating,” says Kevin Carey. In “parts of the country that have already been rocked by globalization, the nearby college is one of the few places left where young people can climb the ladder of opportunity.” Students “could attend public universities and community colleges instead, but those programs rarely have the same focus on civic responsibility, the humanities and student discussion as liberal arts schools.”

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‘The White House didn’t need a Mar-a-Lago makeover’

Nia-Malika Henderson at Bloomberg

The “pictures of a digger tearing into the White House are nothing less than shocking, a symbol of Trump’s disregard for American institutions and values — and his embrace of a new Gilded Age,” says Nia-Malika Henderson. Other “presidents have managed to host and honor foreign leaders and dignitaries just fine for all these many years.” The “White House is supposed to be the ‘The People’s House,’ not a palace — special, yet accessible.”

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‘Victim-blaming erodes Western society’

Steven Burg at The Jerusalem Post

The “principle that all citizens deserve equal protection has been abandoned,” says Steven Burg. We “seem to be reviving an ethos where certain people are excluded from public spaces based on their identity.” Banning “Jewish fans and performers normalizes discrimination instead of preventing violence.” If “safety is the paramount issue, then put safeguards up to stop those threatening the safety of citizens; don’t penalize those being attacked.” That is “backward thinking that only serves to embolden the bullies.”

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‘Will the AI boom lead to water and electricity shortages?’

Katrina vanden Heuvel at The Nation

Amid the “artificial intelligence boom — or bubble, as seems increasingly likely — tech companies are pouring money into AI infrastructure,” says Katrina vanden Heuvel. It’s “no wonder that companies are often silent about exactly how much water their facilities use.” Around the “country, communities are increasingly aware of the shortcomings common to many data center deals.” AI “became mainstream with astonishing speed, while everyday Americans have had little power to halt its encroachments.”

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