‘We are as much the healing species as the murdering one’
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
‘The glorious birds we saved’
Margaret Renkl at The New York Times
To “see a whooping crane in the wild is to be reminded that we nearly killed something miraculous — and then, almost unbelievably, we didn’t,” says Margaret Renkl. The “question is whether we still have the wisdom to save what we have the ability to save.” At a “species level, it is nothing less than suicidal to believe that human beings are exempt from the ravages that human beings keep subjecting the earth to.”
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‘The US-Israeli war on Iran could rewrite Gulf security calculations’
Khalid Al-Jaber at Al Jazeera
The war in Iran “will have a profound impact on the Middle East and the Gulf in particular,” says Khalid Al-Jaber. If the “conflict drags on, it could become a real turning point for the Gulf — one that reshapes how states think about security, alliances and even their long-term economic futures.” It “ would push Gulf capitals to revisit not only their defense planning but also the deeper logic of their regional strategy.”
‘Censoring network TV is outdated. America needs free speech.’
Neil Brown at USA Today
Stephen Colbert’s “recent attempt to broadcast an interview with Talarico, a Texas Democratic state representative running for the U.S. Senate, set off a fresh round of anger and angst about the state of freedom of speech,” says Neil Brown. Are equal time rules “antiquated in 2026? Absolutely. Who do we think those old rules are protecting?” People who “create and distribute content should embrace the gray realities of life and put value on purposefully helping audiences get comfortable with conflict.”
‘Tariffs, a hidden tax that hits Main Street first’
Ronell Smith at The Dallas Morning News
The Supreme Court’s “rebuke of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy cannot undo the damage already done” to businesses and the “customers they serve,” says Ronell Smith. Trump “framed tariffs as a boon to American industry. That’s certainly not how they are landing on Main Street.” Businesses are “dealing with simpler, unforgiving math: raise prices and risk losing customers, or hold prices steady and accept thinner margins — often while cutting staff, hours or investment to stay afloat.”
