'Some of the delay is needless'

'Can Kamala Harris cut red tape on construction?'

William A. Galston at The Wall Street Journal

Construction delays "often result in higher costs on labor, materials and financing," says William A. Galston. On "private projects, it hurts businesses. On public projects, it hurts taxpayers." The "flow of infrastructure funds, for example, could be made contingent on expedited reviews at all levels." Government trust is "near a record low, partly because officials make promises on which they fail to deliver." Reforms that "restore our country's capacity to build quickly would help restore trust — and accelerate economic growth."

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'The beauty of being alone'

Meghan Keane at Time

While loneliness is a "serious health problem, what gets lost in these conversations is that not all alone time is the same," says Meghan Keane. There's "chronic loneliness — and there's solitude. One is a dangerous epidemic. The other is a skill we must nurture." People "do so many activities alone that don't come with the stigmas or dangers of chronic loneliness." This "kind of alone time is healing and important."

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'Does Melania Trump really think her pro-choice messaging will fool us?'

Moira Donegan at The Guardian

Melania Trump making pro-choice statements "does not mean that her choice to make them now, at a moment when they are maximally politically beneficial to her husband, is not cynical," says Moira Donegan. These "gestures do not reflect a sincere change of Republican policy agendas." We "already know that her husband will say anything he thinks will further his own interests; we have no reason not to assume the same of his wife."

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'Before critiquing other nations' elections, let's perfect our own'

Arick Wierson at Newsweek

The 2024 election "could drastically alter the international community's perception of America's role as the paradigm of how elections should be run," says Arick Wierson. To "restore Americans' confidence in this election, it's all hands on deck." Election officials should "conduct all phases of the election process, from capturing and tallying votes to reporting and certifying them, in an open and transparent fashion." Americans should "come out in droves this November. More participation ensures more voter engagement."

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