'Drug epidemics are often cyclical'

'Not everyone is benefiting from drops in overdose deaths'

Maia Szalavitz at The New York Times

A drop in drug deaths "might reflect what epidemiologists call a depletion of susceptibles, a grim term that can describe the waning of an epidemic because the most vulnerable people have perished," says Maia Szalavitz. The U.S. "urgently needs to identify which factors beyond the tragedy of mass death are causing fatalities to fall." This "could not only help prevent rises in overdoses but may also explain why some groups continue to experience sharp increases in overdose deaths."

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'The Christian case for Happy Holidays'

Elizabeth Bruenig at The Atlantic

There are "plenty of reasons even devoutly conservative Christians should consider wishing others 'Happy holidays' this season," says Elizabeth Bruenig. There are "other holidays at the end of the year — not just of other faiths but also within Christianity." There are also "more ecumenical Christian reasons for keeping 'Happy holidays' on hand." Most "important is the fact that a friendly greeting is a kind of charity" that "constitutes an offer of hope for another's happiness."

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'Mexico's growing flirtation with China poses challenges for Trump 2.0'

Mauricio J. Claver-Carone at The Hill

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum must "curate Mexico's balancing act between the U.S. and China while avoiding a spat with the incoming Trump administration," says Mauricio J. Claver-Carone. Mexico is "sitting on a real opportunity but it needs to play its cards right." It is "urgent to de-couple China from our supply chains," and "Mexico should work closely with the Trump administration to fend off China and to ensure a more stable and secure future for the Americas."

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'My visit to one of Ghana's notorious "slave castles" was a haunting reminder of the not-so-distant past'

Jenice Armstrong at The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Everyone who had visited one of the stone forts in Ghana where enslaved Africans were held before making the journey to the Americas told me to prepare myself," says Jenice Armstrong. But it is "unclear what will happen to the teaching about this chapter in American history once President-elect Trump takes office." Not "acknowledging the impact of 400 years of chattel slavery, and even more of racial segregation, is a way to deny the country's ugliest chapters."

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