'Smart public policy can make a difference'

'Americans want our government to grow the economy. Local businesses need it.'

Suzanne Clark at USA Today

There are "many thriving regions whose vitality is propelled by local businesses," and "Washington can help all these communities and have the biggest impact if policymakers do everything in their power to foster growth," says Suzanne Clark. With the "right policies, communities can become economically prosperous, welcoming diverse businesses of all sizes, reducing unemployment and building up a base of skilled workers, developing the infrastructure needed to reach global marketplaces, and encouraging businesses to innovate and expand."

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'"Meritocracy" is the right's smokescreen for white mediocracy'

Charles Coleman Jr. at Newsweek

DEI criticism "presents a paradox that reveals not only dangerous ironies but a bigger issue around the myth of American exceptionalism," says Charles Coleman Jr. In the "same breath that proponents of meritocracy cry foul at DEI-related programs, there is an unabashed desire to reward white mediocrity even when" the "potential candidate is nearly void of any relevant merit." The "idea isn't about taking away unfair advantages, it is quite the opposite."

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'Social media without fact-checking will destabilize the Global South'

Ashfaq Zaman at The Hill

Social media is "perfectly happy to profit off the masses of data they accumulate from users across the world," says Ashfaq Zaman, but "far less interested in investing in the systems and processes that ensure some semblance of accuracy or protection." Both "misinformation and disinformation pose unique threats to the Global South," and "lower levels of digital literacy, combined with rapid mobile phone adoption, can leave falsehoods harder to distinguish from information gained from credible sources."

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'Eat ice cream for breakfast this weekend'

Hannah Docter-Loeb at Slate

The "first Saturday in February" is the "best holiday known to humankind: Ice Cream for Breakfast Day," says Hannah Docter-Loeb. The "prospect of eating food that is even colder than the weather outside is pretty absurd. But I promise it's fun and legit!" As an adult, the "day has become less about what's on the actual menu, and more about the experience." There's "something special about gathering all the people you know to celebrate something so silly."

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