'We're seeing that global conversation play out in real time'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'Hollywood doesn't need tariffs. It needs investment'
Felipe Patterson at Newsweek
Trump's tariffs "won't revive the film industry, they'll hasten its downfall," says Felipe Patterson. Hollywood "isn't just an American enterprise anymore." It's an "intricate, interdependent ecosystem that thrives on global exchange — financially, creatively, and logistically." A "100% tax on foreign-made films wouldn't just be economically shortsighted — it would undercut the very collaborative spirit that's kept Hollywood relevant." If the "goal is to rejuvenate American filmmaking, there's a better way forward." In "short: build the industry and incentivize it."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'What Netflix's "Adolescence" misses about girl-centered violence prevention'
Ann Muno at the Chicago Tribune
Netflix's "Adolescence" joins a "growing trend of true crime entertainment obsessing over perpetrators while rendering victims nearly invisible," says Ann Muno. The "series misses half the story — the murdered girl's." By "neglecting her perspective, it fails to shine a light on the prevention work that could have saved her life." Our "culture's fascination with male violence consistently overshadows the experiences of female victims and their families." We "exhaustively analyze killers while treating victims as plot devices."
'It's time for America to walk away completely from Ukraine-Russia'
Anthony J. Constantini at The American Conservative
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has "put himself in an impossible situation: Accepting the loss of about 20% of Ukraine's territory would effectively end his political career," says Anthony J. Constantini. Trump is "not responsible for Zelenskyy having put himself in such a difficult political position." It is "abundantly clear that neither side is interested in truly ending the war." It's "time to walk away entirely so long as Russia and Ukraine remain unable to compromise and articulate a mutually acceptable vision."
'How the rich and powerful destroyed free speech'
Eric Reinhart at The Nation
Billionaires have "turned appeals to free speech into a tool for consolidating power, masking their expanding control over politics," says Eric Reinhart. They have "slowly bought control" of a "broad array of key civic institutions" like news media and elite universities. Free speech is "often framed as a universal good and an inalienable democratic right." But "concepts do not simply exist." We "must look past debates about what free speech means and instead examine what free speech discourse currently does."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Supreme Court weighs court limits amid birthright ban
speed read President Trump's bid to abolish birthright citizenship has sparked questions among federal judges about blocking administration policies
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A glimpse back, a biker defies gravity, and more
-
May 16 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday's political cartoons feature a lonely Bibi, ChatGPT, RFK Jr. and his grandkids swimming in sewage, America's air traffic control woes, and Donald Trump's love of a military parade.
-
'Natural disasters don't happen only in the movies'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Will Republicans tax the rich?
Today's Big Question Trump is waffling on the possibility of taxing wealthy earners
-
'Haiti's crisis is a complex problem that defies solution'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'Two dolls': Can Trump sell Americans on austerity?
Feature Trump's tariffs may be threatening holiday shelves but they've handed Democrats a 'huge gift'
-
'We already have the tools to do better'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
'Art is one of humanity's great empathic mediums'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs