'All this is to be expected'

Opinion, comment and editorials of the day

Jay-Z attends the premiere of 'Mufasa: The Lion King' in Los Angeles on Dec. 9, 2024.
Jay Z attends the premiere of 'Mufasa: The Lion King' in Los Angeles on Dec. 9, 2024
(Image credit: Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images)

'The Jay-Z allegation once again reveals a culture of impunity in hip-hop'

Tayo Bero at The Guardian

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'Read this before buying that video game'

Simon Parkin at The New York Times

People today are "drawn to video games that function more like social media platforms than discrete interactive stories," and there is an "especially close link between engagement and economics in video games," says Simon Parkin. Game design is "often no longer predominantly the task of crafting challenges that elicit joy, delight and surprise," but is "primarily the job of building machines to keep players engrossed and spending, in many cases, by grinding out repetitive tasks."

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'Keep the federal government in DC'

Craig S. Lerner at The American Conservative

Relocating "federal government workers to the hinterlands is neither a new idea nor one likely to achieve its objectives," says Craig S. Lerner. Opening "government offices outside the Beltway will result in a larger, more entrenched bureaucracy — the opposite of what many reformers desire." It is "not clear what practical benefit is achieved when an economist designing ethanol subsidies is transferred to an office closer to farmers." If a "government organization is doing something harmful, inefficiency is preferable."

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'People thought "A Charlie Brown Christmas" would fail. Sincerity powered its success.'

Stephen Lind at the Los Angeles Times

It is "hard to imagine the holidays without 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,'" and "against all the odds, it became a classic," says Stephen Lind. The program "turned 'Peanuts' from a popular comic strip into a multimedia empire — not because it was flashy or followed the rules, but because it was sincere." It "resonates across demographics and ideologies," and "some fans find comfort in the show's gentle message of faith, while others embrace it in a purely secular way."

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

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.