'If smoke can affect health early in life, it also can affect life's end'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'America's coming smoke epidemic'
Zoë Schlanger at The Atlantic
Until "recently, wildfires that exposed large populations to smoke were a relatively rare occurrence," says Zoë Schlanger. But "more frequent and intense wildfires are erasing or even reversing decades of gains made in American air quality." Now that "more people are regularly breathing smoky air over their lifetime," the "relevant concern may no longer be what happens when a person gets one big dose of smoke; rather, it may be what happens when they are exposed many times."
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.
'The Supreme Court's deference to Trump is astounding'
Jackie Calmes at the Los Angeles Times
Federal judges "have been the bulwark against Trump's reign of lawlessness," says Jackie Calmes. You'd "think the Supreme Court — in particular Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., the overseer of the judicial branch — would have the lower courts' backs. But no." Their "decision in one of many deportation challenges wasn't the court's first such display of deference to a president who doesn't reciprocate." It "undermines the rule of law as fully as the Trump administration's lawlessness."
'My daughter died from CMV, a virus we all need to learn more from'
Arissa Viering at The Dallas Morning News
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Cytomegalovirus is the "most common infectious cause of birth defects in the United States" but "often goes unnoticed," says Arissa Viering. Despite "these staggering numbers, more than 80% of women" have "never heard of CMV," and "even more troubling: many healthcare providers aren't equipped to address it either." This "needs to change." We "need widespread awareness — and we need continued support for scientific research that could one day prevent this heartbreak for other families."
'Ranked choice at the movies'
Armond White at the National Review
Ranked-choice voting "appeals to the simple-minded vanity of political do-gooders; it allows them to overlook their actual inclination toward favoritism, authoritarian dictates, and absolute control," says Armond White. "Ranked-choice voting was implemented" in Hollywood "as a stop-loss remedy — a move to camouflage the practices of an industry devoted to meretricious, often nihilistic entertainments." Since "adopting ranked-choice voting, the Oscars have merely awarded more junk." It's "nearly impossible to get an informed or artistically sound Oscar choice."
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.
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetime
Feature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’
Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
Philadelphia’s Calder Gardens
Feature A permanent new museum
-
‘The Taliban delivers yet another brutal blow’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘Every argument has a rational, emotional and rhetorical component’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘Conspiracy theories about her disappearance do a disservice’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
‘This isn’t just semantics’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘Criminals aren’t waiting for Congress to act’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘Used correctly, the drug is safe’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘People may use the same tactics for very different reasons’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day