'The idea of counties leaving a state is not as eccentric as it may seem'

Opinion, comment and editorials of the day

A 'Welcome to Indiana' sign is seen on a billboard in Clarksville, Indiana.
State border disputes have 'unintended national consequences which can arise'
(Image credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

'The danger of adjusting state borders to reflect political divides'

Conor William Howard at Time

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'Health is a shared priority, not a privilege of the few'

Jerome Adams at Newsweek

There are "questions about whether there is a sincere plan to improve America's health or if the intent is simply to dismantle existing infrastructures," says former Surgeon General Jerome Adams. But it's "critical to understand public frustration with the status quo; the U.S. has the world's most expensive health care system but some of the worst health outcomes." This is "not just about staving off cuts or resisting changes to a dysfunctional system; it's an opportunity to build true health care."

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'America should recycle its own rare earths, not grab Ukraine's'

Elisabeth Braw at Foreign Policy

Little is "known about Ukraine's actual rare-earth deposits, and a large part of them sit in Russian-occupied territories," says Elisabeth Brew. Building the "infrastructure for extraction would take years." A "better idea, one that would make the United States dependent on no one," is to "recycle rare earths in Americans' used gadgets." If the United States "could marshal the rare earths sitting around in people's homes and garbage cans, it could slash its dependence on China and create jobs at home."

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'Florida Gators fans, please cover your ears'

Alex Kirshner at Slate

March Madness is "not 'college sports,'" says Alex Kirshner. It is a "three-week tournament that got its nickname because of its propensity to deliver several huge upsets every year." But in a "year with no serious upsets to speak of," it is "enough to point out that we may be looking at much more boring basketball tournaments for the foreseeable future. Life has tradeoffs." But this doesn't "justify going back to restrictive and likely illegal player movement rules."

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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.