'We might need to fiddle with our technology more than we think'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'Could steampunk save us?'
Joshua Rothman at The New Yorker
Steampunk machines are "extraordinary, improbable, and romantic — they represent the triumph of imagination," and "this steampunkish vision of the technological world as an aging contraption hurtling into the future might be especially vital now," says Joshua Rothman. We "may soon be able to ask an AI 'agent' to do something for us, caring mainly that it completes our task." The "risks of adopting such a relationship to technology are self-evident," but it's "not so hard to adjust our imaginations."
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.
'Trump vows to attack public education if elected. It's our kids who would suffer.'
Marla Bautista at USA Today
Donald Trump is "using public education as a weapon in his campaign for the White House," says Marla Bautista. The GOP has "consistently attacked public schools and teachers unions while promoting vouchers and other initiatives that drain resources from classrooms." The "idea of shuttering the Department of Education has been a GOP rallying cry for decades," but this "could potentially take away billions of dollars in federal money that school districts rely on."
'How to cool down labor unrest at the ports'
Sean Higgins at the National Review
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
A way to "head off any potential strike that would threaten the economy would be for Congress to put the ports under the authority of the Railway Labor Act," says Sean Higgins. The act regulates "labor issues directly related to interstate commerce. It is no stretch to say that ports are part of the nation's transportation infrastructure, which is inherently interstate commerce." One union "should not have the power to put large segments of the economy on strike."
'Post-Helene recovery underlines Americans' uneasy relationship with Appalachia'
K.M. Slade at The American Prospect
Appalachian communities "fear that America will once again forget all about Appalachia now that Helene has literally stripped away its appeal as a climate sanctuary," says K.M. Slade. Goodwill has "been overshadowed by the politicization of Helene, which has deepened Appalachia's uneasy relationship with the rest of the country." The "investments that Appalachia needed took a back seat to partisan bickering, leaving the poorest residents in limbo, struggling with poverty and high unemployment."
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.
-
Trump arms National Guard in DC, threatens other cities
speed read His next targets are Chicago, New York and Baltimore
-
'America is simply not investing at the level the crisis demands'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfully
Speed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Gavin Newsom's Trump-style trolling roils critics while thrilling fans
TALKING POINTS The California governor has turned his X account into a cutting parody of Trump's digital cadence, angering Fox News conservatives
-
'It's our financialized economy in miniature'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
'That message may seem unimpeachable'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day