'Climate change doesn't just boost record weather events — it boosts the snake-oil salesmen'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'The California wildfires just revealed this very grim truth'
Nitish Pahwa at Slate
"Naturally, it's conspiracy time" about the California wildfires, and this is "just how every major climate disaster is going to unfold online from here on out," says Nitish Pahwa. In an "ecosystem where social media outlets have purposefully hobbled their ability to provide real-time, reliable updates to users, the people affected by those disasters are literally left in the dark." It "takes time and effort to extinguish flames and dispatch reliable information in favor of the public interest."
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.
'Venezuela's Maduro could be the next dictator to fall'
Kristina Foltz at The Hill
The "swift fall of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is a lesson on the fragility of alliances between autocrats," and shows the "growing weakness and isolation" of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, says Kristina Foltz. Dictators "share only a common enemy — the global international rules-based order that would put a halt to their criminal, repression-fueled operations." Now is the "time for the world to ramp up pressure on Nicolas Maduro to accept defeat and liberate Venezuela from tyranny."
'How Jimmy Carter helped the religious right's rise to power'
Neil J. Young at MSNBC
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
It is "hard to imagine a time when being an evangelical or openly talking about one's religious faith would be regarded as a liability for a presidential candidate," but Jimmy Carter "helped bring religious talk into the American presidency to a degree that had never been seen before," says Neil J. Young. Conservative politicians were "also following in the footsteps of Jimmy Carter, even as they took the nation down a very different path."
'A TikTok ban would harm colleges sports' have-nots'
Adam Minter at Bloomberg
For "thousands of college athletes," social media is an "essential tool for monetizing a brief college sports career," says Adam Minter. The "reality for most college athletes is that they can't earn money unless they hustle. If TikTok disappears, they'll struggle to even do that." If athletes "want to get paid, they need to develop personal brands and attract audiences," and TikTok is by far the most efficient means to secure them."
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.
-
October 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being released
The Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
‘Porsche’s luxury credentials are now hanging by a thread’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘Use as little plastic as possible’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘A legacy news brand brings a visibility of its own’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘The Taliban delivers yet another brutal blow’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
‘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
-
‘This isn’t just semantics’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day