'Government entitlements and subsidies invariably cost more than politicians advertise'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
'Behind the ObamaCare boom'
The Wall Street Journal editorial board
President Joe Biden "took a victory lap" last week when his administration announced that "a record 21.3 million Americans had signed up for coverage on the ObamaCare exchanges," says The Wall Street Journal editorial board. But hold your applause. Pandemic-era legislation "sweetened" premium tax credits, and Biden's administration "rewrote ObamaCare rules to enable more families to qualify" for free, or nearly free, insurance on the government marketplace. Those extra enrollments will cost taxpayers a fortune.
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.
'Sure, Trump and Biden are old. The similarities end there.'
E.J. Dionne Jr. in The Washington Post
The "political habit of the moment" is to complain that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both are "unpopular and old," and Americans want new blood, writes E.J. Dionne Jr. in The Washington Post. It's time to drop the "false equivalences" and acknowledge that voters face a stark choice: "Between constitutional democracy" and Trump's "authoritarianism. Between a normal human being and a self-involved, spiteful madman." Trump and Biden don't "live in the same moral universe."
'Don't let Trump and Biden abandon the debates'
Matthew Yglesias at Bloomberg
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Presidential debates are "never substantive enough," says Matthew Yglesias at Bloomberg. "The moderators always intervene too much or too little, and they have little effect on voters." Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are "contemplating skipping this year's edition." But admit it. "We'll miss them when they're gone." Despite their flaws, debates "are a rare opportunity" to "make everyone who pays attention to the news watch and argue about more or less the same thing."
'Trust in the media is at stake in 2024. Listening to citizens will help.'
William McKenzie in The Dallas Morning News
"Americans' faith in the mainstream media is in decline," writes William McKenzie in The Dallas Morning News. In this election year, journalism leaders have two choices. They can "forgo open-minded and independent reporting" — a common complaint these days — and focus on reaching the liberal or conservative audiences their reporters and editors relate to. Or they can "strive to reach broad audiences" with accurate and fair reporting. "The latter path is healthiest for our democracy."
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
-
The ‘Kavanaugh stop’Feature Activists say a Supreme Court ruling has given federal agents a green light to racially profile Latinos
-
Has 21st-century culture become too bland?Under The Radar New book argues that the algorithm has killed creative originality
-
Affordability: Does Trump have an answer?Feature Trump ‘refuses to admit there is a problem’
-
Affordability: Does Trump have an answer?Feature Trump ‘refuses to admit there is a problem’
-
‘We owe it to our young people not to lie to them anymore’instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump pivots on Epstein vote amid GOP defectionsSpeed Read The president said House Republicans should vote on a forced release of the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein files
-
Is Marjorie Taylor Greene undergoing a political realignment?TALKING POINTS The MAGA firebrand made a name for herself in Congress as one of Trump’s most unapologetic supporters. One year into Trump’s second term, a shift is afoot.
-
How are these Epstein files so damaging to Trump?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Republicans and Democrats release dueling tranches of Epstein-related documents, the White House finds itself caught in a mess partially of its own making
-
‘Officials say exporters pay the tariffs, but consumers see the opposite’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Will California tax its billionaires?Talking Points A proposed one-time levy would shore up education and Medicaid
-
‘The business ultimately has a customer base to answer to’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
