'One of the most consequential media failures in recent history'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
'A glaring example of major outlets messing up on a very consequential event'
Yascha Mounk in The Atlantic
An inexcusable reporting error momentarily increased the threat of a "wider" Middle East war, said Yascha Mounk in The Atlantic. An explosion killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital, and news outlets, including The New York Times, immediately "broadcast Hamas' claims" an Israeli airstrike was to blame, without verifying the "dubious" allegation. Evidence soon pointed to an errant Palestinian Islamic Jihad missile, and corrections followed. No wonder "trust in traditional news media has been falling fast."
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.
'A government shutdown next month would greatly increase the chances of a recession'
Desmond Lachman in the New York Post
There's "never a good time" for a government shutdown, said Desmond Lachman in the New York Post. But now would be particularly disastrous. Interest rate shock is threatening to inflict broad economic pain, and "heightened Middle Eastern uncertainty" is sending "oil prices through the roof." If the House, mired in a Republican squabble over electing a House speaker, doesn't approve a deal to avert a shutdown before the Nov. 18 deadline, "brace for an economic recession."
'The development of AI has reached a crucial juncture'
James Manyika and Michael Spence in Foreign Affairs
Artificial intelligence could "bring enormous human and economic gains," said James Manyika and Michael Spence in Foreign Affairs. A June 2023 study found it could add $4 trillion annually to the global economy. But the technology also could "cause very real harms." It will take "effective guidance" to "prioritize augmenting human skills rather than replacing them." Otherwise, AI could "simply magnify current economic disparities," instead of strengthening the global economy "for generations to come."
'Great education systems create cultures of opportunity for all'
Adam Grant in The New York Times
One secret to improving students' academic performance "doesn't cost a dime," says Adam Grant in The New York Times. It's called "looping," when teachers "move up a grade or more with their students." Economists found looping to be the common thread in 7,000 North Carolina classrooms with big math and reading performance gains. It gives teachers "more opportunities to tailor their instructional and emotional support to help all the students in the class reach their potential."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Antony Gormley's Time Horizon – a 'judgmental army' of 100 cast-iron men
The Week Recommends Sculptures are 'everymen questioning the privilege of their surroundings' at the Norfolk stately home
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'King's horses take free rein through London'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Is pop music now too reliant on gossip?
Talking Point Taylor Swift's new album has prompted a flurry of speculation over who she is referring to in her songs
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Is the Gaza war tearing US university campuses apart?
Today's Big Question Protests at Columbia University, other institutions, pit free speech against student safety
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Elevating Earth Day into a national holiday is not radical — it's practical'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Republicans want to silence Israel's opponents'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'A speaker courageous enough to stand up to the extremists in his own party'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published