'Thanks to a stale, uncompetitive electoral system, leadership is nowhere'
Rachel Leven in the Chicago Tribune
America is swamped with crises our dysfunctional political system "seems totally incapable of solving," says Rachel Leven in the Chicago Tribune. The "root" of the problem is that the system "exists to sustain the status quo" by discouraging "truly competitive elections." Some states are experimenting with reforms like holding instant runoffs and doing away with partisan primaries. "Shaking up the political game" might be what we need to find leaders who can get things done.
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'McConnell's political strength is flagging'
A.B. Stoddard in The Bulwark
Sen. Mitch McConnell's long reign as Senate Republican leader "is coming to an end," says A.B. Stoddard in The Bulwark. His "aging is pronounced" but it's the changes within the Republican Party that will push him out of power. McConnell warned about "Donald Trump's wacko election-denier candidates" in 2022. Since then, the GOP's "surrender to MAGA" has become "nearly complete." Now the question is whether McConnell goes out quietly or "in a blaze" of anti-MAGA glory.
'If James triumphs here, New York's economy will be paying the price'
New York Post editorial board
New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil fraud suit against Donald Trump "may be great for her career, but it's a disaster for New York's economy," says the New York Post editorial board. Trump has an iffy business reputation but "he's plainly being railroaded." His trial serves as "a warning to anyone doing, or thinking of doing, business here: A headline-hunting prosecutor" can hijack the courts "and use perverse New York laws to potentially destroy your company."
'Getting students back into the classroom consistently is not an easy task'
Adam Harris in The Atlantic
Schools are struggling to address absenteeism rates that exploded with the pandemic, says Adam Harris in The Atlantic. The number of chronically absent students increased by 91% between 2018 and 2022. Researchers say "building strong relationships with families and students" can get students back "one by one." But such individualized attention is "difficult to imagine when the scale of the problem is so large, and the resources to meet it are so few."
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Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
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Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
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Sudoku medium: September 13, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
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Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictatorIn the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
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‘Peak consumption has become the Holy Grail of the energy debate’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for coup attemptSpeed Read Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting to stay in power following his 2022 election loss
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Calls for both calm and consequences follow Kirk killingTALKING POINTS The suspected assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk has some public figures pleading for restraint, while others agitate for violent reprisals
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Why does Donald Trump keep showing up at major sporting events?Today's Big Question Trump has appeared at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and other events
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‘Democracy is under threat globally’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Former top FBI agents sue, claiming Trump purgeSpeed Read The agents alleged they were targeted by a “campaign of retribution”
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Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
