'Something is clearly awry between Biden and the kids'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
'Biden is alienating young voters'
Alexander Sammon at Slate
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'A disaster for American democracy'
Matt Ford in The New Republic
The centrist group No Labels bills itself as a unifier, says Matt Ford in The New Republic. But the Democratic-aligned nonprofit Third Way argues that No Labels' plan to run "a well-funded third-party candidate in key states" in 2024 would "block President Joe Biden from getting a majority in the Electoral College." That would sidestep "the will of the American electorate" and send the 2024 election to the Republican-controlled House, where Donald Trump "would be virtually certain to win."
'Promote the habits of a free mind'
Greg Lukianoff at National Review
Donors cutting off funding to colleges over "Pro-Palestinian — even explicitly pro-Hamas — demonstrations" are squandering an opportunity, says Greg Lukianoff at National Review. Schools face calls to "condemn the Hamas attacks" in Israel because, when it's convenient, they rush to "weigh in" on issues like the Ukraine war or Black Lives Matter. Donors should use their influence to demand institutional neutrality, always, to make campuses the "oases of free speech and academic freedom" they should be.
'Society evolves and learning must evolve with it'
Nedra Rhone in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Keyboards made cursive writing "a lost skill, a relic of the past," says Nedra Rhone in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. So why has California, "one of the most progressive states," required teaching cursive to elementary students? Learning cursive is useful for reading historical documents. Studies show learning it "aids in brain development." But don’t panic if efforts to revive it fail. The important thing is teaching kids "to communicate clearly," even if it's in "block lettering."
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5 cinematic cartoons about Bezos betting big on 'Melania'Cartoons Artists take on a girlboss, a fetching newspaper, and more
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The fall of the generals: China’s military purgeIn the Spotlight Xi Jinping’s extraordinary removal of senior general proves that no-one is safe from anti-corruption drive that has investigated millions
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Why the Gorton and Denton by-election is a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’Talking Point Reform and the Greens have the Labour seat in their sights, but the constituency’s complex demographics make messaging tricky
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Big-time money squabbles: the conflict over California’s proposed billionaire taxTalking Points Californians worth more than $1.1 billion would pay a one-time 5% tax
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‘The West needs people’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Trump links funding to name on Penn StationSpeed Read Trump “can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers,” a Schumer insider said
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Trump reclassifies 50,000 federal jobs to ease firingsSpeed Read The rule strips longstanding job protections from federal workers
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‘The censorious effect is the same, even if deployed covertly’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Supreme Court upholds California gerrymanderSpeed Read The emergency docket order had no dissents from the court
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Is the Gaza peace plan destined to fail?Today’s Big Question Since the ceasefire agreement in October, the situation in Gaza is still ‘precarious’, with the path to peace facing ‘many obstacles’
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Vietnam’s ‘balancing act’ with the US, China and EuropeIn the Spotlight Despite decades of ‘steadily improving relations’, Hanoi is still ‘deeply suspicious’ of the US as it tries to ‘diversify’ its options
