'Who would benefit from a Trump-Biden debate rematch, besides Trump?'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'Cancel the 2024 presidential debates if Trump is the GOP nominee'
Jill Lawrence at The Bulwark
If former President Donald Trump wins the Republican presidential nomination as expected, says Jill Lawrence at The Bulwark, we should "scrap the three general-election debates scheduled for September and October." Debates are supposed to be "the gold standard of journalists holding presidential candidates to account and voters getting to assess their policy views and political skills." But Trump turns them into trainwrecks of "grievance, insults and, worst of all, distortions and outright falsehoods" that do more harm than good.
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.
'State and local meddling threatens to undermine the AI revolution'
Adam Thierer at The Hill
Lawmakers everywhere want "a piece of the AI action," says Adam Thierer at The Hill. With "a dysfunctional and highly partisan Congress" struggling to handle the artificial intelligence boom, policymakers in New York, California, and other states are proposing their own ideas, from supporting research to imposing taxes and "sweeping new regulations on AI technologies and companies." Creating a confusing "patchwork" of regulations could "derail the next great technological revolution and undermine America's global competitiveness."
'America helps make Gaza an open-air prison'
Eugene Kontorovich in The Wall Street Journal
Gaza has not produced a wave of refugees, making it "unique among modern war zones," writes Eugene Kontorovich in The Wall Street Journal. Egypt has sealed its border, arguing — with tacit approval from the United States — that letting civilians out of Gaza would hurt the Palestinians' cause. And Hamas "forcibly" prevents Gazans from leaving its "jihadist dystopia" because that would rob it of "human shields" and "end its primary war strategy of running up Gaza's civilian death toll."
'A divided Congress is about to let poor families fall off a hunger cliff'
Grace Segers in The New Republic
Congress' spending showdown could deprive many low-income women and children of a vital resource, says Grace Segers in The New Republic. The stopgap funding measure lawmakers approved last week to keep the government funded until March left the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, with a $1 billion "funding shortfall." Unless Congress wakes up, beneficiaries, starting with non-breastfeeding postpartum mothers, could be bumped to waiting lists or "lose their benefits altogether."
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.
-
What are VPNs and how do they work?
The Explainer UK sees surge in use of virtual private networks after age verification comes into effect for online adult content
-
Why is it so hard to find an 'eligible' man?
In the Spotlight The lack of college-educated suitors is forcing women to 'marry down'
-
Quiz of The Week: 26 July – 1 August
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
How does the EPA plan to invalidate a core scientific finding?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Administrator Lee Zeldin says he's 'driving a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion.' But is his plan to undermine a key Obama-era greenhouse gas emissions policy scientifically sound — or politically feasible?
-
'Fossil-fired grids have provided a cautionary tale'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Why is the Democratic Party's favorability rating so low?
Talking Points Voters do not like Republican policies. They like Democrats even less.
-
'Grief and condolences are not enough'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians
-
'This is a humanitarian, developmental and moral emergency'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Knives come out for Pam Bondi
IN THE SPOTLIGHT She wasn't Trump's first pick to lead the Justice Department. After months of scandals and setbacks, is the attorney general's MAGA shelf life winding down?
-
The 'secret' to 'avoiding a monthly car payment'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day